Hirokazu Koreeda ‘Monster’ The secret to quiet success [N Focus]

(Seoul = News 1) Reporter Seung-ah Ko = Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s new film ‘Monster’ is quietly creating a box office sensation in Korea. ‘The Monster’, which is showing a long-term box office success record, is approaching 500,000 viewers, which is unusual for an art film.

‘Monster’ was released in November last year. This is a story about a mother who senses something strange about her son’s behavior, which has changed beyond her knowledge, and goes to visit the school, and everyone around her who is involved in the mysterious incident goes through a whirlwind of emotions. It is a collaboration between world-renowned director Hirokazu Kore-eda, screenwriter Yuji Sakamoto, and the late music director Ryuichi Sakamoto, and won the Best Screenplay Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

‘The Monster’, which was released at the Busan International Film Festival in October last year prior to its domestic release, was expected to be a box office hit early on, selling out all screenings as well as the 4,000-seat outdoor theater of the Cinema Center. As the film continues to receive favorable reviews, it continues to be a long-term box office hit.

Accordingly, ‘The Monster’ is recording a cumulative audience of 465,844 (movie theater ticket integrated computer network, as of the 18th), and has consistently entered the top 10 at the box office even with the release of new films. In addition, it topped the independent/art box office weekly/weekend box office for six consecutive weeks, the highest-grossing domestic film among Japanese films directed by Hirokazu Koreeda, the highest-grossing independent/artistic film in the second half of 2023, the highest-grossing Japanese live-action film in 2023, and the first of the new year in 2024. It swept the record for being the number one art film box office hit.

As such, ‘The Monster’ is setting box office records thanks to the directing skills of world-renowned director Hirokazu Kore-eda, the solid screenplay by Yuji Sakamoto, and the passionate performances of the two child actors. This is because 39;man’s artistic quality was recognized.

‘No one knows’ ‘That’s how you become a father’ ‘Sea Village Diary’ ‘A family’ Director Hirokazu Kore-eda, who has released representative works such as <#39;>, has a large fan base in Korea, and his delicate and sharp directing skills shined through the script of Yuji Sakamoto in ‘Monster’. ‘The Monster’, composed of three chapters, resonated deeply with the audience by telling the story from the mother’s perspective, the teacher’s perspective, and the children’s perspective. In addition, the performances of child actors Kurokawa Soya and Hiiragi Hinata, who led the film, are also considered factors in its success. The two actors who played the roles of Minato and Yori, respectively, helped increase immersion in the play by naturally digesting LGBTQ material, which is a somewhat difficult subject.

Film critic Yoon Seong-eun told News 1, “Director Hirokazu Kore-eda deftly walks the line between artistry and commercialism,” and added, “In “Monster,” he makes the drama interesting so that the audience does not get bored. “He captured delicate scenes, and in particular, he excellently portrayed the boy’s sensitivity and melodrama within a fairytale-like fantasy feel.” He continued, “Director Hirokazu Kore-eda has many fans, but he has never attracted an audience close to 500,000,”and analyzed, “I think it worked because it touched the public’s sensibilities well as well as the director’s reputation.”

Thanks to this success, Soya Kurokawa and Hinata Hiiragi, the main actors of ‘Monster’, visited Korea on the 20th and 21st of last month, saying, “I was very surprised to feel love from the moment I arrived at the airport.”I have said hello. Following them, director Hirokazu Koreeda will visit Korea once again from February 3rd to 5th to meet with audiences and talk about movies again.

seunga@news1.kr