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The Moon
더 문
2023 129 min South Korea 12+
★6.4
Drama, Adventure, Science Fiction
Director: Kim Yong-hwa
Trailers
EN
EN
Teaser
Teaser
Description
In 2029, Korea's lunar probe Woori embarks on a historic journey to the moon, capturing global attention.
Budget:
$20M
US Gross:
$92,718
Worldwide:
$92,718
Starring
Sul Kyung-gu
Actor
Do Kyung-soo
Actor
Kim Hee-ae
Actor
Awards
Asian Film Academy 2024
— Best Visual Effects
Key opinion
The Moon is a visually polished but narrative-heavy space survival film that leans into Korean cinematic melodrama and patriotic themes. While its production values and tension-filled action sequences receive praise, audiences are deeply divided over its scientific plausibility and reliance on familiar genre tropes.
| Production | The film excels in delivering high-quality visual spectacle, specifically through its detailed lunar landscapes and intense meteor shower sequences. | |
| Emotion | The emotional core of the film effectively bridges the gap between patriotic duty and universal human struggle, often leading to a tearful, satisfying conclusion. | |
| Theme | Scientific accuracy is a major point of contention, with some viewers praising the tension of the survival narrative while others find the film's total disregard for physical laws and space-travel logic to be jarring. | |
| Pacing | Opinions on the pacing are split; some find the two-hour runtime brisk and engaging, while others argue the story is stretched thin by unnecessary technical exposition and predictable narrative beats. | |
| Acting | Critics are divided on the performances, with some finding the cast's commitment sincere and authentic, while others feel the character writing is weak and fails to anchor the spectacle. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay is criticized for relying heavily on formulaic genre clichés and a simplified, at times overtly nationalistic, political lens that feels derivative of Hollywood space films. |