Yeon Sang-ho and Jun Ji-hyun’s Swarm surpasses 5 million viewers… a second record of the year

Overwhelming terror that swallowed up theaters, “Swarm” takes the 5 million-viewer milestone

Yeon Sang-ho’s universe keeps evolving. “Swarm”, the K-zombie thriller that opens a new chapter for the genre, drove a long run by surpassing 5 million cumulative viewers just 24 days after its release.

According to the official tally by distributor Showbox as of the 13th, “Swarm” was chosen by 5 million viewers that morning. It marks the second time in 2024’s Korean film box office—after “King and the Man”—that a massive hit record was set.

The film, which landed on screens on the 21st of last month, reclaimed the 1 million mark on day 4, the 3 million mark on day 10, and the 4 million mark on day 14 in a single rush, proving it has the most destructive box-office momentum among this year’s releases. Compared with “King and the Man”, which reached 5 million on day 18 after drawing 16 million viewers overall, this one may have arrived a bit later. Still, explosive word of mouth from people who actually watched the film has acted as the engine of its success, and the breakneck run shows no sign of stopping.

“Swarm” is a work that depicts, with density and intensity, the desperate struggle of survivors trying to stay alive amid a sealed building thrown into an inexplicable, bizarre infection incident. An ambitious new project by director Yeon Sang-ho, who has expanded the franchise’s world through “Train to Busan” and “Peninsula”, it has assembled an overwhelming ensemble that inspires confidence just by the names Jun Ji-hyun, Goo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, and more. In particular, it has been evaluated as a rare case of winning both the two “prizes”—commercial success and artistic merit—after receiving official selection for the 79th Cannes International Film Festival’s Midnight Screening section.

“An art form”… the bizarre aesthetics of “Swarm” that even the minister was captivated by

The film’s lingering impression continues to hit hard even outside the screen. Even Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism fully and completely immersed herself in this bizarre yet captivating world.

Choi Hwi-young used her personal social media (SNS) channel to officially congratulate “Swarm” for its historic box-office success, focusing public attention. In particular, she posted photos of herself reproducing—perfectly—the bizarre poses of the terrifying infected characters in the film alongside star Jun Ji-hyun, sparking a surge of buzz.

In that post, she said, “The movements of the dancers and actors who brought the infected to life with spine-tingling perfection reached nothing short of an art form.” She offered high praise for the film’s unconventional physical performance and its choreographic achievements. In effect, the head of a government ministry directly demonstrated that it is more than a popcorn movie and a work that symbolizes the technical and artistic progress of Korea’s film industry.