Netflix is no stranger to putting singles through cruel and unusual punishment, be it through sex bans or deep fake deceptions. Still, the streamer’s latest reality series is taking the stakes to new heights. Zombieverse follows a cast of—actually, let’s just let Netflix explain.
The streamer described the series as “a group of unwitting contestants gather to take part in a reality dating show, but things take a terrifying turn when they find themselves in the middle of Seoul overrun by zombies. Together, they must escape the city and outrun the walking dead, or risk becoming zombies themselves.” Basically, the series is like if Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights had a cash prize.
Throughout the season, the contestants are tasked with survival in a Seoul and forced to find food, water, and shelter, all the while fighting off a growing army of zombies. The contestants include actors and comedians, notable Korean television personalities, a vlogger, and a baseball player, among others. Many of the names in this cast have already amassed large followings of their own in Korea, with one cast member having starred in another Netflix apocalypse drama Sweet Home, and another known for hosting another competition series called Talents for Sale. The competitors must strike a balance between working together and standing as the sole survivor. If any of the contestants are “bitten” throughout the series, they are disqualified from the winnings and left behind.
The unscripted series comes from Korea and is just one fraction of the streamer’s recent $2.5 billion investment into Korean content. Following the massive success of Squid Game in 2021, Netflix cited a forthcoming “Korean wave” as other streamers like Disney and Apple scramble to secure competitive Korean series of their own.
Zombieverse is a double hitter for the streamer, cashing in on the “Korean wave” and another notably lucrative genre: zombie content. Netflix’s zombie collection now includes titles like All of Us Are Dead, Army of the Dead, Resident Evil, and more. HBO recently struck gold with their adaptation of the popular zombie video game The Last of Us, and The Walking Dead spin-off series continue to roll in, so Netflix is hardly alone here.
If your reality TV plate is currently feeling a little crowded, we encourage you to make room for Zombieverse. The scale of this show is too big to fail, featuring hundreds of “undead” actors and support from the art team behind All of Us Are Dead, ensuring a terrifyingly realistic look at the end times.
You can catch all 8 episodes of Zombieverse on Netflix now.
Stream ‘Zombieverse’ on Netflix Here
Courtney Young is a freelance writer covering all things entertainment and pop culture, having previously written for Betches, Mic, and The Cut. Her Real Housewives locale of choice is New Jersey, her emotional support show is Girls, and her toxic trait is romanticizing mafia culture. You can follow her on Instagram @courtneyyoungg.
