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Introduction
When the apocalypse comes crashing down on a once-thriving city, survival is rarely a graceful dance. But in Ziam, survival is fought for in a blur of fists, knees, and elbows — a symphony of Muay Thai brutality against an endless swarm of the undead. Directed by Kulp Kaljareuk, this 2025 Thai action-horror spectacle storms onto Netflix with a vengeance, fusing the high-octane artistry of martial arts with the nerve-shredding tension of zombie survival. Starring Mark Prin Suparat, Nuttanicha Dungwattanawanich, and Wanvayla Boonnithipaisit, Ziam is as much a love story as it is a battle for humanity’s last breath — and it doesn’t pull a single punch.
Watch ‘Zaim’ Official Trailer
Plot Overview (Spoiler-Free)
The world of Ziam is a city fractured by chaos, where a mysterious viral outbreak has turned the streets into hunting grounds for the infected. Amid the carnage, a former Muay Thai champion named Ziam must navigate crumbling alleyways, shadowy backstreets, and claustrophobic high-rises, all in search of one thing — the woman he loves. But this journey is no romantic stroll; it is a relentless fight against not only the undead but also time, exhaustion, and the creeping despair that threatens to consume him.
With the undead pressing in from all sides, Ziam’s quest becomes a living nightmare, one where each strike of his fist could be his last. The film never wastes a beat, blending martial arts choreography with survival-horror pacing, making the viewer feel every sprint, every kick, every bone-shattering blow. Beneath the visceral spectacle lies a thread of devotion, as Ziam’s determination to save his girlfriend fuels his every brutal encounter.
What Worked Well
From its opening moments, Ziam delivers a visual and kinetic feast. The cinematography is razor-sharp, capturing both the chaos of the undead and the precision of Muay Thai with equal mastery. Fight sequences are staged like deadly dances — elbows slash through the air, knees crush skulls, and each move feels purposeful rather than flashy. The choreography draws directly from authentic Muay Thai techniques, giving the action an earthy, bone-crunching realism that sets it apart from typical Hollywood brawls.
Mark Prin Suparat brings an unshakable intensity to the role of Ziam, portraying a man who balances vulnerability with unyielding physical prowess. His performance sells not just the action but the emotional weight of a character who has lost everything except the will to keep fighting. Nuttanicha Dungwattanawanich lends depth and humanity to the girlfriend at the heart of the story, making her more than just a damsel in distress. Even in her limited screen time during the earlier acts, her presence feels integral to the emotional stakes.
The sound design is equally impressive — every punch lands with a dull, resonant thud, every zombie snarl chills the spine, and the score shifts seamlessly between high-adrenaline percussion and eerie, tension-building melodies. The urban decay of the dystopian setting is brought to life with an almost tactile grit, as neon-lit streets flicker in the darkness and rain-slick pavements glisten under the looming shadow of infection.
What Didn’t Work
While Ziam thrives on its action and atmosphere, the story structure does occasionally lean into familiar zombie-movie tropes. Viewers looking for a wholly original narrative may find certain beats — the desperate dash for survival, the sudden betrayal, the overwhelming horde — to be predictable.
Some of the secondary characters, though intriguing at first glance, are given little development before being thrown into the jaws of the undead. While this may serve the pace of the film, it also leaves a sense of missed opportunity, especially in a world that seems ripe for deeper exploration. Additionally, the emotional beats sometimes get swallowed by the relentless action, with moments of character reflection feeling too brief before the next set-piece explodes onto the screen.
Final Verdict
Ziam is a blood-pumping, knuckle-bruising blend of martial arts mastery and zombie survival horror, delivering exactly what its premise promises — and then some. It’s not a reinvention of the genre, but rather a bold and exhilarating fusion of two adrenaline-fueled worlds. For action lovers, the Muay Thai choreography is worth the watch alone, and for horror fans, the relentless swarm of zombies and the oppressive tension will keep pulses racing.
While its narrative may tread familiar ground, its execution — particularly in the fight sequences and atmospheric tension — makes it stand out as one of 2025’s most exciting genre mashups. At its heart, Ziam is a story about love, endurance, and the lengths one will go to protect the people who matter most, even when the world has crumbled around them.
Rating: 8/10 — A visceral, fast-paced ride that blends brutal martial arts with zombie horror in spectacular fashion.
Meta Tags
- Genre: Horror, Action
- Language: Thai
- Release Date: July 9, 2025
