Writer Heo Ji-woong revealed his convictions in response to sharp criticism of the Netflix film "The Great Flood."
On the 22nd, Heo Ji-woong posted a long message on his social media saying, "There is a question I am often asked. It is asking why I stopped writing film criticism. Usually I just shrug it off, but I felt that someday I should sort it out and move on. Today seems to be that day."
Heo Ji-woong cited director Ari Aster's film "Hereditary" as the decisive factor that made him stop writing film criticism. He evaluated "Hereditary" as "a 1-tier film among all occult movies made so far," but recalled that harsh criticism poured in online communities on the grounds that it lacked plausibility and verisimilitude.
Regarding this, Heo Ji-woong said, "If my thinking was this much at odds with the public, I thought it would be right for me to stop," and noted, "I felt from a very basic level that communication was impossible from the start." In the end he confessed, "That moment was a tragedy for me," and said he completely stopped professional writing about films.
Heo Ji-woong then mentioned "The Great Flood," which is currently drawing starkly divided reactions, saying, "Opinions about some recent films are swinging to the extremes. I really think they are tearing it apart," and added, "We live in an era when the perceived expense of enjoying a work converges to zero. Content that fails to satisfy the audience's dopamine from the moment it begins is ignored," directly targeting the current content consumption environment.
He sharpened his words, saying, "These days you can watch a film with a click or two. They do not worry about the expense of a story. The whining of a child begging to be told a new story no longer exists in the world. I feel vengeful about the deprivation caused by that generation. Who are you going to blame for what you caused? You who do not know the cost of storytelling will perish."
Heo Ji-woong also said, "I do not think 'The Great Flood' is a work that should be vilified to that extent," and criticized, "Many people curse content that does not timely spike their dopamine and consider it their right. If you choose to curse, you must at least have the minimum logic to match it. It is not much different from reviews on delivery platforms that say, 'My kid had to eat this but it was not what I expected, so you motherf---er should close your business.'"
Finally, he addressed creators, saying, "They shout at you to put down your serving spoon, but they have not spent even a thousandth of the time you spent worrying," and added, "If you do not quit and keep going, there will someday be people who praise you," closing his post by urging not to underestimate or overestimate the audience.
Meanwhile, "The Great Flood" is an SF disaster blockbuster that depicts the last day of the earth covered by a great flood and the desperate struggle of those who stake humanity's last hope as they are submerged in water in an apartment. Director Kim Byung-woo, who has been praised for his delicate direction that handles the multilayered emotions of characters in extreme situations in films such as "The Terror Live" and "PMC: The Bunker," directed and took the helm.
[Photo] OSEN DB
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