Slow and Steady

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...

From 'Action Kid' to 'Action Master', The Path Ryoo Seung-wan Has Walked Director Ryoo Seung-wan is a craftsman who has explored the two words "Action" more tenaciously and passionately than anyone else in the Korean film industry. For audiences who remember the raw sound of breathing and the scent of blood from his debut film Die Bad, which made his name widely known to the world, the filmography he has walked is a process of dynamic evolution. If his early works focused on the explosive energy emitted by unpolished gemstones, the current Ryoo Seung-wan has established himself as a box-office director who adds sophistication based on massive capital and seasoned directing skills. However, the important thing is that he has not lost his "action instinct," which is his root, just because the scale has grown. Rather, he is proving himself why he is synonymous with Korean action movies by presenting more precise impact and scale with the wings of capita...