다시 뜨거워진 스크린, 한국 영화는 어떻게 침체기를 뚫고 부활의 서사를 쓰는가 > 뉴스

The hottest topic in theaters these days is definitely director Yeon Sang-ho’s ‘Colony.’ This record, which exceeded 5 million viewers within 24 days of its release, was the fastest box office success among Korean films this year, and beat the record of ‘Zombie Daughter’, which was the highest-grossing film last year, by two days. The combination of the passionate performances of the solid main cast, including Jeon Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, and Ji Chang-wook, and the unique zombie setting of ‘collective intelligence’ drew favorable reviews from both critics and audiences. In particular, the popularity of the movie has not cooled down even in the fourth week since its release, and secondary creations such as shorts and reels spreading through social media show that movies have evolved into a ‘play culture’ beyond simply viewing content. The title of being invited to the Midnight Screening section of the Cannes International Film Festival is evaluated as an example of proving the genre competitiveness of this film globally.

On the other hand, the syndrome caused by the movie ‘The Man Who Lives with the King’ presented another challenge to theaters. Even four months after its release, Yeongwol, Gangwon-do, the filming location, was thronged with visitors, creating a phenomenon where the film went beyond the screen and drove local economic and historical interest. This proves that even in the OTT era, audiences are willing to open their wallets if it is proven to be ‘worth spending time and money’. However, there are self-deprecating voices in some parts of the film industry, saying that this concentration of blockbuster films cannot be considered a recovery for the industry as a whole. This is because the polarization phenomenon is deepening as capital is focused only on some works with a high probability of box office success, and independent and art films, which should guarantee diversity, are losing their place.

In terms of profitability, the number ‘10 million viewers’ is not the only answer. This year’s box office hit, ‘Salmokji’, attracted 3.23 million viewers and recorded an astonishing 1,100% return on production costs. Although this may not reach the 1,550% return rate of ‘The Man Who Lived with the King’, which attracted 16.89 million people, it is a result that proves the strong cost-effectiveness of the relatively low-budget horror genre. Just as in the past IMF era, ‘Girl’s High School Ghost Story’ set a new milestone for Korean horror films with a low budget and served as a gateway to stardom, the more recessionary times occur, the more audiences tend to immerse themselves in horror films with a clear sense of genre pleasure. This suggests that investing large amounts of capital is not the only solution for producers, and that ‘value-added movies’ that take advantage of the novelty of the project and the characteristics of the genre are the key drivers that support the market.

For a sustainable future of the Korean film industry, the film industry and government are seeking multifaceted self-rescue measures. Representative topics of discussion include distributing movie theater discount coupons, introducing a subscription pass system, and improving the ‘holdback’ system that regulates the release interval between theaters and OTT. In addition, attempts to combine movie watching with experiential cultural education rather than simple consumption, such as the ‘Copyright Culture Day’ event promoted by the Korea Copyright Commission, are also notable. This is part of an effort to create a healthy film ecosystem in the long term by instilling in audiences a culture of proper use of copyright protection beyond the enjoyment of consuming films. Ultimately, overcoming the crisis in the film industry will be possible when deep communication with audiences and institutional support are combined rather than quantitative expansion.