My Daughter is a Zombie

Review

My rating: 9/10

I am not a huge zombie movie fan, so for a zombie film to earn a 9/10 from me, it has to do something different. My Daughter Is a Zombie succeeds because it uses the zombie premise as the backdrop for a much more personal story. Rather than focusing on endless action, gore, or survival horror, the film explores what happens when a family refuses to give up on someone they love.

What makes the movie stand out is its approach to the infection. This isn't a typical "mindless monster" story. There is a sense that the person is still there beneath the virus, which gives the film an emotional weight many zombie movies lack. The heart of the story is the relationship between a father and his daughter, and that family bond remains the focus from beginning to end.

The movie also balances humor and emotion surprisingly well. There are plenty of amusing moments, but they never undermine the genuine warmth of the family relationships. The supporting cast adds personality and charm, while the rural setting gives the story a cozy, almost fairy-tale atmosphere despite the zombie theme.

If you enjoy unique takes on the zombie genre, family-centered stories, and a little humor mixed with your monsters, this is an easy recommendation. It's not a horror masterpiece, but it is a heartfelt, entertaining film with far more emotional depth than its premise might suggest. Even as someone who doesn't actively seek out zombie movies, I would happily watch it again if someone put it on.

Spoilers

While I enjoyed the movie tremendously, there were a few aspects that didn't completely work for me.

The character I liked least was Shin Yeon-hwa. I understood what the movie was trying to do with her character, but I found her enthusiasm for hunting zombies unsettling. Even if she genuinely believed infected people were no longer human, there was an intensity and enjoyment in her actions that made it difficult for me to support the romantic storyline involving her. For me, she never fully crossed back into sympathetic territory.

On the other hand, Kim Bam-sun, the grandmother, was fantastic. She was practical, tough, and completely unflappable. Every scene she appeared in was better because of her presence. She brought both humor and emotional grounding to the story.

I also had mixed feelings about the fate of Jung-hwan's biological father. He was selfish and willing to betray his own family, but I still found the decision to infect him and ultimately dispose of him morally uncomfortable. The film presents it in a way that makes narrative sense, yet it remains one of the story's grayest moments.

One of my favorite unexpected elements was the cat. The cat almost felt magical at times, constantly appearing at the right moments and quietly influencing events. Whether intentional or not, the cat became one of the movie's most memorable supporting characters.

I thought it was interesting that the government gradually became one of the primary antagonistic forces. Disaster stories often include institutions that value control over compassion, and this film continued that tradition. The contrast between bureaucratic solutions and a family's determination to protect one another worked well.

The revelation that Jung-hwan had developed antibodies through his prolonged exposure to Soo-ah was both surprising and satisfying. It fit the emotional themes of the movie while providing a clever story development.

My biggest disappointment was the ending. After everything that happened, I wanted a stronger emotional payoff. Seeing Jung-hwan move his finger suggested hope, but I wanted more. I wanted to see him fully awaken and realize that his sacrifices had succeeded. The movie earned that emotional reunion, and I felt slightly cheated by not getting to experience it alongside the characters.

Overview

Title: My Daughter Is a Zombie

Original Title: 좀비딸 (Zombie Daughter)

Year Released: 2025

Country of Origin: South Korea

Runtime: 113 minutes (1 hour 53 minutes)

Genre(s): Comedy, Family Drama, Fantasy, Zombie, Horror-Comedy

Synopsis

When a mysterious virus sweeps through the country, most people focus on surviving the infected. Lee Jung-hwan faces a different challenge: protecting one of them.

After his teenage daughter Soo-ah becomes infected, Jung-hwan refuses to accept that she is gone. Convinced that fragments of her true self remain beneath the strange new instincts controlling her behavior, he retreats to a quiet seaside village where he and his mother attempt the impossible—raising and rehabilitating a zombie as if she were still an ordinary teenager.

What follows is a heartfelt blend of comedy, chaos, and family devotion. Between hiding Soo-ah from suspicious neighbors, teaching her to suppress dangerous impulses, and navigating increasingly desperate efforts by outside forces to eliminate the remaining infected, the family discovers that love can survive even the most impossible circumstances.

At its core, My Daughter Is a Zombie is less a zombie movie and more a story about acceptance, sacrifice, and the lengths a parent will go to protect a child. The monsters may be real, but the greatest battle is preserving humanity in a world determined to define people by what they have become rather than who they once were.

Master Character List

Lee Jung-hwan (Jo Jung-suk)

Role: Male Lead / Father A dedicated animal trainer and single father determined to protect his infected daughter.

Lee Soo-ah (Choi Yu-ri)

Role: Daughter Jung-hwan's teenage daughter who becomes infected with the zombie virus.

Kim Bam-sun (Lee Jung-eun)

Role: Grandmother Soo-ah's grandmother and Jung-hwan's mother who helps care for her zombie granddaughter.

Shin Yeon-hwa (Cho Yeo-jeong)

Role: First Love / Zombie Hunter Jung-hwan's former love interest who returns to the village and becomes involved in events surrounding Soo-ah.

Jo Dong-bae (Yoon Kyung-ho)

Role: Friend and Ally A longtime friend who becomes entangled in the family's efforts to protect Soo-ah.

The Cat

Role: Family Companion A scene-stealing feline whose presence adds humor, comfort, and unexpected charm throughout the story.