500만의 함성, 한국 영화는 다시 '블록버스터의 계절'로 회귀하는가 > 뉴스

The box office success of director Yeon Sang-ho's new film 'Colony' is truly overwhelming. It is significant that it surpassed 5 million viewers in just 24 days of its release, beating the record of 'Zombie Daughter', last year's highest-grossing hit, by two days. The strategy of going beyond the genre characteristics of simply zombies and trying to differentiate it from existing infections by introducing the original setting of a collective intelligence was effective. Word of mouth grew even stronger with the strong acting skills of leading actors such as Jeon Ji-hyun and Koo Kyo-hwan and the halo effect of being invited to the Cannes International Film Festival's Midnight Screening. In particular, it is analyzed that the main success factor is that the N-th degree viewing craze and the secondary content consumption culture such as 'Reels' and 'Shorts' that spread through SNS have elevated movies to a form of play culture beyond simple viewing.

However, behind the brilliant report card of 'Colony', there is a bitter reality of polarization in the theater world this year. Although ‘The Man Who Lived with the King’ attracted 16 million viewers and set a record of being the second highest box office hit of all time, there are self-deprecating voices within the film industry that say it is difficult to view this as a recovery for the industry as a whole. As the 'winner takes all' structure, in which capital and screens are focused on only a few masterpieces with guaranteed box office success, becomes entrenched, the space for well-made independent films and art films is gradually narrowing. In fact, the tragic situation of many small and medium-sized films being pushed out of the screen without even getting a proper promotional opportunity in the early stages of release is being repeated.

From a profitability perspective, it's clear that audience numbers aren't everything. It is true that 'The Man Who Lived with the King', which attracted 16 million viewers, recorded an astonishing rate of return of 1,550%, but the horror film 'Salmogji' proved an incredible efficiency of 1,100% even with a relatively small number of 3.23 million viewers. This is in contrast to the rate of return of 'Group', which had a production cost of 17 billion won, remaining in the 300% range, and sends a message to the market that blockbusters with huge capital investment are not the only answer. Just as 'Girls' High School Ghost Story' opened a new horizon for Korean horror films with a low budget during the IMF era, audiences are now evaluating essential fun and practical narratives with a sharper gaze than flashy CG.

The Korean film industry is currently seeking various self-rescue measures to survive. The government and the film industry are trying to restore the value of theaters by distributing movie theater discount coupons, introducing subscription passes, and establishing a 'holdback' system that delays the release period of OTT. At the same time, attempts to expand movie viewing into a cultural experience that combines education and experience, rather than simple consumption, are also noticeable, such as the 'Copyright Culture Day' hosted by the Korea Copyright Commission. Audiences no longer go to theaters simply to kill time. This is because they have evolved into 'smart audiences' who carefully consider the value of the content they consume and what experiences they can share through the movie.