Diksha Sundriyal
In Netflix’s ‘Ziam,’ humanity is pushed to the brink following the effects of global warming. The melting polar ice caps have released new kinds of viruses that have made their way into the sea creatures, eating which leads people to turn into zombies. The movie begins on Day Zero as the virus takes hold of the people inside a major hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. When a former Muay-Thai fighter realises that his wife is in the same hospital, he fights his way through the horde of flesh-eating monsters to save her. Over the course of ninety minutes or so, the film delivers an action-packed experience with extremely thrilling and scary situations, and by the time it ends, the film’s title reveals its grave significance to the plot. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Ziam Combines Two Major Themes of the Film
The country that the world now knows as Thailand was once called Siam. This was its official name until June 24, 1939, when, in a conscious effort to unite the people of the country, the name was officially changed. Still, “Siam” has stuck around in the local vernacular, which is also reflected in the premise of the Netflix film. Instead of Thailand, Siam is used to address the country, hinting that the devastating impact of global warming has pushed the country and the people back to a time when things were not as stable as they are in the real world right now.
The title “Ziam” presents a twist on this former name, where S is replaced by Z, to symbolise the outbreak of the zombie virus in the country. It was a clever way to tell the audience what to expect from the film, but at the same time, it also points towards a darker turn of events for the country and its people. In the opening scene of the film, we are told that the sea creatures were the first ones to be affected by a mysterious virus that was released after millions of years of ice caps and glaciers melting due to global warming. Due to this virus, the sea creatures die, and the ones that survive become inedible for humans.
The Title Spells a Dark Fate for the Country
When the story turns towards Thailand, we discover that there is an acute food shortage in the country, and seafood is all but banned, which presumably has also happened in other parts of the world. This has been the state of affairs for a few years, but a businessman named Mr. Vasu presents an alternative where fish can be brought back into the market and served to people, which would essentially solve the food crisis.
Unfortunately, this fish proves to be contaminated and leads to the outbreak of the virus, which spreads rapidly through the hospital, resulting in the death of almost everyone inside the building. The military tries to contain it by destroying the building. However, the final scene reveals that the move hasn’t really been successful. The zombies have survived, and they will continue their reign of terror by spreading across the city, and this time, the casualties will dwarf the tragedy of the hospital.
Since Bangkok is the biggest city in Thailand, its fall would be devastating to the country, and it also means that the virus will continue to spread throughout the nation, if it hasn’t already. And with this, Siam technically turns into Ziam, a country of more zombies than people. With this, the film’s ending lives up to its title, adding another layer to the story and foretelling a darker fate for the characters and their loved ones.
Read More: Where Was Netflix’s Ziam Filmed?
