Monstrum (film)

Monstrum (Korean: 물괴) is a 2018 South Korean period action horror film directed by Heo Jong-ho. It stars Kim Myung-min, Kim In-kwon, Lee Hye-ri and Choi Woo-shik.[2][3][4] The film was released on September 12, 2018.[5][6] It was chosen to compete in the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival,[7] screening there on 13 October.[8]

Monstrum
Theatrical release poster
Hangul
물괴
Hanja
Revised RomanizationMulgoe
Directed byHeo Jong-ho
Written byHeo Jong-ho
Heo Dam
Produced byYang Chang-hoon
StarringKim Myung-min
Kim In-kwon
Lee Hye-ri
Choi Woo-shik
CinematographyKim Dong-young
Edited byShin Min-kyung
Jang Rae-won
Music byMowg
Production
companies
Kidari Ent
Taewon Entertainment
Finecut
Distributed byLotte Entertainment
Release date
  • September 12, 2018 (2018-09-12)
Running time
105 minutes
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean
Box officeUS$5.5 million[1]

Plot

Set in 1527 during King Jungjong's reign where plague is spreading in Joseon and rumors are rife that a mysterious vicious creature called "Monstrum" is roaming around the country.

Cast

Production

Principal photography began on April 10, 2017.[10] Production ended in Yangpyeong County of Gyeonggi Province on July 21, 2017. Filming took place in various locations such as Paju, Yangju, Gwangju City and South Gyeongsang Province.[11]

Release

The film was released domestically on September 12, 2018, on 1,183 screens. The film received age 15-rating for violence, bloody images, and some frightening sequences.[12] The film was set to be released in VOD service and digital download on October 8, 2018.[13]

Reception

Critical response

Shim Sun-ah from Yonhap News Agency gave a mixed review and wrote, "Monstrum is the first creature action movie set in the Joseon era and has a suspenseful and entertaining premise, but it is ruined by a predictable plot. One highlight of this film is the design of the monster and splashy special effects. On another positive note, the movie constantly arouses the curiosity of viewers regarding the identity of the strange monster recorded in history, the secret behind the creature and, most importantly, whether the creature's existence is true or not."[14]

At the 2018 Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, the film won the Panorama Fantàstic Audience Award.[15][16]

Box office

The film finished first place on its opening day, attracting 105,255 moviegoers with US$750,819 gross, placing Searching and new release The Predator on the second and third place respectively. The film continued to top the box office on its second day of release.[17] However, the film dropped to second place during the weekend, tailing Searching on the lead by attracted 421,479 moviegoers with US$3.3 million gross.[18]

As of October 4, 2018, the film earned US$5.5 million from 720,721 total attendance.[1]

References
  1. "Monstrum (2018)". Korean Film Biz Zone.
  2. "Finecut Scores Presales on Berlinale Trio". Korean Film Biz Zone.
  3. "물괴". naver.com. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  4. "Daum영화 <물괴>". daum.net. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  5. "Creature film 'Monstrum' to premiere in September". Kpop Herald. 30 May 2018.
  6. "'Monstrum' is first Korean creature feature set in Joseon era". Yonhap News Agency. 16 August 2018.
  7. "Korean monster flick set in Joseon era invited to Sitges festival". Yonhap News Agency. 24 August 2018.
  8. "Monstrum (Mul Gwoe)", SITGES – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, 2018.
  9. "Girl's Day's Hyeri to Debut in Period Feature MONSTER". Korean Film Biz Zone. 24 March 2017.
  10. "'Mulgae' Hyeri in hair ribbon and bow and arrow". hancinema.net. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  11. "KIM Myung-min and PARK Hee-Soon Wrap Period Monster Film MULGOE". koreanfilm.or.kr.
  12. [국내영화] 물괴. Korea Media Rating Board (in Korean).
  13. "'물괴', 결국 안방行..8일부터 VOD 서비스". Sports Daily (in Korean). Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  14. "(Movie Review) Monstrum: Predictable plot stalls fresh Korean-style creature movie". Yonhap News. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  15. List of Awards for the 51st edition of the SITGES – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, 2018. [Accessed 12/05/2019]
  16. Audience Awards, 51st edition of the SITGES – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, 2018. [Accessed 12/05/2019]
  17. '물괴', 이틀 연속 박스오피스 1위...'서치' 200만 돌파. YTN (in Korean). Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  18. [박스오피스] '서치' 1위…'물괴'와 각축전. Yonhap News (in Korean). Retrieved September 20, 2018.
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