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Zombie for Sale

Play trailer 2:20 Poster for Zombie for Sale 2019 Play Trailer Watchlist
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89% Tomatometer 27 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
When the illegal human experiments of Korea's biggest pharmaceutical company go wrong, one of their "undead" test subjects escapes and ends up in a shabby gas station owned by the Park family -- a band of misfits spanning three generations who hustle passersby to make ends meet. When the Park family uncover their undead visitor, he bites the head of their household, who instead of transforming into an undead ghoul becomes revitalised and full of life! The family then hatch a plan to exploit this unexpected fountain of youth, allowing locals to pay to be bitten too, until things go wrong...
Zombie for Sale

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Critics Consensus

An auspicious feature debut for director Lee Min-jae, Zombie for Sale puts a light yet surprisingly poignant spin on predictable genre formula.

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Critics Reviews

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Dennis Harvey Variety "Zombie for Sale" hits an agreeable median between being slick, shaggy, grotesque and warmhearted. Jul 29, 2020 Full Review Kristy Puchko Pajiba If you're hungry for something spicy and totally nuts, seek out The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale. Aug 1, 2019 Full Review Beth Accomando KPBS.org The film riffs on a lot of previous zombie films from "Land of the Dead" to "Warm Bodies" to "Zombieland," yet director Lee Min-jae manages to somehow keep it all fresh and decidedly funny. Aug 3, 2020 Full Review Luke Parker VoiceBoxOffice Audiences will be so connected with the characters that by the time it becomes a horror movie, Zombie for Sale will be all the more effective. Rated: 3.5/5 Jul 28, 2020 Full Review M.V. Moorhead Less Hat, Moorhead This light-on-gore horror satire directed by Lee Min-jae is full of screwy, truly imaginative ideas, and delightfully acted by a terrific ensemble. Jul 27, 2020 Full Review Dan Scully Cinema76 When it finally does become a horror flick, the characters are so well-realized that the humor remains and the terror is that much more effective. Jul 21, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ben D A zombie-comedy with solid dialogue and, eventually, the undead masses, Zombie for Sale is a welcome addition to the subgenre (we discuss on TRM, here). A South Korean film released the same year as Parasite, here, we also have a scheming and struggling multi-generational family, The Parks (Jung Jae-yoing, Uhm Ji-won, Lee Soo-kyung, Jung Ga-ram, & Parl In-hawn) who find themselves the possessors of a zombie (Kim Nam-gil) whose bite not only doesn’t kill its victim but makes them mysteriously younger… at least for a little. This initial fake-out and inevitable plot turn — accompanied with some laugh-out-loud dialogue — make for a unique zombie experience. I always find foreign zombie movies so interesting because, unlike in America, the survivors are usually lacking firepower and need to get creative. Not that this movie had all that much creativity when it came to fighting back and much of it — when the “turn” finally comes — consists of the Park family trying to avoid the ravenous horde. We don’t learn how the virus came to be, but I’m assuming the laboratory from which Min-gul (Nam-gil) crawled out from was merely attempting to alter a zombie virus so they had a cure for zombies if a virus ever were to ever spread… There’s a dearth of hard science and the lack of an explanation for Min-gul’s affinity for cabbage over brains is never adequately addressed. In fact, Min-gul becomes more of Hae-gul’s doll, whom she primps and dresses up and becomes the object of her burgeoning, adolescent love. For the connoisseurs, the zombies themselves are run-of-the-mill plodders who accelerate when they spot prey. While the designs and makeup are good, this is one of the least gory zombie movies I’ve seen, so don’t come for that. The ending is kinda stupid, but doesn’t weigh as heavily given the “comedy” of the horror-comedy subgenre. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/31/24 Full Review Bless Y An out of the box comedy must watch if you're hungry of brains and cabbages! The perfect balance of comedy, zombies and wholesomeness Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/09/24 Full Review Brad P While Min-jae Lee's Zombie for Sale initially seems like a hodgepodge of elements ranging from the histrionics of Korean dramas to the darkness of I Saw the Devil to the campiest, silliest children's film one could imagine, these things gradually meld together into a wholly unique and commendable entry into the greater canon of zombie films. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review itwasataco o best thing ive ever seen bahah i love films like this so funny and weird Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member A brilliant movie that has taken a zombie story and made it funny. A completely fresh approach that created a very enjoyable experience. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review william r Wow! I didn't go into this expecting such a charming time, but in more ways than one it reiterates the foolishness of judging a book by its cover. Zombie for Sale is a unique example of a horror comedy that manages to make you laugh without sacrificing all remnants of sincerity to do so. Jjong-Bi's cabbage-obsessed ways were a joy to witness, all the way up to the reverse Uno card of a final act. Well worth your time. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Zombie for Sale

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis When the illegal human experiments of Korea's biggest pharmaceutical company go wrong, one of their "undead" test subjects escapes and ends up in a shabby gas station owned by the Park family -- a band of misfits spanning three generations who hustle passersby to make ends meet. When the Park family uncover their undead visitor, he bites the head of their household, who instead of transforming into an undead ghoul becomes revitalised and full of life! The family then hatch a plan to exploit this unexpected fountain of youth, allowing locals to pay to be bitten too, until things go wrong...
Director
Lee Min-jae
Release Date (DVD)
Jul 1, 2020