If zombie movies never held much interest to you, Empire of Corpses might be the exception. If zombie movies are your cup of tea, enjoy. British intelligence agents scour the world to find Victor Frankenstein's lost method of resurrecting the soul, while a young man searches for the answer that made his own attempt at resurrecting his friend go so terribly wrong.
Filled with undead action but also real philosophical questions about what it means to have a soul, Empire of Corpses has something for most anyone to enjoy -- and this Halloween is the perfect chance to give it a watch.
Empire of Corpses is a 2015 film from Wit Studio that garnered criticism for being so fast-paced upon its release. The movie throws a lot of information at the audience very quickly, adding confusion through using the names of historical and literary figures -- and some obscure ones at that -- alongside famous characters such as John Watson and Victor Frankenstein. Just a little bit of context works wonders to make Empire of Corpses more enjoyable and accessible for everyone though, so here we go.
In Victorian England, Victor Frankenstein was able to reanimate a dead body in a way that also gave this creature -- referred to as The One -- a soul, just as in Mary Shelley's novel. However, Frankenstein's method was lost and dead bodies are now reanimated with fake programming that can be used very effectively in a capitalist society: by replacing the working class with zombies that don't require pay, feeding or sleep.
Among all this, two young men, John Watson and Friday, believe they have found a way to restore the soul due to the fact that bodies weigh 22 grams lighter after death -- they figure that difference is the weight of the soul. Friday is ill and knows he will die soon, so he tasks Watson with bringing him back, soul and all. However, all Watson does is reanimate a corpse with nothing of his friend left inside. He is soon arrested for his illegal actions but is given the chance to join the British Secret Service due to his experience with his new assignment: the recovery of Victor Frankenstein's method of resurrecting the soul.
So Watson's journey for Frankenstein's secret begins, taking him from Russia to Japan and back to England. Along the way he meets all sorts of eccentric characters such as Hadaly Lilith, named for a literary android, and Frederick Burnaby, a historical member of the British army. Friday gets dragged along as well, recording every detail of their journey. However, Watson is not the only one chasing Frankenstein's secret, and the ethics of returning a soul to the body are not as straightforward as imagined.
The use of names in Empire of Corpses is a thrill for any literature or history buff. For example, Friday is the name of the first 'noble savage' in Robinson Crusoe that Robinson is able to communicate with and befriend. As the film progresses, Friday's namesake becomes more clear and clever. Each rewatch leads to more discoveries, and Watson faces questions from many different angles. The pondering of what makes a human and what constitutes a soul not only makes Empire of Corpses more engaging than the average zombie gore-fest, but also continues queries that Shelley posed in Frankenstein. For those who like their gore-fests, this is a society where the working class has been replaced by soulless zombies who are programmed to be obedient and docile. What could possibly go wrong?
On top of all this, Empire of Corpses is visually stunning and the aesthetic of mechanized horror is spot-on. Meshing zombies with capitalism is a bold and interesting look at the supernatural, and the fact it all happens in the Victorian era adds much when it comes to the film's general aesthetic. The characters are enjoyable, the plot twists are fun and there's a balance between action and genuine ethical questions.
Watson and Friday's relationship is as tragic as it is fascinating to watch unfold, and though the film is fast-paced, it takes time to ensure the core characters matter. So whether characters, aesthetic, action, philosophy or simply a fun, rip-roaring sort of film is your preference, Empire of Corpses deserves to be on your Halloween watchlist.