A comedy, Pilot, seems to have won this year’s competition for the best summer movie. Does this signal a shift in the trend of summer blockbusters, which have traditionally been synonymous with action-packed sequences, car chases, gadgets, and minimal plot complexity?

Summer wouldn’t be the same without blockbusters. It’s almost a seasonal ritual to go to the movies, much like visiting an amusement park for a rollercoaster ride. Popcorn and fizzy drinks enhance the experience of these high-budget films, typically characterized by large-scale production values, featuring well-known stars, spectacular special effects, and widespread marketing campaigns, all aiming for significant box office returns. These films provide a brief escape—a two-hour holiday in the city during the summer.

The Korean summer blockbuster scene has traditionally been dominated by films offering maximum entertainment value in genres like action, adventure, and dramatic epics. Last year, films like Smugglers, Concrete Utopia, The Moon, and Ransomed were released for the summer audience, offering movie theaters as a refuge from the heatwave. 

Smugglers, set against the backdrop of cooling sea waves, followed a group of women involved in illegal bootlegging in the 1970s. The underwater scenes, featuring women fishing out goods or fighting for their spoils, were well-choreographed, comparable to the underwater fight scenes of 007: Thunderball (1965). The color coordination of deep blue waters with the women’s black and white attire, combined with the slow, tension-building pace of underwater movement, demonstrated what a visually spectacular blockbuster should look like.

Last year’s lineup wasn’t an exception in terms of summer blockbusters. Films like Alienoid (2022), Peninsula (2020), Along with the Gods (2017), and Train to Busan (2016) filled the summer slots with a focus on big movie themes of action and adventure. However, this year showed a sign of change with the comedy Pilot, though it’s too early to tell if this shift will last.

A remake of the Swedish film Cockpit (2012), Pilot tells the story of Han Jung-woo, a highly skilled and popular pilot whose life takes a dramatic turn after a single mistake costs him his job. Once a star in his field, even appearing on television shows, he finds himself blacklisted and unable to secure a new position. Desperate and determined, Han Jung-woo adopts a daring strategy: he assumes the identity of his younger sister, Han Jung-mi, to get rehired as a pilot. This leads to a series of humorous and challenging situations as he navigates his new life under a false identity.

The concern is that, given the size of the domestic market for Korean films, this strategy is unsustainable.

The movie combines elements of gender-bending comedy with a lighthearted critique of social expectations and the pressures of maintaining success. The film has been praised for its humor, and Jo Jung-suk’s performance, in particular, has been highlighted as a standout feature. Although some critics argue that the film doesn’t deeply address the real issues surrounding socially enforced gender roles, it marks a departure from the typical subject matter and style of summer movies, leaning toward diversity.

  

   Dustin Hoffman plays Michael Dorsey who, in desperation, takes on a female persona to secure a job.

Tootsie (1982), in which Dustin Hoffman plays Michael Dorsey, who dons dresses to land a role on a soap opera, and Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), in which Robin Williams plays Daniel Hillard, a failed father who becomes a Scottish nanny, are both films that challenge traditional gender roles. Pilot may not be as progressive as its cross-dressing predecessors, but it could be a response to growing concerns that Korean movies—particularly blockbusters—have lost their way in the race for scale, where investments exceeding 10 billion Korean Won are the norm for financial success. This pursuit often leads to stories that aim to appeal to the widest possible audience base, typically in the action and adventure genres.

The concern is that, given the size of the domestic market for Korean films, this strategy is unsustainable. Industry experts suggest that for the market to grow in a sustainable way, there needs to be a focus on smaller movies with diverse themes for diverse audiences. Could Pilot be the beginning of such a directional change? We’ll have to wait until next summer to find out.