[Seulssine] "To Go or Not?" Well-Made Home Content, Not Inferior to Movies

'The Minds of Evil Readers'·'Hell'·'Myeoneuragi' Receive Praise
Chungmuro Drama Genre Slumps
Audiences Seeking 'Reasons' to Go to Theaters
Post-Pandemic Theater Reality and Future

Photo by Yonhap News, Kakao

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] What will the future cinema look like? Movie theaters have also changed rapidly after the COVID-19 pandemic. What kind of content will audiences choose now? Which movies will remain in theaters, and which will disappear?

Recently, well-made home (broadcaster) and Over-The-Top (OTT) drama genre contents have been praised for being more cinematic than movies. Creative themes, solid directing, and stable acting. The 'blockbuster' streak of content that perfectly combines these three elements seems to be continuing.

The SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Those Who Read the Minds of Evil," based on the 2018 novel of the same name written by Korea's first profiler Professor Kwon Il-yong and writer Go Namu, aired its first episode on the 14th. It depicts the story of Korea's first profiler who fiercely pursued serial killers during a time when unmotivated murders were rapidly increasing.

"Those Who Read the Minds of Evil" is firmly anchored by actor Kim Nam-gil, who returned to the home screen after three years since winning the Acting Award. He plays Song Ha-young, the first-generation profiler who meticulously examines the minds of criminals. The released episodes 1 and 2 portray the reasons why he became interested in profiling and his empathy for the victims' pain. It vividly expresses his realization of why understanding criminals' inner selves is important and his growth from a detective to a profiler.

The most outstanding aspect is the directing. PD Park Bo-ram paid special attention to the portrayal of the criminals and victims as detective Song Ha-young approaches profiling. The story of those chasing serial killers is completed with profound directing and detailed depiction. Particularly notable is the thoughtful directing that avoids portraying it as "pornography of misfortune."

Netflix's "Hellbound," released on November 19 last year, drew a hot response by ranking in the Netflix Top 10 in about 71 countries immediately after its release. The work depicts a supernatural phenomenon where people receive hell sentences from the emissaries of hell who appear without warning, the religious group Saejinrihoe that flourishes amid this chaos, and those trying to uncover the truth behind the incidents. It received praise for its high-quality visual effects (VFX) depicting hell and angels.

Yoo Ah-in plays Jeong Jin-soo, the chairman of Saejinrihoe, Kim Hyun-joo plays Min Hye-jin, a lawyer who fights to protect a world thrown into uncontrollable chaos by Saejinrihoe and the arrowheads, and Park Jung-min plays Bae Young-jae, who tries to live without losing his center in a broken world. These characters, who strive to uphold their beliefs, are portrayed in a multi-dimensional way, enhancing the work's completeness.

Photo by Netflix

Photo by KakaoTV

The native OTT KakaoTV's "Myeoneuragi" was released in November 2020 and gained popularity by eliciting empathy through detailed emotional changes and realistic depictions of a daughter-in-law newly entering the harsh in-law world. Due to enthusiastic responses, season 2 was produced and premiered on the 8th. Actress Park Ha-sun reprised her role as Min Sa-rin.

The sequel "Myeoneuragi 2...ing" embraces issues such as pregnancy and working moms' concerns, delivering greater empathy and comfort. It has received continuous high interest, recording a cumulative view count of 3 million within a week of release.

There is a consensus that it is difficult to achieve good results in the drama genre. The narrative must be solid, and directing is as important as the actors leading the story. Nevertheless, because the entry barrier for viewers is low and it is universally loved, production remains active. For these reasons, it has been the most produced genre in Chungmuro (Korean film industry).

Recently, however, the atmosphere has changed somewhat. The drama genre seems to be losing its appeal in the film industry. Some have predicted, "Soon, the drama genre will disappear from Chungmuro."

A film industry insider said, "Recent drama genre films released in theaters have struggled. I don't think it's just about fun or running time or other aspects of completeness. The difficulty in expecting big hits might be due to genre limitations. After the pandemic, audiences look for clear reasons to go to theaters," he said.

He continued, "I want to cite Denis Villeneuve's film 'Dune' as an example. It was the first film shot with the IMAX-certified digital Arri LF camera and was produced in an environment optimized for theater viewing, applying Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos sound technology. Although the theater atmosphere was not good at the time of release, the film steadily attracted audiences and led to special theater viewings. Marvel films are the same," he said.

Photo by Warner Bros. Korea

Another insider said, "The boundary is vague, but I no longer think that the drama genre must be watched in theaters. It is somewhat regarded as a genre consumed on OTT platforms," and added, "As well-made works increase amid fierce content competition, choices have expanded." He added, "Animation is an exception. The demand for audiences going out on weekends to watch movies in theaters is steadily secured."

The insider also said, "In the past, people chose movie theaters as places to spend time with family or lovers, but now, for the same reasons, watching OTT at the comfortable home has become an option. Interesting movies will be chosen by audiences, but future cinemas will definitely be places people visit for clear 'reasons.'" He added, "Content competition will become fiercer, and there may be changes in the film production environment as well."