December in Korea was notable for two hit films of contrasting types. For half of the month, a local romantic comedy occupied the top spot at the box office, despite facing some formidable competition from leading Hollywood directors and franchises. <Spellbound>, from debut director HWANG In-ho, is a romantic comedy that incorporates some of the conventions of the horror genre.

 

Hallyu star SON Ye-jin takes the lead role as a young woman who, after a near death experience, is tormented by visions of dead people. People who become close to her also become susceptible to her visions, so she leads a solitary life until one day she crosses the path of a stage magician, played by LEE Min-gi. Although given a somewhat lukewarm evaluation from critics, <Spellbound> was popular with ordinary viewers and benefitted from positive word-of-mouth on the internet. Released by CJ E&M, the film has sold 2.3 million tickets to date. This makes it by far the most successful of a string of Korean romantic comedies released in the fall season, including <You're My Pet> (544,000 admissions), <Penny Pinchers> (424,000 admissions), and <Couples> (361,000 admissions).

 

The month’s other hit film came as no surprise: <Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol>, starring Tom CRUISE and directed by Brad BIRD. In only five days, the film grossed over 2 million admissions and easily surpassed the totals of fellow big-budget Hollywood films <The Adventures of Tintin> (700,000 admissions) and <The Twilight Saga - Breaking Dawn: Part 1> (1.5 million admissions).

 

The <Mission: Impossible> franchise has a history of popular success in South Korea, plus the film was also likely given a boost by Cruise's visit to Seoul in early December to promote the film. Given that ticket sales to the film have shown no signs of slowing down, even in the face of competition from the hugely ambitious local blockbuster <My Way>, directed by KANG Je-gyu, <M:I 4> is likely to become one of the top grossing films of the year.

 

As for other recent Korean films, the joint release by Cinergy and Lotte <S.I.U. - Special Investigations Unit> was the fifth best-selling film of the month. However, the thriller has failed to live up to the promise of its #1 opening on Nov. 24. The story of a massive investigation into the death of a policeman, the film starring EOM Tae-woong, JU Won and JEONG Jin-young is nearing the end of its run with 1.1 million tickets sold.

 

Also reaching the end of an extended run is the popular <Punch>, recently invited to the Generation section of the upcoming Berlin International Film Festival. In two months, the film has sold 5.3 million tickets - making it the third best-selling Korean film of the year behind <The War of Arrows> and <Sunny>, each of which recorded over 7 million admissions.

 

From looking at the top 10 list, you might think that there were few Korean films released in theaters in recent weeks. However there are a significant number of smaller, low-budget films that open on a minimal number of screens, and hope for good word-of-mouth to attract attention from cinephiles. Despite the smaller number of tickets they sell, they often draw considerable interest from people in the industry and fans of independent cinema. For such independent features, 10,000 admissions is considered the mark of a highly successful release.

 

One such recent release is <Life Is Peachy>, featuring KIM Kkobbi from <Breathless> and KIM Hyo-jin who is in IM Sang-soo’s upcoming <The Taste of Money>. The second feature film from KIM Soo-hyun (<So Cute>), the somewhat experimental film tells the story of two women who share the same name, and the love story that develops between them. Released on Dec. 8, the film has taken 2,552 admissions to date. Released on the same day was <Red Vacance, Black Wedding> by directors KIM Tai-sik and PARK Chul-soo. The film received its festival premiere in Busan earlier this fall, but despite considerable press coverage, has only managed to sell 340 tickets to date.

 

Korean documentaries have upped their profile in recent years, and it appears to be helping their performance at the box office. <My Barefoot Friend> by director LEE Seong-gu is the story of a 55-year-old rickshaw puller in Calcutta, who ended up becoming friends with the director. The film screened in the prestigious International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in 2010. After five days on release, it has taken 921 admissions. <White Jungle> has been described as Korea's <Sicko>, in the sense that it highlights some of the problems in the Korean health care system. Since Dec. 1, it has sold 3,006 tickets.

 

Most successful among recent Korean documentaries, however, is <Dancing Cat>, focused on the plight of abandoned cats left to live on the street. After a month and a half on release, the documentary by director YUN Gi-hyeong has sold 11,614 tickets.

 

Such works will continue to serve as thought provoking alternatives to the blockbuster films that are currently flooding theaters. The week before Christmas is perhaps the most coveted release date of the year, since the holiday season and school vacation ensure brisk business. Initial indications are that the $25 million local blockbuster <My Way> will struggle to unseat <Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol> as the current box office champ.

 

Nonetheless, even films that rank at #2 and #3 often rack up impressive totals during this winter vacation peak season. With few other major releases lined up in the next two weeks, other films such as <Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows> and Lotte’s Korean baseball movie <Perfect Game> may end up having the opportunity to maximize their box office take to an unusual degree.

 

As the most expensive film in the history of Korean cinema, <My Way> will need to turn in a phenomenal performance merely to break even. Thus, as we move into January, many eyes in the Korean film industry will be turned to see the ultimate returns taken by this ambitious, risky blockbuster.