[Korean Film Critic] Korea in Survival Game Mode, as Seen Through Movies
※This article was contributed to SBS's "SBS Premium".
Recently, an unusual atmosphere has been pervading theaters. It's like a strange fog that has stealthily enveloped a village. This aura isn't easily sensed up close, but it becomes vividly clear when observed from a step back.
In the third week of July 2024, during the rainy season in Korea, these movies are trending: <Escape>, <Escape: Project Silence>, <Inside Out 2>, <Handsome Guys>, and <Hijacking>. Interestingly, aside from <Inside Out 2> and <Handsome Guys>, the other three films share a notable commonality.
They are all Korean movies released around the same time, capturing the attention of summer audiences. But there is an even more decisive commonality: they all run towards 'survival'.
↑ still photograph of <Escape>
<Escape> depicts a life-and-death chase between Kyunam(played by Lee Je-hoon) who seeks a new land and Hyunsang(played by Koo Kyo-hwan) who tries to stop him, set against the backdrop of North Korea. Here, escape is not merely the act of fleeing the North but a defining moment of Kyunam's entire life.
In <Escape: Project Silence>, innocent citizens are trapped on the road amidst a disaster. Although the movie itself falls into the abyss of cliched developments and fails to escape its own disaster, the characters run towards survival amid attacking dogs and collapsing bridges.
Meanwhile, <Hijacking> takes us back to the 1970s. This film, based on a true story of an aircraft hijacking, shares the extreme situations of abduction or death with the audience. Like a horrific game, the passengers face escalating dangers by the minute. Will they survive and protect their lives?
↑ still photograph of <Escape: Project Silence>
These three movies differ in genre and subject matter. However, the crucial point is that they stimulate the same sense. They precisely target the sensation of 'wanting to escape a hellish reality' or 'struggling to survive by any means'. It's not an exaggeration to say that these films propose a survival game to the audience.
Looking back, it's rare for Korean movies focusing solely on survival to simultaneously rank within the top 1 to 5 at the box office. When considering recently released films and content, this trend becomes even more pronounced. Last year saw the release of <Concrete Utopia>, <Negotiation>, and <The Informal Operation>, and in recent years, survival-focused content like <Squid Game> and <The 8 Show> have surged.
↑ still photograph of <Hijacking>
As we know, movies differ from reality. Thus, it's premature to say these films reflect reality as it is. However, regardless of genre and subject matter, movies achieve explosive reactions when they share the same emotions as contemporary audiences.
Therefore, the fact that three films stimulating the sense and emotion of 'survival' are simultaneously topping the box office in Korea in 2024 cannot be overlooked. Perhaps the psyche of the current Korean audience is similar to that of participants in a survival game. Have our inner selves become so desolate that we resonate and react strongly to characters facing life-threatening situations? Is it an exaggeration to say that the personal survival battles each of us fight have made their way onto the screen?
Daily reports show dizzying indicators reminiscent of wartime: record-low birth rates, an increasing number of unemployed youth, and self-employed businesses on the brink of closure. Yet, sometimes, art reflects reality more vividly than any statistics. Characters frantically running in different directions, crises erupting nonstop—this reminds us of a blaring red emergency bell that never seems to turn off. Right now, Korea, as seen through its movies, is in a state of survival game.
Original article: [SBS Premium](https://premium.sbs.co.kr/article/meLvDYPiPqG)
※ Soo-Jung Hong, a film critic based in South Korea. Debuted in 2016 as a critic through ‘Cine 21’, a leading Korean film magazine. Business mail : movie_soojung@daum.net