[비즈한국] There have been many criticisms recently that the Korean film industry is struggling. It has been a long time since film production personnel shifted their focus to drama production. The only thing that remains the same is the multiplex cinema system from before COVID-19. Strictly speaking, it is the theatrical exhibition business rather than the Korean film industry as a whole that is struggling significantly. Compared to 2019, theater attendance is only half. According to data from the Korean Film Council, the number of theater-goers last year was 123.13 million, a 1.6% decrease from 2023. It was an unexpected figure, as many had hoped the number of viewers would increase again after the endemic. It remained at only 55.7% of the 2017–2019 average, which was before COVID-19. Theater revenue in 2024 was also 1.1945 trillion KRW, down 5.3% from 2023. This is only 65% of the revenue recorded before the pandemic. However, even in this situation, meaningful works have emerged.
This year, 'Zombie Daughter' was watched by 5.39 million people, and 'Boss' surpassed its break-even point of 1.7 million in just 7 days, currently exceeding 2.4 million. The break-even point for 'Zombie Daughter' was 2.2 million, which it crossed within 7 days of release. Director Park Chan-wook's 'Cannot Help It' exceeded 1 million viewers in 5 days and surpassed 2 million in 13 days. These films all featured comedic codes. Earlier this year, the movie 'Hitman 2' took 4 weeks to exceed its break-even point of 2.3 million (with a net production cost of 8.5 billion KRW), but it also succeeded at the box office as a comedy. Because it had a higher production budget than the aforementioned films, it took longer to reach the break-even point.
There are several factors behind why this comedy genre is producing positive results in theaters. First, there is a classic interpretation that amusing content is generally consumed during economic downturns. Meanwhile, 'Zombie Daughter' and 'Boss' share the commonality of being high-concept films. A high-concept film is one that makes you want to watch it even after just hearing a brief summary. The movie 'Zombie Daughter' is differentiated by the fact that it moves away from the binary structure of whether one is infected with a zombie virus or not, and focuses on the possibility of overcoming zombie symptoms. At the same time, it emphasizes a sense of community through cooperation and unity among family and acquaintances. In it, warmth, emotion, and solidarity are blended together with laughter.
In the case of the movie 'Boss', it is differentiated from existing gangster genre films that focus on the struggle to become the boss. While it is the same genre, a different comedy code resonated with the audience. Works that can be enjoyed lightly are also suitable for producing a so-called 'mood-boosting effect.' It not only changes the mood but also relieves stress. Moreover, laughter is multiplied when shared rather than when enjoying content alone. It can be said that comedy-induced laughter can be further elevated depending on the atmosphere. Since these films generate word-of-mouth through netizen ratings or social media, there is a strong tendency for people to want to watch them in theaters before they are released on OTT platforms. If these films had been blockbuster-level productions with massive budgets, it would have been difficult for them to become box-office successes.
The strong performance of pleasant comedy films may be a reaction to overall content fatigue. There are many serious and stimulating genres on global OTT platforms like Netflix, as well as on terrestrial and cable broadcasting. Viewers who watch them often have to expend a lot of mental energy and experience emotional exhaustion. K-genre works that reveal real-world problems and evoke empathy, such as 'Squid Game', 'All of Us Are Dead', and 'The Glory', have garnered worldwide attention. However, we have now come to desire content that makes us feel good rather than works that are gloomy or depressing. We need a multifaceted analysis of why the psychology of preferring comedy over tragedy is forming, and this should lead to a virtuous cycle in film production and exhibition.
It cannot be said that the Korean film industry is doing well only if a ten-million-viewer movie is produced. What matters is how much cost-effective films that can exceed the break-even point and allow for reinvestment can reach the audience. At the current stage, it is important to prove that the theater is a space that brings joy to the audience. In particular, it seems important to make people recognize that there is a joy that is further heightened when watching a movie together rather than enjoying it alone.
The author, Kim Heon-sik, has been walking through or navigating the forest of popular culture phenomena since his 20s, with the expectation that there is a way to make the world a better place through culture. In the 21st century, where artificial intelligence and quantum computers are active, he continues to follow the same path with the same belief.