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The Flu
감기
2013 122 min South Korea R 18+
★6.0
Action, Science Fiction, Thriller
Director: Sung Soo Kim
Trailers
Description
A case of the flu quickly morphs into a pandemic. As the death toll mounts and the living panic, the government plans extreme measures to contain it.
Worldwide:
$19.78M
Starring
Jang Hyuk
Actor
Soo Ae
Actor
Min-ah Park
Actor
Awards
1 nomination total
Key opinion
This 2013 South Korean disaster film is widely recognized for its prescient depiction of pandemic protocols and its ability to maintain high tension through atmosphere and scale. While praised for its gripping emotional stakes and effective staging of societal collapse, the film is criticized for its reliance on melodramatic tropes and occasionally illogical character behavior.
| Production | The film delivers large-scale disaster sequences and intense, realistic depictions of mass panic that rival high-budget genre benchmarks. | |
| Acting | The central performances, particularly those of the child and lead actors, are emotionally resonant and anchor the film's high-stakes narrative. | |
| Screenplay | The plot leans heavily into excessive melodrama and soap-opera elements, which weakens the overall narrative impact for some viewers. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay is heavily criticized for illogical character decisions and thin archetypes, where survival choices often feel unmotivated or irrational. | |
| Theme | Opinions on the film's tone are split; while many find the blend of social drama and thriller elements engaging, others are alienated by the abrupt shifts between heightened, over-expressive acting and grim political commentary. |