Flu

Flu (Gamgi) (2013)

Runtime: 121 minutes

Directed by: Kim Sung-Su

Starring: Soo Ae, Jang Hyuk, Park Min-Ha, Yoo Hae-Jin, Ma Dong-Seok

From: Several Korean companies

First off, today I revisited Robot Jox, due to the news that Stuart Gordon had passed away. That, Re-Animator and From Beyond are B-movie gold and a lot of fun. This movie-from South Korea-was also viewed due to current events: 

It is ironic that I viewed a movie about a pandemic, considering there are times when I get tired of it being constantly discussed no matter where I turn. However, this being the topical thing to see during a month where some people seek out foreign motion pictures for particular viewing... that and several followers already having watched Flu and it being on Amazon Prime explains why this disaster picture was seen.

The virus in question is not like COVID-19; rather, it is an aggressive version of the bird flu (remember that?) which kills within 36 hours of infection and for cinematic purposes is a gruesome illness that has such symptoms as the vomiting of blood and lesions. It was from Hong Kong and via human smuggling in a shipping container whose destination is a suburb of Seoul, and as it spreads rapidly due to rats being a carrier-along with no social distancing being practiced, which is probably the only time you'll see me use that phrase-there is chaos, partially due to the government's delayed response to calling for a quarantine... not that this could happen in real life... note that this movie paints the United States rather harshly.

Some aspects were correct when compared to real life 2020: that includes panic, paranoia, and riots at supermarkets... OK, it hasn't progressed that far yet... and the run on toilet paper wasn't predicted... although admittedly no one did that either. As it is a movie from South Korea, OF COURSE there is plenty of melodrama and OF COURSE there is a little kid, in this case a girl. The two main players are a dude who works for the Emergency Response Team and the lady he saves after an accident just happens to be a doctor and she is the source of the little girl. 

Goofy plot moments and sometimes ropey CG aside, an over the top finale full of excitement & intrigue and other thrilling moments throughout mean that I can rate this as being fine. Hopefully the sheer pandemonium seen in this movie does not eventually occur in the United States; me thinking that it won't-although not with 100% confidence-meant that I could nervously chuckle over the most histrionic moments.