Top 10 Smartest Decisions in All of Us Are Dead
"All Of Us Are Dead" may be a horror show, but its characters actually make some smart decisions. For this list, we’re looking at the shrewdest choices that survivors make in Netflix’s zombie K-Drama. We’ll be discussing key plot points, so this is your spoiler alert! Our countdown includes turning the firehose into a rope, creating makeshift armor, doing an ammo run, and more! What decisions are you noting down for your own zombie survival plan? Got any of your own tips? Tell us in the comments!
#10: Going for the Phones
Naturally, one of the first things the group does is call emergency services … although On-jo has to explain some important information to Cheong-san first. Predictably, Cheong-san’s claim that there are zombies in the school falls flat, but On-jo has better luck when she reports a fire. Unfortunately, they’re soon left phoneless again. Sheltering in the recording room, they realize that getting more information is their number one priority. So Cheong-san and Su-hyeok go for the students’ confiscated phones. Admittedly this decision doesn’t work out thanks to the martial law commander’s decision to cut off communications. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a smart choice based on the information they had.
#9: Using a Drone
When the zombie apocalypse comes, not everyone will have access to a drone. But for those that do, it’ll sure come in handy. Still trapped in the recording room, with Cheong-san now missing, the survivors ponder their next move. That’s when On-jo remembers the science club’s drone. Once it’s retrieved, they use it to search for Cheong-san and scope out the situation inside and outside the school. They also attach a note for rescuers. While this note isn’t delivered, their little reconnaissance mission allows them to locate their friend and learn more about the state of the rooms around them.
#8: Creating Makeshift Armor
Since zombie viruses are transmitted through blood and saliva, armor and padding are key. It only needs to save you from one bite to be worth it! So-ju equips the politicians he’s rescuing with gloves as well as elbow and knee pads. Sheltering in Cheong-san Chicken, detective Jae-ik and Ho-Cheol tape padding to their arms and legs. While the students come late to this idea, they at last gear up in the auditorium supply room. Mi-jin even manages to turn baseball gloves into shoulder guards. Their “amor” might leave a lot exposed, but hey, you do what you can with what you’ve got!
#7: Doing an Ammo Run
How did Ha-ri NOT make the National Archery Team?! Look at all those headshots! Min-jae is no slouch either. Of course, to shoot zombies, you need ammunition. Running low on arrows, Ha-ri decides that they should head to the archery center. There’s also an emergency phone there that could still work. It might have been tempting to just make a break for the school ground exits. But making sure first that they could defend themselves while doing so was a sensible choice. [Sigh] Ha-ri is so cool.
#6: Tying the Carts Together
When the survivors flee to the auditorium, they find they’re not alone. Trapped in the supply room, they’re at a loss for what to do next. Fortunately, Su-hyeok has an idea. By tying all the equipment carts together, they can construct a mobile barrier that can be rolled out of the room and right to the exit. That just leaves one question: do they build it as a box or a wall? In hindsight, they maybe should have gone with the box. It might have given more protection, although it could have made them less mobile. Either way, the basic plan was a good one.
#5: Heading for the Hills
After the military abandons them on the rooftop, the students have to devise a new plan. Instead of awaiting rescue, they need to rescue themselves. Cheong-san suggests that they head to the mountain, taking advantage of the thunder, which is disorientating the zombies. As On-jo points out, from the mountain they can reach Yangdong. Leaving the school for the wilderness is a wise decision. The mountain was bound to have fewer zombies. Getting there is easier said than done, and Yangdong turns out to have its own troubles. But it’s sound strategy.
#4: Turning the Firehose into a Rope
Fire safety equipment proves useful several times in “All of Us Are Dead”. On-jo uses a fire extinguisher to slow down an onslaught of zombies. Her dad, So-ju, does the same with a firehose. However, Cheong-san gets the most points for ingenuity. Knowing that their barricade will soon break, he uses a mannequin arm to retrieve a firehose in the hallway. Together, the survivors tie knots in the hose at regular intervals to create hand- and footholds. By feeding it out the window, they can clamber down to a safer shelter. This one is definitely going into our survival notebook!
#3: Using the PA System
Nam-ra really earns her title of Class President! In order to save Cheong-san and reach the rooftop, Nam-ra hatches a clever scheme. The zombies seem to be attracted to sound. By using the school’s PA system, the students can lure their former classmates to one side of the building and move up the stairs. They just have to turn some speakers on and leave others off. This also allows them to let Cheong-san know that they’re on their way. The “ancient” CD they find doesn’t have exactly what they were expecting, but it still works!
#2: Making for the Rooftop
We mentioned the rooftop already, but it deserves its own entry. Each time the survivors reach a new shelter, they’re reluctant to leave. And we can’t blame them! But when rescue fails to come, they realize they have to move. Given the helicopters circling around the school, the rooftop makes sense. Of course, the way there isn’t easy. When they’re trapped in yet another classroom, On-jo comes up with a plan to use music to draw the zombies in behind a barricade. When they’re finally on the roof, they light a fire and build an SOS sign. It’s not their fault the rescue operation is canceled! On-jo is right by the way: “SOS” isn’t an abbreviation, even though it’s become associated with“Save Our Souls”.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions.
Building a Bathroom
Even in the End Times, Everybody's Gotta Go!
Using Doors & Windows as Barricades
When Zombies Attack, Pick Up Whatever You Can!
Making a Stretcher
No Child Left Behind!
#1: Sticking Together
Team work makes the dream work. Well, unless your friend is trying to eat you... In standard horror fare, beleaguered teens tend to bicker, leave shelter and split up. Not so the students in “All of Us Are Dead”. While a few people peel off for side missions, they quickly realize how perilous this is. Na-yeon does provoke deep divisions early on, but Nam-ra outs her as soon as she figures out what really happened. After this, when Nam-ra becomes a hambie or half zombie, she’s ultimately allowed to stay, becoming the group’s secret weapon. Bad decisions can kill people, but so can internal strife in a crisis.