Netflix's 'The Great Flood' a Disaster? Despite Mixed Reviews, Tops Global Charts

[Financial News] Netflix’s newly released original film and original variety show have both claimed the No. 1 spot in the global Top 10 for non-English content, once again highlighting the enduring popularity of K-content.
In particular, while 'The Great Flood' has received mixed reactions domestically, 'Culinary Class Wars Season 2' is captivating viewers with entertainment on par with its first season.
Some viewers may be surprised by the unexpected plot of 'The Great Flood,' mistaking it for a typical disaster movie. However, it is important to note that the film is an SF disaster movie. The title evokes biblical associations, such as Noah’s Ark. The story depicts humanity’s last hope for survival on the final day of a world submerged by a great flood, as people struggle to survive inside a sinking apartment building.
Released on the 19th, the film reached 27.9 million views within just three days (calculated by dividing total viewing hours by the film’s running time), topping the charts in 54 countries, including Korea, Spain, Brazil, Qatar, and Thailand. Notably, it surpassed 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,' which had 20.9 million views and ranked No. 1 in the English-language film category, making 'The Great Flood' the overall leader by view count.

Unlike in Korea, international media have praised the film. Variety wrote, “It uniquely weaves a narrative that traverses the physical and metaphysical realms.” Radio Times commented, “Kim Da-mi’s heartfelt performance remains grounded even amid the relentless deluge, and the narrative’s massive premise comes together perfectly like a puzzle in the final act.” The film’s unique world-building, blending an overwhelming disaster with sci-fi imagination, and the actors’ performances have received positive reviews.
However, domestic reactions have been largely disappointing. One typical review stated, “Despite the imminent danger, there’s a lack of urgency and desperation. The near-future disaster and science fiction elements are poorly developed. The film persistently focuses on motherhood, but ultimately, it fails as both a disaster and an SF movie.”
Other harsh criticisms include, “The direction should have been clearer. It’s just messy and hard to follow,” “It ends up in the mountains—or rather, in space,” and “It’s not a great flood, it’s a great disaster.” Still, some positive comments can be found, such as, “It may not deliver the dopamine rush typically expected from disaster or SF genres, but it’s still fresh and entertaining.”
'The Great Flood' offers a fresh take with its unique premise and development, but this novelty does not translate into a higher level of completion, and the film’s message becomes apparent too quickly, diminishing its cinematic appeal. One netizen summarized, “The film uses a fictional natural disaster to create a situation where human instincts are exposed, exploring the ethics of choosing between motherhood and humanity in a desperate scenario, aiming to perfectly AI-ify the emotion of motherhood.” For blockbuster films, entertainment value is especially important, and genre-driven fun is often what gives meaning to the story. Additionally, Park Hae-soo, often dubbed a 'Netflix regular,' has appeared so frequently in Netflix productions that some viewers have commented, “Park Hae-soo again?” The water visual effects also fell short of expectations.
jashin@fnnews.com Shin Jin-a Reporter