The ‘Flood’ isn’t “Flooding”
From my opinion, the “Flood” is not just about the rising tide. In this film, the water serves as a metaphor for a vast sea of memories and emotions. It’s a literal and figurative drowning in one’s past. Kim Da-mi nailed her role very well. Hats off!Spoiler ⬇️
The story functions like a system failure—an endless loop that restarts every time the objective isn't met. It’s fascinating to see how the narrative explores the concept of emotional induction. The experiment’s core theme, ‘a mother searching for her lost child,’ is both heartbreaking and chilling. Once the emotional goal is achieved and "Jain" is found, a new "object" is launched, showing the cold, clinical nature of the experimenters behind the scenes. Anna’s intense emotional reaction suggests a deep, genuine bond, but in a world where memories are manipulated, it’s hard to tell where the truth ends and the simulation begins.
At the end, The Great Flood is a haunting sci-fi that forces us to question what makes us human. Is it our biological heart, or is it the inescapable flood of emotions we feel for those we love?
Was this review helpful to you?
Mindbending - A Brave New World
I enjoyed The Great Flood very much. The concept is such a bold idea, and although reminiscent of many other stories, translated well with its own spin, advancing the genre. In otherwords, you will have to watch it to find out exactly what I mean.There are many touch points along the way in this movie. They range from the love of single mothers, through to the challenges of being a parent, the exploration of human nature in a crisis and the future of humankind.
The acting is very good. Our super mum is very human, very believable. Her counterpart, at first appears heartless. However, as events unfold, he helps our super mum become more resilient.
I thought the CGI was of a good standard. However, from my experience, some of the flood sequences portrayed were not quite right. However, we know through studies into sea levels, they can rise very quickly, regardless of the cause.
The movie is mind bending because not all is as it seems. The Great Flood sits well within the sci-fi pantheon, proof yet again that the Koreans are evolving science fiction at a good level.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A door to a conversation we need to have
I think it’s hard, and it will only keep getting harder, to make a movie about Artificial Intelligence. So much has been said and done, the future has come and gone, it’s all moving at such a pace that it’s truly difficult to construct a story that has value and doesn’t feel already old or told. I think that was the value of this film.The way the story approaches the human condition, trying to highlight what is desperately needed - humanity - for our kind to survive through trying times, was very touching. Having the story be told from the perspective of a mother (in progress), I thought was a great idea. The “end of the world” could simply be interpreted as any major crisis to humans. What keeps us alive is a wild combination of survival instinct and love. Anna, as the movie progresses, becomes increasingly protective, violent, but also deeply caring. All very core human emotions/reflexes. We are animals after all, not machines.
I don’t think this movie was really about what AI is made of, but what humans are made of. We are at a point where the difference starts to blur. Not just because of how human-like AI is, but mainly because of how machine-like we the humans are becoming. I can’t point out exactly what this movie is trying to tell us, because I think it’s not trying to tell us anything. It’s the kind of movie that poses a question, perhaps a different question for each viewer that is willing to engage. And so, a conversation starts.
It’s a shame it was received coldly, though I do think it’s not a Netflix-type film. It’s too complex for the average Netflix watcher who was waiting for a disaster action film. Wish I could’ve seen it at the cinema.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Left Me Confused And Annoyed
I have been waiting for this movie and didn't expect it to be disappointing. Usually disaster movies are quite entertaining even if they are run of the mill stories but trying to create a twist to the story ended up backfiring for the writer/director.The initial plot revolves around a mother waking up to discover massive flooding around their apartment complex. The water is rising at great speeds and she starts to rush her young son to get them out of the house. The son, like a typical child, doesn't comprehend the danger and adds to the mother's anxiety and the audience's annoyance levels. This whole section is quite good. The mother doing her best in order to survive and finds help from man who is sent to extract her to safety for her research.
HEAVY SPOILERS IN ORDER TO EXPLAIN MY DISLIKE
The problem with the plot starts when they finally reveal that the child is AI and created to develop emotions into an AI as the future of humans (bizarre).
