"not your typical zombie series" "This review is only for season 1." In the South Korean city of Hyosan, a deranged science teacher enacts a horrific experiment, causing a local high school to be overrun with zombies. As the outbreak spreads to the city, and the beleaguered authorities struggle to contain it, a group of trapped students must band together and use their wits in order to survive and reach safety. I became aware of South Korean cinema through "Parasite" (2019) (My review on Letterboxd https://boxd.it/5ICHT1), and since then I've always looked forward to new projects from Korea. Having recently finished watching "Sweet Home" (s1 2020; s2 2023), I've now set my sights on "All of us are dead". The series is not your typical zombie horror series. It's about bullying and marginalization (welfare recipients are derogatorily referred to as "parasites"), about the failure of the government/authorities and social grievances. It also deals with triggering themes such as self-doubt and suicide. Of course, the rather depressing and sometimes sad atmosphere is repeatedly lightened by humorous and beautiful moments. The setting is comparable to an escape room, as the protagonists try to get out of the school as quickly as possible. To do this, they have to behave cleverly and according to the situation in order to escape the unrelenting danger posed by the Zimbies. The make-up, backdrops and costumes are high quality and detailed. CGI is sometimes used, which usually looks good too. The actors, who are almost all still in their early twenties due to the school setting, do a great and convincing job. You don't even notice their supposed lack of acting experience. The countless supporting actors and extras are also well cast. I sometimes had the feeling that they had put the whole of South Korea in front of the lens...lol My favorite characters are Cheong-san (Yoon Chan-young), on-jo (Park Ji-hu) and nam-ra (Cho Yi-hyun). Also, Gwi-nam (Yoo In-soo) and Na-yeon (Lee Yoo-mi) stood out because the actors did such a good job that you completely hated the characters. The story is profound and cleverly written, so that important and cautionary themes aren't beaten into you. There is also plenty of suspense throughout. However, it would have benefited the story if the season had been a bit shorter. Sometimes it drags on a bit. If you're just there for the zombies (or zombie kills), you'll definitely get your money's worth. Overall, the action is great and often very bloody. All in all, the series is profound and well made. But it can also just be watched as fun zombie entertainment. There are a few hiccups, but otherwise the story is exciting and thrilling throughout. Rating: "undead" 4 out of 5 stars . . Ps: You can find short reviews of each episode on my serializd. . . . . . Spoiler Ps: The series really lives up to its name.