2019 has been a good year for Korean action film lovers as not just one but two hit South Korean action movies have been released namely "Exit" and "Ashfall."
Though the country had always produced strong drama movies which have enticed millions around the world, its disaster movie genre had always been bare bones with releases being few and far between, from 2009's Tidal Wave to 2016's Pandora.
But this year, Exit entered the scene on July 31, 2019, and received high praise from audiences and critics alike and immediately five months after the release of Exit, the much-anticipated Ashfall was released on December 19, 2019.
The movie "Ashfall" features what happens after a huge eruption from Mount Paekdu, the largest peak in Korea shakes the nation and as the volcano threatens to erupt again, a team of people must embark on a journey to stop a final eruption that could wipe out both North and South Korea.
The movie has enjoyed major success with the movie garnering a whopping 1 million viewers within the first three days of its release and reaching 2 million the next day. This film had a budget of about 17.7 million US dollars and had gathered a lot of hype as its release drew near. With the release and success of Exit earlier this year, Ashfall continues to show the continued interest in disaster movies within South Korea.
The movie featured an all-star cast including the likes of Ma Dong-seok, Ha Jung-woo, Lee Byung-hun, and even the former member of the South Korean girl group Miss A, Bae Suzy. You are also treated to amazing sights in the film from the stunning visuals of the initial eruptions to breath-taking scenes of disaster as cities are engulfed and skyscrapers are toppled by this force of nature.
The film also manages to portray a wonderfully dynamic and interactions between two officers from South and North Korea named Jo In-chang and Lee Joon-pyeong who is portrayed by Ha Jung-woo and Lee Byung-hun respectively. The movie is able to deliver both a compelling character drama that South Korean movies are known for and the amazing visual effects and intensity found in many Hollywood Disaster films. These two elements mixed together create a movie experience that is not usually found in many disaster movies released in recent years.
Ashfall marks one of South Korea's biggest steps into breaking into the Disaster movie genre without deviating from the classic Hollywood visuals or the Korean character drama. The movie is packed with drama and visuals that are sure to catch the attention of audiences and its success would surely attract more writers and directors to try their hand on the genre. With 2 million viewers and climbing, could this movie mark a new step for future disaster movies not just in South Korea but all over the world? As the movie continues to stand as a testament to Korean progress in the movie industry could audiences hope for more disaster movies from the nation in the near future? With an upcoming disaster movie entitled Sinkhole already in the works, only time could tell.
