Reviews

Artificial Intelligence, Nature, and the Question of Creation in The Great Flood

The Great Flood begins in media res. The viewer is thrown into the chaos and, throughout the film, is given very little exposition about the characters or the incidents that shape the story. This is a clever way of introducing a world that feels dreamlike, especially in its sense of beginning and creation, an origin that remains unknown and unstable.

While the film is not as bad as many disappointed viewers have claimed, largely because its title subverts genre-expectations, it does also have its weaknesses.

Overall, it is a solid movie that engages with contemporary social and cultural concerns, particularly questions of creation, whether through technological advancement such as artificial intelligence or through natural reproduction. The film therefore functions as an allegory. It reflects on the creation of the world, its mutability, and the connections between different systems of cause and effect. Yet it remains unclear whether AI represents progress, or whether natural processes such as DNA and genetics are the true forces driving advancement.

Throughout the movie, the viewer repeatedly encounters different numbers attached to the protagonist, suggesting multiple attempts, alternative outcomes, and repeated chances that all converge on the same goal of creation. Although AI appears to be the primary means of achieving this goal, the film includes two moments that emphasize the significance of family bonds. In both instances, the flood recedes and sunlight emerges, visually linking nature and humanity and suggesting an ecological vision of coexistence.

As a Korean film, the allegory may also allude to the country’s declining birth rates and the broader social hesitation toward forming families. This is a theme worth reflecting on, and although the film could have developed these ideas more fully, it still offers a thoughtful and engaging perspective.

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This film brought back many memories for me. I was called in to work at our hospital when COVID-19 first hit, and we didn’t know how to help the patients. Now, five years later, we have learned so much, yet many people still struggle with the lasting effects of the virus. For those of us in healthcare, it was a traumatic experience, just like for the people in the film.


You can find more of my reviews on Instagram. :D See my homepage about my Instagram account. Some of my reviews are under five hundred words so I can't post them here. (*^▽^)/★*☆♪(*^-゜)vThanks!

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Going to be one of my favs!!!

I started the movie with a smile and curious mind. It was so funny all along. There were hardly and moment that I didn't like. And each and every artist's delivery and usually their reactions were top notch. Suddenly the film got serious, I cried so bad for a movie after a long time. I'm a person who is up for anything if it includes my friends and it definitely touched my soft point, making me feel the characters every moment. I totally loved the film but I really wished that Cha Eunwoo's character would show up but nah it had to be a sad ending nothing can be done. Broke my heart into pieces yet loved it to every bit!! Great movie!! I wish such movies or series are made at least once or twice a year but with a happy ending.

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The great flood

I think a lot of people misunderstood The Great Flood because they watched it as a disaster movie. This isn’t a movie about a flood. The flood is just the setting where everything collapses.

At the beginning, we learn that An-na is an AI researcher working with the government. Years before the disaster, the government already knew an asteroid was coming. They didn’t tell the public. Instead, they pushed for a project meant to preserve humanity.

An-na’s experiment was a child.

She created him artificially and raised him as her own son. Not as a lab subject but as a real child. She fed him, protected him, and loved him. She wanted to perfect the child first. The government wanted her to create the mother next.

When the flood begins, the authorities come for the child and for An-na who is a researcher. The child is left behind.

Before An-na leaves, she tells the child to hide and wait for her on the terrace. That moment is devastating, because she believes she’ll come back. And he believes her.

She doesn’t. she can recreate the child the way she did before.

An-na goes to space as part of the final survival mission, but her vessel is struck by the asteroid. She’s dying. And in that moment, she chooses to become the experiment too.

She decides to enter the system as a mother.

That’s when the loop begins.

The flooding apartment, the repeating scenes, the desperation none of it is random. It’s an emotional simulation. An AI trying to develop something that can’t be programmed. A mother’s grief and a child’s longing.