Once the mother gets to the roof, the team not only shoots the man who helped her (important) but also remove a chip from the child's head that holds it's memories/data. They then show a series of rockets jetting off into space just as floods are coming in. This is odd since every place has already been flooded so where are they lifting off from? Not explained. While in space, the rocket carrying the mother is damaged and she is injured from the debris so she also extracts her memories and transfers herself into an AI mother. They then replay the scenes of the flood with slight variations each times. In most scenarios the son is missing and she has to find him and the scenarios keep repeating which is not depicted well.
Some charcaters retain their memory like the man remembered getting shot and works against the extraction team. However, the man is not real but in this game like setting or training runs should be an NPC. There are few more characters like this. So haven't they already achieved AI with human emotions?
The end goal appears to be to return to Earth with AI. With human emotions. What about saving actual humans? What are other countries doing? Is every country sending rockets with AI? No millionaires and billionaires fighting to get a seat? All rockets look the same, no other country designed a different rocket with a different mission?
SPOILERS OVER
There are too many plot holes, too many things happening that you don't quite understand and it made me womder what I watched when it was finally over. I had to read other comments to fill in some gaps and the more I read, the worse this movie became.
The movie doesn't really deserve even a 6 but have to give them points for effort for the VFX and the setting. It did keep me interested even though I was lost at the end. The plot was just too ridiculous which feels like they didn't develop the story well or ask questions like WHY and just gave it their all on the special effects aspect.
Was this review helpful to you?
The worst time wasting and boring movie I've watched in 2025
This is clickbait and worst netflix original I've watched in a very long time. The kid is probably the worst annoying character in the whole omniverse, petaverse, universe.. I'm not even bragging when I'm saying that but this movie is just the worse. If you are a survival lover it's never worth watching. Sci fi lovers are saying 2nd part is confusing and they like it but trust me it's not confusing, it's just annoying, super predictable and boring, like you can 100% predict the story and the story is boring, repetative and slow paced. I've never felt such annoyed by any movie yet in my life I swear.If you don't believe me, watch and you'd know and if you do believe me, It's never worth watching and I hate it the most.
Was this review helpful to you?
So whats the point?
I watched this movie completely blind without even seeing the trailer and thought i was getting the average korean disaster apocalypse film but truly i was blown away by the sci fi AI combo, Literally why??? why didn't they just make it a regular disaster film why are we dealing with artificial intelligence reincarnation and robots all wrapped in the disguise of an Disaster movie highly uncessary in my opinion but too each their own this was however not my cup of tea in the slightestWas this review helpful to you?
Watched it Bcs of low review scores
I’m not a fan of disaster films. When I saw the low review scores I thought that it likely was a much deeper film than I imagined so I gave it a go. What I found was a profound movie with extraordinary acting. I was truly blown away by the story. Korean storytellers are simply on another level. I’m glad this film was given a budget and produced. It’s not your usual mass market shallow bore. It requires thinking and observation. It evoked different emotions in me and made me ponder on many questions: Are we becoming like machines rather than machines becoming like us? Have we already lost our humanity?Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Are We Getting the Main Point of this Thriller Wrong?
In the few pieces I've read about this thriller, the main plot seems to focus on a woman trying to save her child when confronted with an apocalyptic event. Granted, that is what we see on the screen.But could we be getting the main plot wrong? I believe so. This is some really narly creative writing.
Not a day goes by that I don't read an article or headline, or hear a podcast about the upcoming world we live in with AI. We definitely are living in the age of the AI dominance race. There seem to be two messages. One, that AI will dominate the human landscape when it comes to jobs. Second, that AI can't replace humans because of our emotional intelligence and ability to connect.
But what if AI could be taught emotional intelligence and the ability to connect at a human level?
I think what we're seeing on the screen in this movie is an AI simulation performed over and over again so AI can learn and develop a strong emotional connection. I say this as we kept seeing scenes done over and over again, and notice how they kept focusing on her shirt with the number increasing. What a brilliant storyline and commentary on the question as to whether AI can truly replace human beings.
