Operation Undead Review

The zombie genre is filled with variety and meaning, from Romero’s classic Dawn of the Dead, which made a statement on consumerism, to comedic homages like Shaun of the Dead. It’s a wide and thrilling sub-genre of horror. So, when I heard that Thailand had made a zombie war film, my interest was piqued. While there is an obvious comparison to Overlord, another war-meets-zombie flick, Operation Undead feels unique. It uses zombies to tell a deeper story about the horrors of war and how war impacts people and their families. Though rough around the edges, it’s brutal, unrelenting, and definitely worth watching.

The film follows two brothers, Mek (Chanon Santinatornkul) and Mok (Awat Ratanapintha). Mek dreams of ing the military, while Mok enlists mainly to avoid letting down their family and country. One day, reports surface that Japan is approaching and conflict is imminent. Mok is sent to the front lines, but he soon faces a greater threat than any human enemy: a Japanese chemical weapon that turns people into flesh-eating undead, transforming a group of Thai soldiers into zombies. Once peace is brokered between Thailand and Japan, they must work together to stop the undead horde from spreading.

Operation Undead delivers brutally satisfying violence, with some incredible and creative gore effects. What makes these moments so visceral is the combination of the gruesome deaths with inventive and dynamic cinematography. One scene had me jumping out of my seat with excitement as the kill practically leaped off the screen with such originality. The gore alone wouldn’t be nearly as effective without the film’s impactful narrative to back it up.

While some moments feel overly cheesy, and the initial set-up is somewhat clunky as it dives into the film’s themes, the story gradually blossoms into a hidden gem. Unlike many traditional zombie films, these zombies retain their memories and can communicate like normal humans. This leads to genuine heartbreak as we witness men who fought for their country now condemned to an endless nightmare, unable to return to normal life. In a sense, even before their transformation, their country viewed them as zombies—people who weren’t expected to think, only to follow orders.

Watching people in power, who will never face conflict themselves, give orders to soldiers destined to die protecting them, is always terrifying. Writer and director Kongkiat Khomsiri brings this unsettling vision to life in a way that sets Operation Undead apart from any other zombie film I’ve seen, using the genre to convey something truly meaningful.

That said, it’s not without its flaws. Some of the visual effects, particularly involving fire and explosions, can look rough and feel somewhat cartoonish. There’s a certain level of artificiality to them. Additionally, one Japanese character feels oddly out of place—comically evil in a film that is otherwise serious and grounded.

Operation Undead is more of a war film than a zombie horror, though one could argue that war films are horror films in their own right, rooted in reality. The film’s terror doesn’t come from flesh-eating zombies, but from the way it depicts war’s impact on people. Operation Undead is a hidden gem, rough around the edges but worth discovering.

★★★1/2

In UK Cinemas from October 25th / Chanon Santinatornkul, Awat Ratanapintha, Supitcha Sangkhachinda, Akarat Nimitchai / Dir: Kongkiat Khomsiri / K-Movie Entertainment / 15