Few current filmmakers are having as much fun with the zombie genre as Yeon Sang-ho. The South Korean director of the brilliant Train to Busan and Peninsula has found inventive and intelligent ways to repeatedly unleash waves of the undead.In Colony (2026), Yeon simplifies biotechnology and the concept of swarm intelligence to stage a hair-raising zombie attack in a shopping mall. Yeon uses every available element of consumerism, from advertising displays to mannequins, to explore the ways in which weaponised hive mentality can be combated by co-operation and trust.The film can be rented from Prime Video and BookMyShow Stream. The story begins with disgruntled scientist Young-chul (Koo Kyo-hwan) threatening to unleash a bioterror attack that only he can resolve. He isn’t joking, as the horrified people stuck in a shopping centre overrun by frothing, fast-moving zombies realise.Se-jeong (Jun Ji-hyun) takes charge, using her academic credentials and understanding of ant colony dynamics to decipher how the zombies are evolving so rapidly and how they are so effective. Stuck with Se-jeong is a motley group that includes a security guard with a disabled sister and a bullied teenager. Yeon Sang-ho makes sure that these characters matter too.The action is brutal, breathless and plausible, making excellent use of every nook and cranny of the mall. Yeon Sang-ho plays on lingering post-Covid fears to mount a terrifying, and undeniably exhilarating, viewing experience.The 123-minute film has a compelling heroine in Jun Ji-hyun and a monstrous villain in Koo Kyo-hwan. Like many other mainstream South Korean films, Colony smoothly weaves in political concerns about propaganda and ethical debates about scientific malpractice without making any overt statements.The action is notched up when the zombie outbreak spills out onto the streets. There’s a witty reference to K-Pop singers amidst eye-popping carnage. The final frame is further proof that Yeon Sang-ho can breathe fresh life into the zombie movie like few filmmakers.