This year’s Busan International Film Festival faced criticism for choosing Uprising as its opening title, amplifying concerns that Netflix—its financier and distributor—exerts excessive influence over the Korean content industry, reducing Korean creators to mere subcontractors.

Netflix has been an indisputable force behind the transformation of content production and consumption. In response to the concerns, the director of Uprising stated in a press interview that screen size should not dictate one’s appreciation of cinema. His comments seem to downplay Netflix’s influence on the Korean TV and film industry. One might interpret his comments as suggesting that only cinematic quality matters, measurable by objective and neutral standards. Yet, it is doubtful whether such a neutral approach to cinema is even possible; more importantly, the rise of digital streaming platforms like Netflix may have already altered how films are created and appreciated. If one factor has reshaped Korea’s entertainment landscape most dramatically, it is the presence of these global tech giants.

The following are three aspects of Uprising that reflect trends introduced by these technological developments, particularly Netflix.

 

1. Skyrocketing Production Costs

The production cost of Uprising is estimated to be around 22 million US dollars (approximately 30 billion Korean Won). This amount would be difficult to pitch in a studio executives’ meeting, given the size of the Korean market and the current decline in cinema attendance. Korean blockbuster films in the 2000s surpassed the 7-million-dollar mark due to their elaborate action scenes and star-studded casts with strong mass appeal. For these films to break even, they needed at least three million paying viewers. Fortunately, early Korean blockbusters managed to attract massive audiences of 10 million or more, generating nationwide excitement and optimism that this boom would continue.

In the current climate, however, a production cost of 7 million dollars is burdensome to recover. Audiences are staying away from theaters, and there’s little momentum to revive the golden age of Korean blockbusters. Drawing three million viewers has now become a challenging feat. Given that Korea’s population aged 15 to 64 is roughly 35 million, it may be more realistic to view the three-million-viewer mark as a high benchmark rather than a sign of an economic or market slump.

Nevertheless, Netflix invested 22 million dollars into Uprising. If this were a film aimed primarily at the Korean market, no studio executive would consider such an investment feasible. The break-even point for Uprising would be around 10 million viewers—a figure now exceptional, not routine. Netflix’s first show of financial power in Korea came with Mr. Sunshine, a 24-episode TV series for which it invested 22 million dollars in 2018. Before then, the highest production cost for a TV series had been 10 million dollars for Descendants of the Sun in 2016. Netflix can invest such unprecedented sums because of its subscription-based business model, which boasts around 270 million accounts world-wide.

This raises questions about the intended audience for Korean productions: Are creative goals now shifting to appeal to a global audience rather than focusing on uniquely Korean cultural sensibilities? While this financial backing has undoubtedly elevated production quality, it may also signal a shift in the creative direction of Korean content.

 

2. Extreme Violence

 

Uprising centers on two swordsmen: Jong-ryeo, a nobleman, and Cheon-yeong, a slave. The film explores their evolving relationship—friends turned enemies, then friends again—set against the backdrop of the Imjin War, the Japanese invasion of Joseon Korea in 1592. Against this wartime setting and the clash between two feuding men, the film is filled with scenes of intense violence: decapitated heads displayed on spikes, severed limbs, blood spewing from dismembered bodies, sharp objects piercing various body parts, and people burned alive. Extreme violence in Korean cinema is not new. Some Korean films, like Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy, gained international fame partly due to their graphic violence, and some international distributors leveraged this as a brand for Korean films. However, such depictions of violence were never intended for general audiences.

Netflix-backed TV series and movies have intensified this trend toward violence. Kingdom (2019), a zombie apocalypse series set against the historical backdrop of the Joseon era, along with Night in Paradise, Kill Boksoon, Gyeongseong Creature, Hellbound, Parasyte, A Killer Paradox, and Badland Hungers, to name but a few, opened the floodgates, making violence an accepted tool for building tension and resolving conflicts. Netflix’s investment strategy may favor violent themes, contributing to portrayals of masculinity—and sometimes femininity—shaped through violence. Uprising seems to be the latest output in this direction.

3. Class Warfare

 

The fire at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Uprising dramatically symbolizes the people’s discontent with the ruling class, particularly with the King, who fled his palace upon hearing news of the Japanese invasion. Uprising portrays the people setting fire to the palace, framing the story around two opposing forces: the well-intentioned, nation-loving populace, and the self-serving noblemen and King, fixated on preserving their own status. While historical records suggest that the Japanese army may have set the palace ablaze, the film adopts a version of history that emphasizes class conflict.

Traditionally, the dominant theme in Korean films has been nationalism, celebrating unity and harmony among the Korean people. Even when depicting recent historical events, such as the Korean War and the ideological divide between North and South Korea, the underlying theme often highlighted Korea’s shared identity and the hope for reunification. However, a subtle shift from nationalist sentiment to class conflict became noticeable with films like Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) and reached its peak with Parasite (2019), the Oscar winner for Best Picture.

Netflix seems to have recognized this changing trend. One of its most popular shows in Korea this month is Culinary Class Wars, a cooking competition underscored by themes of class struggle. By financing both a historical drama and an entertainment show with class-based themes, Netflix appears attuned to this emerging focus. What is going to be their next choice of investment? Could a dating show rooted in class conflict be next?

Uprising is just an example suggesting that Korean storytelling is evolving to explore darker social issues, blending local relevance with global appeal under Netflix’s expansive reach. Netflix’s influence, which has reshaped Korean media by steering content toward particular styles and themes, may continue for the foreseeable future.