Netflix Only Needed 12 Episodes To Make A Zombie Show Better Than The Walking Dead

Published Oct 21, 2026, 2:00 AM EDT

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Most zombie thrillers rehash the same trope and storytelling devices. They unfold as typical survival thrillers that walk through the struggles of a group of surviving humans. In its early arcs, The Walking Dead, too, is no different. However, the more the show progresses, the more it expands its world and vision, turning into a gripping study of human nature in times of extreme peril.

Unlike The Walking Dead, Netflix's All of Us Are Dead cares little about following conventions. As a result, it delivers a distinct and unforgettable zombie survival story that stays with a viewer long after its final credits start rolling.

All of Us Are Dead premiered on Netflix around the same time when Korean shows were peaking on the streaming service. Shows like Squid Game and Sweet Home had already left their marks, which prompted viewers to look for more compelling K-dramas. After the early success of quite a few K-dramas on Netflix, All of Us Are Dead also did not disappoint.

In just 12 episodes, the show delivered an intense and hard-hitting zombie-centric drama that dared to bring something novel and surprisingly relatable to the table.

There Are No Dull Moments In All Of Us Are Dead's 12-Episode Runtime

Image via Netflix

To instill a sense of claustrophobia and helplessness in viewers, All of Us Are Dead traps its primary cast in a high school. With no conventional weapons or military hardware around them, the characters are forced to use their everyday environment to protect themselves. This makes viewers question how they would defend themselves if a zombie apocalypse broke loose tomorrow.

The show's setting and incredible use of spatial terror is enough to give viewers a sensory overload. However, it becomes even more compelling when it merges these survival elements with its coming-of-age drama. Its teenage characters are portrayed as volatile young adults who refuse to give up on their petty rivalries and social hierarchies even in the wake of a zombie breakout.

As a result, their survival decisions not only become complicated and unnerving but also add a layer of subtle levity to the series. Some genuinely dark scenes in the Korean show are unintentionally funny. Even from a visual standpoint, All of Us Are Dead takes a no-holds-barred approach towards capturing brutality and body horror, which ensures viewers never forget the sky-high stakes in its drama.

Instead of merely featuring zombies as the "living dead," All of Us Are Dead creates an intriguing social spectrum for them. While some infected humans turn into full-fledged zombies with uncontrollable urges, a rare few become Hambies. The Hambies are hybrid zombies who somehow retain their human intelligence and speech while still attaining zombie-level strength and near-invulnerability.

This adds a third faction to the typical "zombie vs. human" narrative and even makes the series all the more unpredictable. All of Us Are Dead also grounds itself in realism by drawing biting social commentary. Even the origins of its central zombie apocalypse virus are tied to bullying and adult apathy towards it.

By showing how the students in the show are isolated by higher authorities to contain the virus, the series even echoes real world concerns surrounding the government's neglect during crises. Like many Korean shows and even The Walking Dead, Netflix's All of Us Are Dead even uses classism and privilege as narrative devices to show how prejudice and discrimination hardly die even when everything else is falling apart.

All Of Us Are Dead

8/10

All of Us Are Dead is a South Korean series that centers on a high school overrun by a zombie virus outbreak. The students, facing an unprecedented crisis, must navigate survival while combating the threat of becoming part of the undead horde.