An-na keeps reliving the search for her son. The child keeps waiting, hoping she’ll find him. Both of them are reaching for each other across iterations, across failure. The system resets every time emotion falls short.

What makes it painful is that they *are* trying. Together. On opposite sides of the experiment.

In the end, the experiment succeeds not because they survive the flood, but because they finally find each other inside the simulation when reality denied them that chance. The new humans born from this project aren’t just intelligent. They carry memory, attachment, and loss.

That’s the real ending.

Reunion.

The tragedy of the movie is that they couldn’t stay together in real life. The beauty is that they did somewhere else.

People wanted a disaster movie. What they got was a story about a mother who loved her child so much and just wanted to reach him again.

And honestly? That’s why the movie stays with you.

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Female centric action comedy had Charlie's Angels vibe but no romance to speak of

if you saw the trailer you've gotten a good sense of what this movie is like. Female centric adventure really has a "Charlie's Angels" vibe with the mix of action & hijinks . I'm giving it a low rating because one of the lead female characters freezes everytime she sees s person from her traumatic past-causing her to basically faint -when she should be fighting. (think kryptonite & Superman) I thought it was a stupid trope. Also, that same female lead will NOT get her romantic happily ever after, (though one of her fellow girl fighters will). I felt like there were some plot holes & even some scene holes. I wouldn't rewatch it. Not horrible, but also, not memorable or all that interesting

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Not just a flood — a story of love, sacrifice, and what it means to be human

The Great Flood is not just a disaster or sci-fi movie - it’s a layered story about emotions, memory, and what it truly means to be human.

The story begins with JaIn, an AI (Al) who is created, not as a weapon or machine, but as something meant to learn and feel. Anna later adopts JaIn, and what follows is not just a relationship between a human and an AI, but one between a mother and a child. Their bond becomes the emotional core of the entire film.
Then the Great Flood happens ^ a catastrophic event that changes everything...
Amid the chaos, Anna and JaIn are captured, and from here the story takes a much deeper turn. Anna is sent into space, where she is ultimately hit by a meteor. But her death is not the end.
Before dying, Anna transfers her memories into the Emotion Engine, and this is where the movie truly becomes powerful. What we see next is a "time loop " the world repeats itself again and again, almost like a video game restarting from the beginning....
Why does it repeat?
Because JaIn needs to learn.
Each loop exists so that the AI can understand human emotions ,,love, fear, sacrifice, pain, attachment. If JaIin fails to understand, the world resets, and everything begins again. The repetition isn’t a flaw in the story — it is the story.
Anna dies.
The world resets.
Again and again.
Until JaIn finally begins to understand what it truly means to feel.
That’s when the meaning becomes clear.....
Part 1 is reality....
Part 2 is memory .... 'stored inside the AI'....
Everything that happens afterward is not just survival, but learning....Learning love. Learning loss. Learning what it means to be human.
And this is why The Great Flood hits so hard emotionally.
And DaMi delivers an incredibly powerful performance. She doesn’t need dramatic dialogues ,her eyes alone carry fear, warmth, pain, and love. She makes Anna feel real, and her bond with Ja-in feels genuine and heartbreaking.
By the end, this film stays with you , not because of destruction or visuals, but because of its emotional depth and its message.
"The Great Flood isn’t about the end of the world. It’s about an AI learning how to have a heart"

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Watch this for the MDL challenge. It’s an amazing movie about a very resilient teenager and his incredible parents.

Born with a rare genetic disorder, 17-year-old A Reum ages far faster than everyone else. Though he is only a teenager, his body resembles that of an 80-year-old man. Knowing that his time is limited, he prepares a special gift for his young parents, who have raised him with unconditional love.

This time, MDL’s summary truly hits the point, so I won’t add any unnecessary details.

This beautiful movie shows us what unconditional love really means. Ah-reum’s parents, Mi-ra and Dae-su, had him when they were just 17 themselves—teenagers facing an unexpected pregnancy. But instead of walking away, Dae-su stepped up. They got married and built a life together—choosing family from the very beginning, standing together through everything.

