How ‘The World of Love’ and ‘The Ugly’ became Korea’s quiet box-office surprises

In Korea’s movie market, where blockbuster budgets have long been equated with box office success, small independent films are defying expectations. Audiences are proving that good storytelling can outperform massive marketing budgets through word-of-mouth buzz — and two films are leading the charge: “The World of Love” and “The Ugly.” Released on Oct. 22, “The World of Love” has rapidly gained momentum. Within five days, the independent film surpassed 30,000 viewers, and it is now close to reaching the 50,000 mark less than two weeks after its release — an impressive feat considering the small number of screens nationwide showing the film. The story follows an 18-year-old high school girl named Joo-in, who is targeted by a series of unsettling anonymous notes after arguing over a petition being circulated by her classmates. Directed by Yoon Ga-eun, who earned acclaim for her delicate storytelling in “The World of Us” and “The House of Us,” the new film is her first feature in six years. Critics and filmmakers alike have praised the film’s emotional precisionWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times