The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale

A pharmaceutical company has been experimenting illegally on human beings, sometimes causing a few unfortunate side effects in the process. Somewhere in a barren field used to dump its body, a deceased test subject rises and starts walking towards the village of Poongsan. After several fruitless attempted attacks, the very sympathetic zombie finally bites Man-duk, the Park family patriarch. The latter manages to capture his attacker with the help of his eclectic clan that includes Min-gul, the king of bad planning, Hye-gul, the youngest with a psychotic streak, and Jun-gul, the oldest, who’s trying to keep some sense of order with the help of a wife who mostly communicates with her swinging frying pan. Upon waking the next day, the old man finds his virility renewed and becomes the envy of the village elders. Soon, seniors are lining up for miles to get bitten. Seeing as the Parks always opt for profit over reason, they decide to make the most of the situation. The entire region will pay for their greed, though — in liquid funds!

The standard-issue zombie has been, excuse the pun, done to death for several years now. Fortunately, THE ODD FAMILY: ZOMBIE ON SALE is here to save the day. With this highly promising directorial debut, Lee Min-jae delivers an innovative tale starring a living dead named Zzongbie who is not only as harmless as they come, but also happens to be a walking dose of Viagra. Even though the film flirts with slapstick, it’s the eccentric family’s interactions and dialogue that really let the laughs rip. Despite its cast including as big a star as Jung Jae-young (CASTAWAY ON THE MOON), each of the film’s characters enriches the story with their unique personalities as they move towards their moment of glory when the events turn into bloody chaos. Not afraid to make fun of itself, THE ODD FAMILY is having a ball with the conventions of the zombie flick, possibly reinvigorating its status and the hardcore fan base it deserves. – Translation: Guillaume Desbiens