'Great Flood' brings underwater survival thriller to Netflix

Actor Kim Da-mi in a scene from Netflix movie "The Great Flood" / Courtesy of Netflix

As a catastrophic flood submerges the world, a handful of survivors struggle for life inside a waterlogged apartment, setting the stage for a new kind of disaster thriller from director Kim Byung-woo.

The director described his upcoming Netflix film "The Great Flood" as a hybrid of the disaster genre and sci-fi, which he believes will appeal to fans of both.

"Personally, I hope that viewers will remember it as a mysterious and lovely movie," Kim said Tuesday during a press conference for the movie.

Set on what might be the final day of a world devastated by catastrophic flooding, the story centers on a desperate fight for survival inside a submerged apartment building.

Kim Da-mi stars as An-na, an artificial intelligence development researcher fighting to stay alive as waters rise. Opposite Kim is Park Hae-soo as Hee-jo, a member of the security team at her research institute who becomes her unlikely partner in this watery nightmare.

Regarding the setting of a flood, the director explained that the dual role of water as a life-giving force and an agent of destruction gave the plot unique tension.

"Water is the source of life and makes up a large part of our bodies. Water can take on a variety of different forms. Initially, water seems only like a disaster, but its meaning changes as the film goes on," Kim said.

From left, actor Park Hae-soo, director Kim Byung-woo, actors Kwon Eun-seong and Kim Da-mi pose during a press conference for the Netflix film "The Great Flood" at a theater in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Actor Kim said she was curious about how the script would translate to the screen.

"When I first read the scenario, I felt it was difficult to visualize in my head. What kind of imagination would be created? I was also curious about how that imagination would turn out," she said.

Actor Park said that he read the script while considering whether the screenplay could be properly realized.

"The script had a deep sense of wonder that kept me curious until the very end, especially about whether we could actually film it. I chose this project because I was excited to see the director explore how human nature changes in a tight space, just like in his past movies. I also looked forward to seeing how Da-mi would transform,” he explained.

Actors Park Hae-soo, right, and Kwon Eun-seong in a scene from Netflix movie "The Great Flood" / Courtesy of Netflix

Bringing “The Great Flood” to life meant months of preparation for underwater scenes.

"Because we were acting underwater, we learned scuba diving and had to be good at swimming, so we started learning together several months ago. Sometimes I couldn't tell what my face looked like underwater. I really focused on controlling that," Kim said.

“The Great Flood” will be released through Netflix on Friday.