With so many zombie movies in circulation nowadays, everyone is working hard to create new and unique stories. For Director Kongkiat Komesiri, this led to the creation of his latest project, Operation Undead. The film follows Mok (Awat Ratanapintha) and Mek (Nonkul), two brothers who are enlisted in the Thai military, during the peak of World War II in 1941.
Older brother Mek is a new sergeant in his troop, and he learns that his younger brother Mok, who begrudgingly enlisted in the military, made an attempt to run away from home. After berating Mok and expressing his hope that his younger brother will turn up at the military base, Mel heads back to his troop. There, the sergeant learns that the military has been collaborating with one rogue Japanese troupe to create something that change the tide of the war. As audiences already know this is a zombie film, it isn’t difficult to guess what this could mean.
Fast forward to the next battle scene, and patient zero makes his first appearance. This causes carnage and chaos, as this first Japanese soldier zombie turns others into zombies. For the first time, Mek sincerely wishes and prays that Mok succeeded in running away from home. Unfortunately for the brothers, they both eventually are bitten as well, however, they do not become brainless zombies. While zombies are typically portrayed as soulless, moral-less creatures who care for nothing but devouring brains, this film depicts some humanity in these creatures. During an ongoing war, both brothers not only strive to survive and protect their family, but also grapple with their now-undead states and manage their shaky relationship.
Operation Undead moves at a quick pace, almost quick enough to give viewers whiplash. One second, audiences are laughing watching the young soldiers messing around, and the next, jaws are dropping to the floor as said soldiers literally devour each other and rip each other to shreds. In addition to the quick pace, the movie also physically moves quite often, as the camera shakes with each explosion and battle in the war-torn setting. Both the film’s pace and the physical movements, however disorienting, do contribute to the film as they help portray the uncertainty and the terror of being in war, especially when something as frightening as zombies are thrown in to the mix.
Director Kongkiat Komesiri’s portrayal of zombies with emotions and conscious thought is a refreshing twist to the classic zombie genre. This unique concept can be hard to follow at first simply because audiences may be accustomed to the typical depiction of zombies, but Awat Ratanapintha and Nonkul do a great job portraying these undead creatures. Limited in speech and faces covered in special effects makeup, the duo rely on their eyes and various grunts to express their inner thoughts. Though it may sound outrageous in theory, the pair do so well, finding ways to communicate without really needing to speak.
While the film has high potential with its unique premise, suitable casting, and symbolic cinematography, its plot wasn’t all that engaging due to its predictability. It was easy to infer what would happen early on, and while audiences are able to see Mek and Mok grow more caring for each other and their family, there isn’t much growth seen for any other characters. Where the film does succeed is in showing the impact of war; no one is spared from the ripples of suffering or loss of life. It also depicts what it means to survive war, even if you are a zombie.
Operation Undead explores uncharted territory in the zombie genre by telling the tale of humane zombies in warfare, but it might leave you with more questions than answers. The movie premiered last month as part of this year’s NYAFF lineup.
