My Daughter is a Zombie

Lee Jung-hwan is a seasoned wild animal trainer who spends most days bickering with his teenage daughter Soo-ah, a dancer at heart. When a global zombie outbreak reaches their coast, they flee to Eunbong-ri, a quiet seaside village where Jung-hwan's mother Bam-soon lives. In this bleak climate of fear and quarantine, Soo-ah still seems to grasp words, hums along to her favorite tunes, and even flinches when Bam-soon wields her back scratching stick during a scolding. Rather than give up, Jung-hwan leans on his years of animal training to protect her and keep her humanity intact. He launches a discreet, secret program to guide Soo-ah through life with care and wit, despite a society eager to stamp out the infected.

Directed by Pil Gam-seong, the film blends sharp humor with emotional depth, adapting ideas from Lee Yun-chang and Kim Hyun into a story about stubborn love, personal sacrifice, and resilience in the face of a chaotic global outbreak, while keeping intimate moments intimate.

The title grossed 37,891,989 dollars worldwide, a solid performance for this intimate comedy drama built around an unusual premise. The steep number signals broad audience appeal across mainstream markets while the film stays tightly focused on its core family dynamic.

Critics describe a witty, idiosyncratic blend of humor and pathos that centers parental devotion and acceptance. The performances by Cho Jung-seok and Lee Jung-eun earn praise for grounding an outlandish setup in genuine emotion. The film invites viewers to rethink what family means in crisis, and to celebrate resilience.

The film's unusual premise has sparked online chatter about family bonds in crisis and nonconventional parenting. Viewers discuss how humor softens tragedy and wonder how far love can extend. If its reception grows, it could influence future blends of sentiment and fantastical infection tropes across genres worldwide.