Korea’s blockbuster fatigue: Viewers now want depth, not spectacle

People purchase movie tickets at a theater in Seoul. Newsis

Korean audiences are turning away from formulaic genre films and gravitating instead toward more human-centered stories that strip away excess spectacle. In a cultural moment saturated with ever-intensifying stimuli, viewers appear increasingly drawn to films that offer warmth, emotion and everyday experience rather than scale or shock value.

In 2025, diversity films — works that break from conventional genre formulas and present unfamiliar perspectives — found notable success in the Korean market. Instead of large-scale conflicts between good and evil or visually elaborate, incident-driven plots, audiences embraced stories rooted in personal emotion and lived experience.

The box-office leader among Korean films released this year was “My Daughter Is a Zombie,” which earned praise for blending zombie action with family drama. Unlike typical zombie narratives centered on survival, the film focused on a father’s struggle to protect his daughter, combining genre thrills with human-centered storytelling.

Director Yeon Sang-ho’s low-budget film “The Ugly” also became a hit. Produced with just 200 million won ($150,000), the film generated close to 11 billion won in revenue. Critics said it succeeded by stripping away cinematic embellishments to highlight the distinctiveness of its events, themes and characters. Rather than relying on rapid scene transitions, the film allowed its running time to flow according to the emotional shifts of its narrator — a technique viewers found refreshing.

Independent films also made a notable mark. “The World of Love” drew 150,000 viewers despite limited screenings, earning acclaim for its fresh portrayal of teenage relationships and agency.

Genre fatigue drives audiences away

Korean blockbusters have long been dominated by crime, thriller and action. Many of the country’s biggest hits from the 2010s — including “Veteran,” “The Roundup,” “The Thieves,” “Nameless Gangster,” “New World,” “Train to Busan” and the “Along With the Gods” series — built a loyal following and even inspired repeat viewings.

But familiarity eventually turned into predictability. As similar formulas were repeated — fierce battles between good and evil, male-centered narratives, strategically placed humor and large-scale action — audiences grew weary. Viewers said they could often guess the film’s plot development from the title alone.

The industry also saw a series of high-budget releases that emphasized scale over substance. Despite overseas locations, striking visuals and star-studded casts, many failed to meet audience expectations and quietly exited theaters after harsh reviews.

Audiences today want more than genre-derived thrills. With vast content options available, they selectively seek out well-crafted films. Theaters function not only as spaces for grand-scale spectacles but also as places where viewers hope to feel emotionally moved.

Marketing approaches must adapt as well. This is the era of word-of-mouth, with real viewer reactions on social media shaping the decisions of potential audiences. Films such as “The World of Love” and “People and Meat” demonstrated the power of viewer-driven momentum, with online demand for wider release directly contributing to an expansion in screening locations.

Cultural critic Kim Heon-sik said recent years have proven that a film does not need a massive budget to win audiences. “Good movies will always be chosen by viewers, even without huge capital,” he said. “The industry must overcome uniformity and increase opportunities for diverse mid-scale films to reach audiences.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.