Ziam

Ziam
Promotional release poster
Thai	ปากกัด ตีนถีบ
Directed by	Kulp Kaljareuk
Screenplay by	Kulp Kaljareuk Nut Nualpang Weerasu Worrapot Vatanyu Ingkavivat Chonnatee Pimnam
Produced by	Nattapong Suriya
Starring	Johnny Anfone Nuttanicha Dungwattanawanich Mark Prin Suparat
Distributed by	Netflix
Release date	July 9, 2025 (2025-07-09)
Country	Thailand

Ziam (Thai: ปากกัด ตีนถีบ) is a 2025 Thai action horror film directed by Kulp Kaljareuk. The film stars Mark Prin Suparat, Nuttanicha Dungwattanawanich, and Wanvayla Boonnithipaisit. It was released globally on Netflix on July 9, 2025, and combines elements of martial arts and zombie survival horror. The film received attention for its fast-paced action sequences, Muay Thai choreography, and dystopian setting.^[1]

The film released worldwide on Netflix and received a positive reviews from critics also it reaches number 1 spot on Netflix's top 10 movies worldwide.^[2][3]

In a dystopian future, the world suffers from the effects of climate change, poverty, and food shortages. Thailand has barely managed to stay afloat thanks to innovative but risky experiments like insect breeding. A voiceover explains that rising greenhouse gas emissions have melted the Arctic ice, releasing bacteria millions of years old.

Singh, a former Muay Thai fighter, wants to return to his hometown of Chiang Dao to start a quiet life with his girlfriend Rin, a doctor. On his final mission, Singh travels to Bangkok with his superior, Kriang, to deliver containers carrying fish from a sunken freighter on behalf of VS Corporation, a powerful agricultural company. Unbeknownst to them, the fish is contaminated by an unknown pathogen, which makes a senior official of VS ill. He is taken to the hospital where Rin is working and dies before reanimating and biting patients and staff, starting a zombie infection that leads to the hospital being locked down. Learning of the announcement over a PA system, Singh sneaks into the hospital and fights his way to search for Rin, who is hiding upstairs. Along the way, he meets Rin's friend, a boy named Buddy who tells him to incapacitate the zombies by hitting them in the head.

The military orders commandos to rescue Vasu, the head of VS, who is in a secure location of the hospital alongside his wife, who is confined there for an incurable disease, before blowing up the hospital with pre-planted explosives to prevent the outbreak from spreading. Rin, who had previously taken care of Vasu's wife, manages to reach his room. Vasu guarantees Rin's safety in exchange for taking care of his wife, only to abandon Rin when the commandos arrive with their own medic to extract the couple. Meanwhile Singh and Buddy reach the latter's mother Meena, who is also a colleague of Rin's at the neonatal ward. Meena tells Singh of Rin's whereabouts and entrusts Buddy to his care before sending them away. As Buddy tries to return to her, Meena reveals herself to be infected and reanimates in front of them before devouring the infants in the ward, prompting Buddy and Singh to leave.

After being abandoned by Vasu, Rin is cornered by zombies but is rescued by Singh and Buddy. As they try to escape, Singh is shot by the commandos who take Rin after the zombies kill their medic. Vasu reveals that he was the one who planted bombs throughout the building to destroy the virus and offers to bring Rin along if she gives him medically, but insists on abandoning the survivors. Singh sees through the plot when Vasu infects himself shortly thereafter and reveals his true goal. Singh, Rin, and Buddy manage to reach the roof as the detonations begin. On the roof terrace, Singh tries to get the group to safety behind a series of water tanks. He climbs into a tank as the first bomb explodes; the water cushions the blast. Shortly afterward, a zombie opens the lid, and Singh heroically jumps out, decapitates the undead, and makes his way to the helipad.

At the last moment, Singh proposes to Rin in front of the approaching zombies and presents her with a ring. While Rin and Buddy are rescued, the soldiers refuse to allow the helicopter crew to stay with Singh, lest another explosion occur. The helicopter takes off without him. At the moment of the detonation, which reduces the hospital to rubble, only the audience learns through a slow-motion sequence that Singh survives thanks to the tank. Rin remains on the airfield with the ring on her finger—a silent sign of her hope for his reunion.

In the end, Rin believes in Singh's return, while the world continues to be threatened by the zombie plague.

• Prin Suparat as Singh, a former Muay Thai fighter
• Nuttanicha Dungwattanawanich as Rin, a hospital doctor and Singh's girlfriend
• Wanvayla Boonnithipaisit as Buddy, a child survivor
• Johnny Anfone as General Chai
• Pimmada Boriruksuppakorn as Nurse Meena
• Jason Young as Dr. Niran

Kulp Kaljareuk directs the film by the script written of Nut Nualpang, Weerasu Worrapot, Vatanyu Ingkavivat, and Chonnatee Pimnam.^[4]

Director Kulp Kaljareuk explained to Netflix that they want to explore what it's like to fight zombies using Muay Thai and he also add that No CGI was used to create a raw and gory flesh, he said that each zombie is crafted with just makeup. They also used practical effects on the film and they emphasize the action sound to standout. And the title of the film comes from the Thailand’s historical name, Siam, but with a “Z” for zombies.^[5]

The film was released in Netflix on July 9, 2025.^[5]

The film received positive reviews and climb to top in every charts globally after release.^[6][7] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of 12 critics' reviews are positive.^[8]

Mary Kassel of Screen Rant gave the film a rating of 5 over 10 and she said; Ziam comes close to hitting upon something new, but it retreats back to safer territory every time.^[9]

Gavia Baker-Whitelaw of Inverse gave the film a positive feedback and wrote; Derivative it may be, but there’s always an audience for “cool guy kicks a bunch of monsters in the head,” and director Kulp Kaljareuk knows how to keep that audience happy.^[10]

Jim Vorel of Paste gave the film a rating of 6.2 over 10 and said; This isn’t vintage Tony Jaa, but most of the fight scenes–particularly when Singh has a human opponent to square off against rather than just a zombie charging him–are satisfyingly and unsparingly brutal.^[11]

Alan Jacques of Limerick Post gave the film a rating of 2 over 5 and he wrote; This Southeast Asian flick has plenty going for it but, sadly, it doesn’t take any risks or try and break its ghoulish mould. It’s let down by a halfhearted final act, while setting itself up for what will probably be a reserved and rather disappointing sequel, and proves as memorable as an Irish Eurovision entry.^[12]

• List of horror films of 2025
• List of Netflix original films (since 2025)

• Ziam at IMDb