There are films, which you start off watching, not expecting much, but then, all of a sudden, draw you like a magnet. It’s exciting to encounter such films, especially in the horror genre, where there’s always been limited characterization and plots. Lethal Dose is reminiscent of Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later, especially in its opening scenes and fin-de-siecle set up. An extreme group of young animal rights activists break into a laboratory where animals are used in experiments. The mission goes as planned, but Gary is caught. A year later, the other members of the group receive an encoded message from Gary, pleading to be rescued as he is being experimented on. The plot seems to be heading towards the action genre but there’s a total turnaround. Both the other members and the audience are totally stunned by this. The laboratory takes on a claustrophobic and horrific atmosphere and one by one, the other members are killed off, in the cruellest ways imaginable. Simon de Selva uses the formula of zombie movies with a good dose of science fiction, peppering the film with puzzles for the audience. As frenzy and mistrust abound among the surviving members, all the questions come into one big question. What is this place which turns electric energy into that of the horrific? Is the laboratory itself a big organic, living matter? No monsters or scary weapons are seen, but there’s just enough gore to keep the audience going. The seemingly loose structure is, on closer inspection, watertight. There’s also a good mix of the old and the refreshingly new. When we see the culmination of all the unanswered questions, Gary, as well as the audience will realize that they’ve indeed breathed in too much of the laboratory air. (KIM Ji-hoon)