Zombieverse, the new reality series where contestants battle the undead, has made good on its own premise, rising from the grave to place within Netflix’s Top 10 Global Charts. Released on Aug. 8, the Korean series follows a group of internet celebrities who believe they’re participating in a dating show, only to have the rug pulled out from them when one of the contestants — who is an actor — bites someone, kickstarting an apocalyptic game show.
Now aware that the so-called Love Hunter dating show they’d signed up for is actually a Survivor–style competition series, the contestants must face-off against actors who’ve been zombified with prosthetics, as producers hurl countless obstacles at them en route to escaping the map. It’s the kind of clever, inventive, meta-series that could only come out of Korea, and the Netflix original is rightfully finding its audience in the non-English global charts.
At the time of writing, the first season of Zombieverse has accumulated 1.9 million views, placing it in Netflix’s fifth spot, behind the Turkish drama The Tailor and fellow Korean title The Uncanny Counter. It’s a feat especially impressive given Zombieverse’s aversion to any one genre. Like Jury Duty before it, the unscripted show is part reality, part variety and part competition, with producers teeing up various quests for contestants to face along the way.
“As the cast slowly learns how these zombies work,” the synopsis reads, “they take greater and greater risks to keep each other safe.” Zombieverse’s cast includes notable names in Korea like actress Lee Si-young and K-pop bandmate Tsuki. Outside of the Global Top 10, Netflix’s current top spot is occupied by the Matthew Broderick-starring Painkiller, with Heartstopper, The Witcher and The Lincoln Lawyer appearing elsewhere on the list.
In an undead genre that some might argue is already overstuffed, Zombieverse appears to be a breath of fresh (and probably infected) air.
Published: Aug 15, 2023 10:11 pm