This year's Lunar New Year holiday is long. Centered on New Year's Day (17th), connecting the days off before and after creates a five-day holiday, and if one can also take off the Thursday and Friday after the holiday, a maximum nine-day "theater season" opens. Holidays have always been the season for movies, and this year's Lunar New Year becomes an especially important turning point for Korean films.
While theaters faltered last year, the slump in the production environment and the added unease across the industry left Korean films desperately seeking a "trigger for a rebound." Timed to that moment, three domestic films aimed precisely at the Lunar New Year holiday have lined up before audiences. From historical drama to spy action to family fantasy, we looked at this year's Lunar New Year box office, which for the first time in a long while offers a rich set of "choices."
Korean films "top 3," each with a different gambit
1. The classic of "theatrical films," "HUMINT"
The film "HUMINT" (director Ryu Seung-wan, distributor NEW, produced by Woe-yu-nae-gang Co.) is a spy war set against the cold spaces of Vladivostok, where figures with different motives become entangled.
Ryu Seung-wan's new film "HUMINT," which drew attention even before its release, debuted at No. 1 at the box office upon opening. It recorded 116,741 admissions on its first day and a cumulative 131,626, taking the lead in the Lunar New Year holiday box office race. Advance ticket sales also proved expectations, approaching about 200,000 tickets.
The film's strengths are clear. It is a movie "that should be seen in theaters." The action density is high, from gunfire and hand-to-hand combat to car chases. But it is not merely a film about hitting and shooting. As the title suggests, emphasis is placed on "HUMINT (human intelligence)." Ultimately the film delivers the message that what changes the game is not technology but people, emotions and choices.
Jo In-sung holds the heavy center, and Park Jeongmin reveals both conviction and cracks. With Park Hae-jun and Shin Sae-kyeong added, the structure in which each person's motives collide firmly maintains the tension of a spy thriller. For audiences seeking a "refreshing knockout" over the Lunar New Year holiday, it is the most intuitive choice.
2. The power of a weighty historical drama, "The man who lives with the king"
"The man who lives with the king" (director Jang Hang-jun, distributor SHOWBOX, produced by Onda Works Co. and BAN Entertainment Co.) is a film set in 1457 Cheongryeongpo about village chief Eom Heung-do, who volunteered for exile to revive his village, and the deposed young former king Danjong, Lee Hong-wi, who come to stay together, retelling the story of Danjong. It is a fictional historical drama dealing with events at the exile site Cheongryeongpo after the Gyeyujeongnan.
Yoo Hai Jin plays village chief Eom Heung-do, and Park Jihoon plays Danjong, Lee Hong-wi. The charm of this work lies in rebuilding familiar historical figures with emotional nuance. The cast, including Jeon Mido and Yoo Ji-tae, is also solid. It is a safe pick for family audiences during the Lunar New Year holiday.
3. A healing movie for the whole family, "Number One"
"Number One" (director Kim Tae-yong, provided by Byforme Studio and Pencher Invest Co., distributed by Byforme Studio, produced by Semicolon Studio and Studio Double M, co-produced by Byforme Studio and IPD Company) is a family drama with a fantasy premise. It tells the story of a son trying to prevent what will happen when the number that decreases each time he eats his mother's food reaches zero.
The pairing of Choi Wooshik and Jang Hye-Jin completes mother-and-son chemistry once again since "Parasite." Through the everyday subject of food, it touches on the preciousness of relationships. It is often cited as a good film to watch with parents during the Lunar New Year holiday.
Foreign films target genre niches
While three Korean films hold the center, foreign films aim for genre niches.
The tech-action film "No Mercy: 90 Minutes," which deals with an AI judicial system, and the Japanese ninja action "Under Ninja" cover the action genre, and the film "Eternity," which presents an afterlife romantic comedy, takes the romance genre.
Additionally, the beloved original works "Wuthering Heights" and "The Count of Monte Cristo" also return anew. If "Wuthering Heights" promises high-intensity romance, "The Count of Monte Cristo" returns with a grand scale to present an epic blockbuster.
Classics such as "Eternal Sunshine" and "Les Amants de Pont-Neuf" are also being re-released for audiences, so for viewers who want to revisit memories, they will be another option.
[Photo] movie poster
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