Colony (2026)

Colony is written and directed by Yeon Sang-ho, the director behind the cult classic Train to Busan. While Train to Busan has become the more celebrated film, Colony shows how much Yeon has improved as both a writer and a director. The story is stronger, the filmmaking feels more confident, and the way he builds the world gives the movie more substance than I expected going in.

Jun Ji-hyun is the clear standout of the cast. She does a fantastic job conveying emotion through subtle movements and expressions rather than relying on exaggerated acting. That is not surprising considering she is one of South Korea's best actresses, but she still manages to make the character feel grounded and believable. She carries much of the emotional weight of the film.

I did not recognize many of the other actors, and unfortunately, none of them really stood out enough to make much of an impression. That is not necessarily a knock against the cast as much as it is a testament to how much Jun Ji-hyun dominates the film. Whenever she is on screen, there is a noticeable difference in the level of performance.

The writing is ultimately what makes Colony work better. Train to Busan deserves its cult-classic status, but Yeon Sang-ho has clearly grown since making it. The character work and storytelling feel more mature, while his direction has also improved. The way the film is shot shows a filmmaker who has become more confident in how to visually tell his story instead of simply relying on the premise to carry it. There certainly are allusions to 2004's Dawn of the Dead as well. 

Don't let their averages fool you. Colony is clearly the better film, and it shows that Yeon Sang-ho is continuing to improve rather than simply trying to recreate what made Train to Busan successful. The writing is stronger, the direction is more polished, and Jun Ji-hyun gives the film the performance it needs to hold everything together. Result: B+