Korean movies with female leads became box office gold in 2020 – from Collectors to More Than Family starring F(x)’s Krystal Jung and Parasite’s Jang Hye-jin
From The Day I Died: Unclosed Case to Samjin Company English Class, female-led films are raking in the dough at Korea’s box office this autumn
K-movies featuring female leads continue to dominate as two films released this month – The Day I Died: Unclosed Case and More Than Family – topped charts alongside Samjin Company English Class, which has been going strong since its release in October.
Park Jung-bae’s Collectors, starring Lee Je-hoon and Shin Hye-sun, was the most-watched film for two weeks after its November 4 release. The crime comedy has also garnered more than a million domestic ticket sales since November 17, accumulating nearly 9.8 billion won (US$9 million), according to data released by Korea Box Office Information System (KOBIS). The film centres on a group of thieves who are also talented excavators. They team up to uncover ancient treasures from the Joseon dynasty buried underground in a royal tomb in central Seoul.
In Park Ji-wan’s directorial debut, Kim plays a detective searching for a teenage girl who has mysteriously disappeared with the help of Lee’s character, a witness suffering from aphasia. During their search, the characters find themselves on an introspective journey that allows them to truly understand each other.
Meanwhile, Samjin Company English Class is one of the highest-grossing films for October that’s still going strong at third place at the box office. The comedy film has garnered around 1.5 million in ticket sales so far, accumulating 13 billion won (US$12 million).
Directed by Lee Jong-pil, the film is a 90s mystery comedy that also comments on patriarchal society. Three young female employees, who were originally fighting for a promotion at their firm, end up working together to uncover its corrupt activities.
