The film “Harbin” (directed by Woo Min-ho) has surpassed 400,000 advance ticket sales before its release. As of 9:45 a.m. on the 23rd, it recorded 400,121 tickets sold (based on the integrated computer network of movie theater admissions by the Korean Film Council). It exceeded 400,000 tickets a day before its release, maintaining the top spot in overall movie ticket reservations for nine consecutive days.
The reservation trend is remarkable. Compared to the pre-release ticket sales of “Spring of Seoul” (12.12 million admissions), it shows a 2.9 times higher reservation rate. This figure is 1.6 times higher than the simultaneous pre-release ticket sales of the 2024 ten-million-viewer film “Pamyō.” It also ranked first in advance ticket sales among Korean films released during the Christmas season.
Considering the Christmas holiday and the year-end and New Year special occasions, the birth of a hit film is anticipated. “Harbin” is a film about the Harbin incident by the patriot An Jung-geun. Director Woo Min-ho was inspired to take on the project after reading An Jung-geun’s autobiography. The film stars Hyun Bin, Park Jung-min, Jo Woo-jin, Park Hoon, Lee Dong-wook, Jeon Yeo-bin, and Lily Franky.
The film is impressive with its calm and restrained pacing. The harrowing journey of the independence fighters heading to Harbin leaves a strong impression. The process of finding spies, Japan’s relentless pursuit, and more enhance the tension. The dialogues in “Harbin” have a captivating power that makes you reflect, eerily overlapping with the current situation.
The cinematography is also a point of admiration, capturing the grandeur of nature without CG, earning praise. The actors delivered performances of a lifetime. In particular, Hyun Bin perfectly embodied General An Jung-geun. His grand yet sorrowful cries are the highlight of the film. Lee Dong-wook’s (in the role of Lee Chang-seop) unique portrayal is also charming.
Jo Woo-jin (as Kim Sang-hyun) and Park Jung-min (as Woo Deok-soon) showed their veteran skills. Jo Woo-jin portrayed the transformation of an ordinary character with depth. Park Jung-min’s realistic acting is stable. Park Hoon’s (as Major Mori) villainous performance is also intense. “Harbin” is set to release on the 24th.
<Photo Source = Captures from the integrated computer network of movie theater admissions, “Harbin” poster>