Unlike 18 Again, where at one point the father—intentionally or not—blames the mother for “ruining” his life, Dae Su never once blames Mi Ra for her teenage pregnancy. Not even with A Reum’s condition, their family remains grateful—and finds joy in simply being together..

And Ah-reum? He’s not just a sick child in a story. He’s a real teenager—with dreams, humor, and quiet strength. He may carry the body of an elder, but his heart is young. You can see it in his eyes: moments of longing when he watches kids his age play, laugh, and grow. It’s natural to feel jealous. But he never resents his parents. Never causes pain. I really admire his resilience towards what life throws at him.

If you’re looking for a film that reminds you to be grateful—if you want something that touches your heart without manipulation or melodrama—this is a perfect choice. Highly recommend it.

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A must-watch movie

This is the one of the best movies I've watched this year. Before watching, I read some posts on X (Twitter) about the two characters backgrounds in manga, so it was somewhat easier for me to understand the story.

If you feel like the main characters' plot was lacking scenes, just look at Sugiki's eyes!!! His eyes tell the whole story if you look at them properly. Keita Machida (Sugiki Shinya) portrayed his role perfectly. He has the the perfect gentleman aura all girls fall for. (Not to mention he's my most favorite character here). Takeuchi Ryoma (Suzuki Shinya) is also the same. Both of their eyes always perfectly showed all the emotions throughout the movie. I repeat this again, please focus on their eyes!

I couldn't take my eyes off for a second while watching the movie. As a previous dancer myself, this reignited my passion for dancing. That's why I loved every second of this. The dancing scenes were never boring to me. The scenarios, lighting, everything was perfect.

My only disappointment is the ending. You can't just end it like that. The title is 10Dance, yet the 10Dance competition didn't even start in this movie. I really hope they'll release a part 2 in a few years.
Also I wonder how Suzuki and Sugiki could participate in the competition together in the future. All the competitions showed here had male×female partners, so I'm wondering whether they could participate as partners. If I got it right, in the last scene they perform together because it's only a demonstration. Maybe they'll change the rules. I only reduced the rewatching value because the story isn't completed yet.

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Bom

Esse filme foi realmente interessante de acompanhar, é bem feito e me entreteve.

Ainda assim, achei desnecessariamente longo. Presumi que as mais de duas horas de duração seriam usadas para desenvolver melhor o personagem ou o drama dele, mas o que temos é basicamente um filme sobre o julgamento, quase todo passado dentro de um tribunal. Isso não é ruim em si, mas poderia ter sido melhor explorado.

Além disso, o filme carrega uma trama conceitualmente perigosa. Percebi pelas reviews e comentários que muitos homens deturparam completamente a mensagem do filme, interpretando-o como uma crítica às “acusações falsas” feitas por mulheres contra homens inocentes, quando na verdade o que o filme mostra de forma bastante clara é como o sistema judiciário japonês é falho, como juízes e promotores ficam limitados às provas disponíveis e como tribunais não existem para estabelecer a verdade absoluta, mas para julgar com base no que é apresentado processualmente. Isso pode resultar tanto na absolvição de um culpado quanto na condenação de um inocente.

O perigo dessa abordagem está justamente aí: ela abre margem para reforçar o discurso ultrapassado de que não se deve confiar na palavra da vítima. E sabemos que assédio é uma das coisas mais difíceis de se comprovar judicialmente, e que a palavra da vítima ainda hoje é constantemente invalidada, apesar de ser algo que nós, mulheres, temos conquistado aos poucos dentro do sistema jurídico.

No geral, achei um bom filme, mas senti falta de mostrar melhor o peso emocional e psicológico daquele processo sobre o protagonista. Faltou drama. A narrativa acabou ficando excessivamente jurídica, quase como assistir a um julgamento de fora, de alguém que eu não conheço e sobre quem não sei nada além do que a defesa e a acusação estão alegando.

