The film ″The Swarm″ is set against the backdrop of an infection outbreak within a high-rise building, depicting isolated survivors confronting the infected. This work raises questions about collective intelligence, individuality, and the essence of communication, expanding director Yeon Sang-ho’s unique zombie universe.

In this film, the infected are portrayed differently from traditional zombie stories; they share information, learn, and evolve. Centered around Seo Young-cheol (played by Koo Kyo-hwan), the film showcases collective thinking, featuring a setting reminiscent of AI collective intelligence. The infected exchange only informational values through mucus, lacking circuits that understand emotions or context. As a result, the collective intelligence they form is depicted as superficial information copying.

Director Yeon Sang-ho revealed his planning intent at the press screening and conference, stating, ″The idea started from the thought that humanity in a world dominated by AI collective intelligence might be individuality. I incorporated collective thinking and the faint sense of individuality felt within it into a zombie story.″ The film is designed from the beginning to show that collective connection can instead reveal vulnerabilities, maintaining tension throughout.

In terms of spatial structure, there are many similarities to the previous work ″Train to Busan.″ While ″Train to Busan″ utilized the horizontally long space of a train, ″The Swarm″ uses a vertically extended high-rise building as its setting, broadening the scope of action. The number of infected is reduced, and the size of the space is increased, with the protagonists repeatedly ascending and descending to drive the plot.

The film was officially invited to the Midnight Screening section of the 79th Cannes International Film Festival, receiving a seven-minute standing ovation after the screening. In South Korea, according to the Korea Film Council’s integrated ticketing system on the 27th, it attracted 150,489 viewers in one day, reaching a cumulative audience of 2,169,099. It became the fastest film this year to surpass 2 million viewers.

The Korean film industry experienced a slump last year, described by the British Guardian as ″almost collapsed,″ but the theater scene is revitalizing with consecutive hits such as ″A Man Who Lives with the King,″ ″Salmokji,″ and ″The Swarm.″ ″The Swarm″ surpassed 2 million viewers within five days of release, and all three films have exceeded their break-even points. It was also confirmed at the 79th Cannes International Film Festival Film Market that overseas buyers’ interest in K-movies has increased.

Director Yeon Sang-ho announced that he is preparing several new works, including his next project ″Paradise Lost″ and the Japanese sci-fi drama ″Gas Human.″ There is growing interest in whether the success of ″The Swarm″ will influence future works in the Yeoniverse.