[Dispatch|Cannes (France)=Reporter Jung Tae-yun] Even past midnight, Cannes did not sleep. The red carpet was filled with the cheers of fans, and the Lumière Grand Theatre saw standing ovations lasting seven minutes.
The film "Swarm" (director Yeon Sang-ho) had its world premiere on the 16th in the Midnight Screening section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival. As the end credits rolled, the audience erupted in applause.
Theo, who lives in France, told Dispatch with a laugh, "I really love zombie movies. I think I properly enjoyed the scary feeling in a theater where the sound came through vividly."
Dispatch spent Cannes's sleepless night together.
It was the most anticipated title in the Midnight section. The approximately 2,300 seats sold out early. Even an hour before the screening, audiences could be seen holding signs asking for movie tickets.
Vanessa, who successfully obtained a ticket while wearing a hanbok she had brought directly from Daegu, expressed her joy in halting Korean, saying, "It's my first Cannes, and I'm happy to have gotten a ticket to a film I wanted to see."
Even those who couldn't get tickets maintained their enthusiasm to meet the actors. The audience gave a warm welcome as director Yeon Sang-ho and actors Jeon Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-bin, and Kim Shin-rok stepped onto the red carpet.
The actors also turned back to the voices of fans and signed autographs. They also took selfies together. It was the atmosphere of a festival itself. On this day, director Park Chan-wook, appointed as the president of the Cannes jury, was also present on the red carpet.
As director Yeon Sang-ho and the main cast of "Swarm" entered the Lumière Grand Theatre together, the audience stood up in unison to welcome the director and actors. Even after the film ended, applause did not stop for approximately seven minutes.
Director Yeon said, "I'm honored to present 'Swarm' at the Cannes Film Festival, which I've dreamed of for so long," and added, "With such enthusiastic support, this will be a memorable experience that will remain with me for a long time as I continue making films."
After the screening ended, the actors met again with fans who had been waiting below the red carpet. They took photos and shared their thoughts on the film. Foreign fans couldn't hide their excitement. The audience's reaction was unanimous: it was scary and fresh.
Julie, who is studying film in France, said, "The actors moved like zombies, so it was scary. The scale was grand and the action scenes were especially good," and added, "Looking at it critically, the characters seemed less clearly drawn, but it was entertaining enough that it didn't matter."
(※ Spoilers ahead from this point.)
It's been quite some time since director Yeon Sang-ho brought the zombie craze to Korea. Since "Train to Busan" in 2016, various zombie films have emerged, and the genre has evolved. How has that Yeon Sang-ho changed?
The evolution of "Swarm" is clear. This time, the zombies learn. They exchange signals through pheromones, acquire information, and evolve. They begin on all fours but then learn to distinguish human faces and even operate smartphones.
Koo Kyo-hwan's villain "Seo Young-chul" is the architect of this infection outbreak and assumes the role of sole vaccine holder. The structure where he controls the swarm like a queen ant is innovative in its very conception.
Ji Chang-wook (playing Choi Hyunsuk) brought new satisfaction through close-range action rarely seen in zombie films. Jeon Ji-hyun, playing biologist Dr. Kwon Se-jung, turned the characteristics of such zombies against them within the sealed building, striking at their weakness.
The genre's entertainment value is solid. However, the characters leave something to be desired. There's a sense of disposing of the rest too hastily just to leave the final survivor. The actions of troublesome characters prompt bewilderment rather than tension, and characters who suddenly become villains seem motivated by convenience rather than causality.
It feels as though the plot is dragging the characters along rather than the characters moving on their own. The moment it becomes apparent that certain people are fated to die, the horror is diminished. The originality of the setting is undeniable. Had the characters supporting that setting been a bit more solid, "Swarm" would have been a far scarier film than it is now.
"Swarm" opens domestically on the 21st.
