In the not-so-recent history of movies, there’s been a growing curiosity—and even admiration—for what we might call the ‘silent action’ film. These are often dismissed outright: high-octane montage reels with a clear-cut hero and villain, strung together by a plot so thin it barely qualifies as narrative. But when approached through the broader lens of action cinema history, these films become fascinating case studies. They lay bare the tropes, clichés, and, occasionally, the surprising nuances of the genre’s storytelling language. Only two years ago, Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s “Kill” drew all the right attention for weaponizing its seemingly generic ‘DDLJ-on-a-train’ plot into one of the most viscerally charged martial arts rampages in recent Indian cinema.
While I’m not deeply familiar with the history of Muay Thai in Thai cinema, the sheer volume and delivery of action in “Ziam” (2025) reminded me of what “Kill” pulled off. The protagonist here isn’t a glorified brawler—he’s haunted by violence, not empowered by it. And while the enemies are technically mindless zombies, the violence is never apolitical. There’s also a surprisingly interesting narrative move in how Vasu is positioned—not quite a villain, not quite a bystander. He’s a soft-spoken, well-meaning figure ultimately destroyed by his emotional attachment to his wife. Yet, the film cleverly builds him as a looming figure primarily through his propaganda posters. His blind faith in an untested miracle solution ends up causing the entire disaster. Prin Suparat’s physical performance as Singh is also noteworthy—grounded, pained, committed.
Which is to say: for a plot that was always going to be paper-thin, “Ziam” somehow manages to be thinner still. It opens with montages of land and sea ravaged by climate catastrophe, intercut with glimpses of global instability and worsening poverty. These images promise a certain political sharpness. Yet nothing prepares you for the watered-down love story that turns out to be the emotional hinge of all the action—a subplot that feels like it wandered in from another film entirely. These kinds of films often work best when they ask for little explanation, but “Ziam” lacks even the basic something that would anchor its chaos. That it was written by five people is baffling. Usually, half a writer is enough to churn out 90 minutes of this kind of thing.
That said, it’s a taut, competently crafted action-apocalypse thriller, shot with clarity and momentum. Kulp Kaljareuk has set it up neatly for a sequel—and done so with a surprisingly confident hand. What follows is an attempt to unpack the ‘narrative’ architecture it does have.
Ziam (2025) Movie Plot Summary and Synopsis:
Before the title card, the film lays down its dystopian premise. Environmentalists voice rising fears about climate change and the cascading crises it’s triggering—ecological collapse, worsening public unrest, and economic instability. A mysterious bacterium, thawed from melting polar ice caps, is wiping out marine life by the millions. Food shortages are the new normal. As essential resources dwindle, the Thai government—now openly totalitarian—distracts its anxious citizens with hollow promises of a better future, while covertly hoarding what little food and water remain.
What is Singh’s job?
Then, we meet Singh, a former underground boxer who’s still sharp in the ring. He now works for Mr. Vasu, a wealthy philanthropist who controls the distribution of vital resources. Singh’s job is to transport food shipments across the city. On one run, he and his helper discover the supposed food stockpile contains nothing but rotting fish remains—an unsettling detail Singh doesn’t let slide. At home, he lives with Rin, his childhood sweetheart and now a top-tier doctor at Bangkok’s central hospital. But the nature of Singh’s work—risky, chaotic, and often violent—keeps Rin constantly on edge.
How does the infection start?
Meanwhile, Vasu unveils a new venture at his company: crates of a rare fish species he claims could revolutionize medicine. But unknown to all, one of his senior officials, Purich, becomes the first victim—Patient Zero—after exposure to the contaminated fish. The infection spreads rapidly: doctors, patients, and soldiers begin turning into zombies. Panic grips the hospital. Rin, caught inside, tries to escape. Upon hearing the city-wide emergency announcements, Singh races through the infested city to rescue her. As the situation intensifies, he’s forced to rely on his fighting instincts, brawling his way through blood-hungry hordes.
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What does Buddy tell Singh?
Inside the hospital, Singh meets Buddy, a child who came with his mother, a close friend of Rin’s. Buddy tells him the zombies can only be killed by destroying the brain. The tip proves useful, and Singh reunites with Rin. While navigating their escape, they stumble upon a man who has barricaded himself with his dying father. Grief-stricken, he injects himself with a lethal substance, dying beside his father’s corpse. Meanwhile, Thailand’s military declares the hospital a containment zone, planning to bomb it to prevent the outbreak from spreading beyond Bangkok. Singh and Buddy eventually reach the boy’s mother, who has been bitten. Before turning, she begs Singh to protect her son.
What does Vasu ask Rin to do?
Rin manages to evade the infected and reaches the hospital’s top floor, where Vasu is holed up with his dying wife. She’s bleeding out, and Vasu—desperate, bitter, and drained—remarks on the cruel irony: he tried to save his country but can’t save the one person he loves. He asks Rin to retrieve blood for his wife, promising to get her out safely. Meanwhile, the military general orders Vasu and his wife’s immediate evacuation. Soldiers arrive to escort them. Rin, in search of blood, reunites with Singh and Buddy near the supply chamber, fending off the infected in a tense, close-quarters fight.
Ziam (2025) Movie Ending Explained:
What happens during Vasu’s evacuation?
As medics prepare to airlift Vasu and his wife, he insists Rin be taken with them. During the confusion, soldiers mistakenly shoot Singh, assuming he’s one of the infected. A brutal hand-to-hand fight follows between Singh and a commando, ending with the latter torn apart by zombies. Singh, gravely wounded and unconscious, is saved just in time by Rin and Buddy. He and Rin share a brief moment of relief. Once awake, Singh acts as a distraction, cutting down advancing zombies so Rin and Buddy can reach the terrace.
Back upstairs, Vasu refuses to evacuate without his wife, who, now turned, bites him. The swarm consumes them both. A military helicopter arrives, lifting Rin and Buddy off the rooftop. Down below, Singh tries to stay alive as a strange rain begins to fall. The water revives the infected, who now bear twisted, almost demonic faces. Singh hides in a car. As the area is bombed, the car explodes—but Singh survives. He makes his way to the rooftop, only to see the helicopter taking off, leaving him behind.
Does Singh die?
The final moments show Rin and Buddy living quietly in the countryside—precisely the life Rin once imagined building with Singh. The film closes on a shot of Singh, still alive, still fighting.
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