Like any good zombie narrative, Itch! focuses on human drama as much as it showcases the undead eager to murder and devour their next victim. The film, written and directed by Bari Kang, who also stars as the lead, feels fresh and lively. This is no easy feat considering how saturated zombie media has become over at least the last decade. Kang deserves credit for crafting a gripping film that avoids the pitfalls of the genre.

The film opens with Kang’s character Jay mentally unraveled to the point he plucks his fingernails off with a pair of pliers. It’s a gory and gruesome opening. From there, the film shifts back in time to show just how Jay arrived at that point. It turns out that Jay owns a store, and as a zombie outbreak occurs, a small group huddles in the store to try to survive. Like Night of the Living Dead, which features characters stuck together in a farmhouse, Jay and the others don’t quite get along. Throughout a lot of the film, they’re constantly at each other’s throats for various reasons.

Along with Kang, the film stars Douglas Stirling as Henry, Patrick Michael Valley as Miguel, and Ximena Uribe as Gabriella. Some of these characters worked or have worked at Jay’s store. Also of note is the performance by Olivia Kang, who plays Jay’s daughter, Olivia. Ensuring her protection drives a lot of Jay’s actions. However, Olivia bites people for no reason, leaving open the possibility that maybe she’s infected, though she doesn’t really show any other signs. For much of the film, the zombies take a back seat to the human drama and conflict that unfolds. Miguel harbors anger towards Jay because of serious and justifiable issues he has with Jay’s father. He’ll also do whatever he can to protect Gabriella, no matter the consequences.

Like the farmhouse in Night of the Living Dead, the store feels confining as the outbreak spreads. It also serves to up the tension and increase the pressure on the characters. Kang turns the dial up, and up, and up as the runtime progresses. Meanwhile, he does something slightly different with the traditional zombie outbreak narrative. As the title suggest, characters start itching themselves once infected. It’s a cool twist and also makes any character suspect whenever they scratch themselves.

While Itch! may not be the goriest zombie movie to date, it still contains some grisly special effects. Though the zombies aren’t always the main focus, they’re an ever-present threat, banging on the store, constantly placing the characters in danger. Meanwhile, no one in the film is safe. Kang isn’t afraid to kill off characters and raise the stakes. In that regard, the film never feels safe. Everything that transpires in the film leads to a surprising and bloody ending, circling back to that opening.

Itch! proves that there’s still some life left in the zombie subgenre yet. This is a high-tension film that’s not afraid to place its main cast in immense peril. Finally, here’s a zombie movie that feels creative and inventive.