A “Disaster” of a Thriller With a Sci-Fi Twist Has Suddenly Taken the #1 Spot on Netflix

Okay, so I stumbled upon this totally random sci-fi disaster movie, and everyone’s suddenly obsessed! It’s about a massive tsunami that could end everything, and people are ditching even the biggest hits on this streaming service to watch it. I mean, they have stuff like Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, KPop Demon Hunters, and tons of Christmas movies, but apparently, nobody’s in the holiday spirit yet. They just want to watch the world end, it seems! It’s crazy how quickly this unknown movie blew up.

Award-winning director Kim Byung-woo (known for The Terror Live) helms the new South Korean sci-fi disaster film, The Great Flood. The movie stars Kim Da-mi (Itaewon Class, Our Beloved Summer) as Gu An-na, Park Hae-soo (Squid Game, Karma) as Son Hee-jo, Kwon Eun-seong (Typhoon Family) as Shin Za-in, and Jeon Hye-jin (Stranger, Mission: Cross) as Im Hyeon-mo. Set in the near future, The Great Flood tells the story of a mother, An-na, who bravely battles a massive flood while trying to reach safety on the upper floors of a skyscraper with her young son.

An-na struggles through chaos, protecting herself from those taking advantage of the situation, but loses her son in the process. After being rescued by the reserved and enigmatic Hee-jo (Park), they embark on a journey to find him. However, An-na quickly suspects Hee-jo’s reasons for helping aren’t entirely selfless, and she begins to realize their survival may depend on her.

Currently, The Great Flood is the most popular title on Netflix worldwide and in the United States. It’s surpassed other films like How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, and My Secret Santa, which have all dropped lower in the streaming service’s Top 10 list.

‘The Great Flood’ Is Drowning in Divisive Reactions

Netflix

Despite mixed reviews from critics and audiences, the sci-fi movie The Great Flood has quickly become a hit on Netflix since its release on December 19th. It currently has a 60% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but a lower 42% audience score on the Popcornmeter.

Reviewers had mixed feelings about The Great Flood. Ready Steady Cut noted that while the film begins as a gripping disaster movie, its overly complex plot nearly undermines it. Heaven of Horror praised the film as a clever and exciting sci-fi disaster story, but felt it could have been more impactful if it were shorter, despite understanding the need for its length.

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However, Radio Times praised The Great Flood, giving it a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. They credited the show’s success to Kim’s moving performance and a surprisingly cohesive storyline that came together beautifully in the final episodes.

2025-12-22 18:37

‘The Great Flood’ Is Drowning in Divisive Reactions

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