# Kingdom (2019)

> A crown prince battles a zombie plague spreading through a famine-stricken Joseon Korea while uncovering a palace conspiracy.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/61729

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 12
- Episode runtime: 55 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: horror, drama, history
- Created by: Kim Eun-hee, Kim Seong-hun
- Network: Netflix
- Cast: Ju Ji-hoon, Ryu Seung-ryong, Bae Doona, Kim Sang-ho, Kim Sung-kyu, Jun Seok-ho, Kim Hye-jun, Park Byung-eun
- TMDB rating: 8.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6611916/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: graphic
- Tone: grim, atmospheric, tense, propulsive, bleak

## What critics say

Audiences broadly acclaim Kingdom as a tense, atmospheric zombie thriller with striking period production, though some find its first season slow to build momentum.

## Synopsis

Kingdom (2019-2020) is a South Korean historical horror thriller created by Kim Eun-hee and Kim Seong-hun for Netflix. Set in the Joseon dynasty, it follows Crown Prince Chang (Ju Ji-hoon), who after falling victim to a conspiracy sets out to expose the corrupt scheme behind the court while his kingdom is ravaged by famine. Alongside him is physician Seo-bi (Bae Doona), whose medical knowledge becomes crucial as a strange plague turns the infected into hungry, deathless creatures. Ryu Seung-ryong's Cho Hak-ju, a powerful minister, shapes the political maneuvering that surrounds the prince. The engine of the story is survival and exposure: the prince must stay alive, hunt the truth behind a rumored royal death, and protect commoners in villages on the brink of collapse. Across two seasons of six episodes each, the show alternates palace intrigue with claustrophobic zombie set pieces. Fans of The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones and Train to Busan will find resonance in its blend of dread, court politics and brutal survival. The mood is grim and atmospheric, with dim candlelit interiors, eerie mountain landscapes and a tense, propulsive pace that never lets the palace drama and the horror drift far apart.

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