Slow and Steady

A Familiar Yet Unfamiliar Conclusion: The Illusion of Having Seen It As a movie enthusiast, especially regarding the Terminator series, which is called the bible of the SF action genre, I prided myself on having watched every installment. However, strangely enough, Terminator: Dark Fate, the latest entry in the series, felt oddly unfamiliar to me. The appearance of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton in the poster was incredibly familiar, yet it was a bizarre experience where the specific content of the movie did not form a picture in my head. Perhaps the fatigue given by the numerous sequels that have poured out over the years and the repetitive consumption of similar images created the illusion that I had already seen it even though I hadn't. It was only after watching it by chance on a cable channel that I realized this movie was the true final chapter of the series that I had missed or perhaps ignored. The Burden of Sequels Left Behind by the Legendary T1 and T2 The Termin...

A Shift in Strategy: From Spectacle to Depth, Netflix Finds a New Path If we examine the recent trends of OTT platforms, including Netflix, we can sense a distinct shift from the early days when blockbuster action movies, pouring in massive capital to provide flashy spectacles, were the dominant force. Initially, stimulating visuals of destruction and explosions were the most powerful weapons to attract subscribers, but as time passes, more viewers are feeling fatigued by these monolithic contents. Cases where vast production budgets resulted in failure in both criticism and box office due to weak narratives and improbable developments have become frequent, leading to a strategic correction within Netflix. Now, movies that possess weighty messages and solid narratives—even if somewhat heavy and requiring serious reflection—are capturing viewers' hearts and acting as key players in increasing "watch time," rather than those offering mere visual pleasure. In this flow, the ...

Intense from the Opening, The Dignity of Netflix's No. 1 Starting with a Corpse Netflix has caused an incident once again. It is the story of the 8-episode drama Lady Dua, which stood at the center of the topic by taking first place immediately upon release. The scent of alluring yet cool mystery emanating from the poster was enough to stimulate the curiosity of viewers. Above all, the highlight of this drama lies in the shocking opening thrown as soon as it starts. Betraying the expectation that a beautiful mise-en-scène will unfold, a horribly damaged corpse appears, and the drama clearly declares that it is not a simple melodramatic love story, but a thick-boned crime thriller and mystery genre. This introduction, where the world of flashy luxury goods and the image of cold death intersect, instantly immerses viewers and shows in short why this work occupied the top spot immediately after its release. Irreplaceable Presence, The Power of 'One-Top' Actress Proven by Shin ...

Missed Because It's Obvious, The Familiar Comfort of Family Movies There are movies where the ending is clearly drawn just by looking at the poster or reading a few lines of the synopsis. We often devalue such movies by calling them "cliché-ridden" or "sinpa" (forced tear-jerkers). However, ironically, at the decisive moment when we visit the theater, we often need the comfort provided by this familiar taste. The movie Number One is a work that accurately penetrates that point. As the genre of family movies usually does, this movie also chooses a direct approach of building up the characters' emotional lines one by one rather than shocking twists or flashy techniques. Like the saying, "Development is more important than content," this movie runs toward an obvious ending, but the detailed layers of emotion derived from that process have the power to move the audience's hearts. The Paradox of the Title 'Number One', A Countdown Toward the...