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Well it was definitely a cinematic masterpiece…

The concept in itself (from what I interpreted) was incredibly compelling. The story of a strict, but very pained grim reaper that emphasizes “too much” on perfection, causing him to become terrifying yet marvelous. The story of an expressive and free angel that emphasizes “too much” on expression, causing him to become captivating yet chaotic. These two stories are intertwined on the dance floor — one that takes a certain kind of passion and resilience, that both of them lack in their respective ways. Their skills and talents only take them so far and the passion they have is for all the wrong reasons. Only when they were together could they unleash their true potential. The reaper learned to let loose and be vulnerable from the angel, and the angel learned there is still structure needed from the reaper. When they both learned that their missing pieces of passion was each other… it was beautiful. However, I was still extremely disappointed with the way the story was handled. I think the lacking story and dialogue is what sent me over the edge because truthfully, the cinematography and acting itself was outstanding. All props to the actors and cinematographers. It must have been such a hassle for the actors to learn to dance like this in the first place for this movie (unless they did not need to) so I honestly applaud that as is. The story felt very rushed and it almost felt as if they were unsure of how to fit it all into one movie. I feel like as a viewer, we should have seen more of them as people, because truthfully, we know very little about the characters other than the obvious. I think it would have been nice to understand their thinking, and to know the feelings behind what was expressed. It would have been nice to understand fully how the relationship developed. I feel like their love story was very rushed and slightly confusing. The story shouldn’t just be left up for our interpretations, while it’s nice, I still feel like it lacks structure. As I’m writing that, I’m thinking maybe that was the point. Or maybe I’m thinking too deep. Maybe it’s meant to lack structure and be left up to interpretation based on raw emotion… but on the other hand, leaving out structure creates confusion…just as the characters in this movie were explaining. I can’t tell how I feel about this movie. I was disappointed by the lack of storytelling and dialogue, but nonetheless, the raw emotion felt made sure it was definitely not a waste of time. If there is a sequel, I would definitely watch. Not so sure about rewatching the first movie, though.

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Okay film with an intense/sublime award deserving performance by Xin Zhi Lei

(I will warn you when the spoilers begin, so feel free to read the first part of my review.)

My journey into C-Dramas started during Covid with RUYI'S ROYAL LOVE IN THE PALACE. If you haven't seen it, stop reading this and give the show a try. It's star studded. Zhou Xun, Wallace Huo, Li Qin... and Xin Zhi Lei as the unforgettable Princess Jia.

Since that show I've desperately tried to find her as good again, and unfortunately most movies and shows just aren't smart enough for her talent. If you've seen her in other works, the odds are good she's just phoning in her performance. This actress can do great things when given the opportunity, but most C-Dramas use her as a 'sexy' snark monster and waste her talents.

The good news is that the producers of THE SUN RISES FOR US ALL understand her talent and used it. In every frame of the piece. Xin Zhi Lei need not bat her eye lashes, swing her hips, or yell to be noticed. Her nuance in this film is sublime -- and she pulls off a very complex character with the greatest of ease, without the need of her supermodel looks.

The fact she won Best Actress in some big Chinese 'Academy Awards' is utterly earned here. Xin Zhi Lei deserves to be a global actress. My dream is that the people that own Bond (Amazon) would create a series in China starring Xin Zhi Lei, the series would be shot in China (in Mandarin), and she'd play a double agent where both East and West have no idea whose side she is actually on. Trust me -- it would be a ginormous hit.

THE SUN RISES ON US ALL is a great looking film. Instead of buffing and glossing China to look like a perfume bottle, this film appears to show the real China. Crowded, a little dirty, moss growing on rooftops because of tropical weather, etc.. There's such an honesty about how things look I feared the crew were sometimes shooting on the streets without permission.