Loved the special effects, and loved Kim Da Mi. What a grueling role she had to play, but as usual, she was superb.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Interesting movie
Interesting movie that remind me source code by Duncan Jones.It starts like a disaster movie, but at a certain point it turns into something deeper: a science-fiction film about human emotions and what makes us human.
Excellent performance by actress Kim Da-mi, who manages to define and portray her character very effectively.
The t-shirt is the key
Was this review helpful to you?
the concept of replacing humanity with IA
at first i did think it was gonna be a natural disaster type movie but man i thought the plot twist was gonna be good, instead all i got was an underwhelming feeling seeing it as propaganda for the low birth rate, not only in South Korea but also the rest of the world; the irony of it being a child made with artificial intelligence, i'm afraid this didn't awake some maternal instinct but that's just me i guess.With the use of IA on the rise i'm afraid there won't be enough water to flood us all to extinction. I can see the irony of using IA to replace humanity but the water flooding being the main plot feels like a joke that didn't land.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Tsunami (The Great Flood) is not the Main Role in a Disaster movie, huh !? :O
**** SPOILER : THIS IS A RANTING REVIEW ****I love Disaster/Survival movies.
So I was all excited n waited for this movie, seeing in Netflix "Coming Soon" but I'm highly disappointed now!!
Promoted as a Disaster movie n so expected a Full Length Disaster Survival movie but NO!
The Title, Cover pic n Summary cheated me :(
(So the Tsunami is not the main role but it's just a support role / a minor side role, Instead AI project is the main lead here, haha).
***
After watching first 20 mins, where there are Good CGI scenes of Flood and the struggle and when there is mention of some AI baby project, AI emotions builder project etc and there's a Time Loop -- I'm all excited thinking that I'm getting a combo of Disaster + Sci-Fi.
But NO!
IT IS EXCLUSIVELY A SCI-FI / TIME LOOP PLOT, WHICH IS NOT THAT CAPTIVATING.
Even Hae Soo Oppa's character didn't capture my interest (I like to watch his dramas).
***
A Full Length Sci-Fi movie with Disaster theme as subplot but promoted as an exclusive Disaster movie, actually gave a great disappointment to disaster movie fans (like me, who love disaster/survival more than Sci-Fi) and ruined the interest to watch the Sci-Fi plot.
(Just a thought -- Since AI is the new trending talk of the town, now-a-days, maybe the movie team wanted to be one of the first ones to grab a place in that buzz, with their movie on that theme but left with many disappointed audience and bad reviews).
*** THE PLOT :
The Sci-Fi Plot is Good
but somehow Everything (Acting, Direction, Execution) gone Messy.
This Plot can be executed better n with more clarity.
The Time loop or iterations, which are actually inputs to the AI project mentioned in the story -- These sound interesting but NO, it got confusing n uninteresting at one point.
Just the CGI scenes are Good -- loved them.
*** SOME MORE RANTING:
The Title should be
"The Baby project" or
"Finding the Kid" or
"The Emotions project" or
"The Time loop"
Only then, Disaster movie fans, like me, will not be misled!
Aigoo, me! :(
The disappointment is so great that I wrote this lengthy RANTING REVIEW, which I never did even to a very bad movie/drama :o
*** RATING:
My Rating is 6.5 / 10
My Final take on this movie:
If U are an exclusive disaster/survival movie fan n strictly not Sci-Fi, then this is not for U.
But if U are a fan of Sci-Fi/Time loop movies too, then U can give a try!
But watch with zero expectations!!
Was this review helpful to you?
The Great Film
I’ve been eyeing The Great Flood since the trailer dropped, and thankfully, it did not disappoint. The cast delivered solid performances and the plot felt fresh and intriguing. It can be a bit confusing at first, like you’re missing a piece of the puzzle, but once it clicks, everything suddenly makes sense and that realization is so satisfying.What I really appreciated is how every detail actually matters. This is the kind of movie that rewards paying attention because you can clearly see how everything fits together in the end. Add to that the outstanding CGI and strong sci-fi execution, and you get a K-film that truly delivers. Highly recommended, especially if you enjoy stories that make your brain work a little before giving you that “ahhh, okay” moment.
Was this review helpful to you?