The editing is fine, the lighting is so natural, the pacing is a tad slow but consistently moves along. Male lead Zhang Song Wen is as realistic as the rest of the film. Every watch a movie and you feel like one of the actors isn't an actor at all? That he's just some normal guy they hired on the spot? I call this "the character is not aware they are an actor in a movie". Zhang Song Wen's performance is that good.

So what went wrong here? I'm going to give you the spoiler free version, draw a big line, and then begin spoiling.

Simply put: the story is a one timer. No matter how good the rest of the film is, one timer stories are not about the journey but the destination. Usually these type of films have a goal (Find the dog!) and the characters say little to each other, and then they do speak it's usually trivial dialogue.

I recently showed my nieces GROUNDHOG DAY. The first time you watch the movie, you watch to see if and how he gets out of his predicament. But the film is easy to re-watch, because almost every part of the film is interesting, funny, and/or romantic. You can show clips of such films to others and they're immediately interested.

THE SUN RISES FOR US ALL doesn't have great scenes. Instead, the entire film is one great scene, if you will, which, unfortunately, renders the rewatch value to zilch. Once you know how the story ends, your interest is over.

My biggest problem? It appears the writer/director team wrote themselves into a corner. How to resolve the dilemma between the two leads? The chose a cheap trick unworthy of a first year screenwriter and then didn't do with it what they should have. I'm the screenwriter type in my family but my wife (who I've been trained by my side for year, lol) came up with the fix in seconds. "Why didn't they do this?!?" she asked, and she was right.

SPOILERS *************************************

The story is about a former couple that seemed cursed. They were happy enough until they had a tragic car accident. They accidentally hit someone with their car, they could have maybe saved the hurt person, but instead they drove off and the person died. Our lead was responsible but her husband took the blame -- and five years of prison -- out of love and gallantry.

Our story is about how this one choice ruined them both. She was so ashamed of accidentally murdering someone that her 'getting away with it' slowly destroyed her. So much show she stopped visiting her husband in prison, because to do so was a constant reminder of her guilt and his innocence. She eventually has an affair with a married man as an escape, but this further destroys her soul because she's murdering her marriage and her boyfriend's marriage.

We join this story during her affair and when her husband is released from jail. For two hours the reunited couple doesn't know what to do with each other. There's too much pain and resentment to resume their marriage, and yet here they are stuck with each other out of guilt. (Did I mention she's pregnant with her boyfriend's child and he's dying of cancer?)

So this story paints itself into a corner and -- the screenwriter absolutely clueless on how to resolve the story -- has Xin Zhi Lei pick up a knife and suddenly stab her husband. She has decided to put him out of his misery, and in a weird way accepts that being a murderer is somehow in her nature.

Why is the ending not satisfactory? I told you my wife INSTANTLY knew why. What would have been much better is if she and her husband were being interrogated by the police, and somehow she managed to murder him in front of the cops. And I mean KILL him, not just stick a knife in him and have him still standing.

Why is this perfect? Because she not only puts him out of his misery, but she will get arrested for murder and serve her jail time the way she should have in the first place. The police would have asked, "Why did you just do that?!?" and her final line of the film would have been, "Because I'm a murderer."

This ending is so perfect I'd tell the producers to reshoot the ending. I'm not kidding. It would make this MEH movie a SOLID movie. The entire thing would have made more sense this way, justifying the over two hours of cinema.

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Intriguing concept undermined by unclear plot.

I liked the reverse storytelling, it felt fresh and initially did a great job of holding my attention, only to be disappointed when the first chapter was revealed. At that point, the plot began to feel confusing and poorly connected. Karina’s motivations were never clearly defined, was she driven by revenge, subtly corrupted by the kulariot, or simply acting out of cruelty?

Also, the supernatural element, the "kulariot", was underdeveloped and seemed to exist solely for horror value rather than serving a meaningful purpose in the story. Because it wasn't fully explored and integrated into the narrative, it felt unnecessary and disconnected from the overall plot.

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