'Salmokji' followed by 'Obsession' in box office jackpot… Horror film turns 10 billion won into 690 billion won

'Obsession' delivers 660-fold return… The secret behind horror's box office breakthrough beyond summer rules

'Salmokji' tops 3.24 million viewers to become the all-time No. 1, with 'Alpha,' opening Sept. 30, taking aim at year-round success

Movie theaters are enjoying an unusual horror-film boom this year. Once treated as a genre reserved for summer scare-season specials, horror has broken free of that limitation and emerged as a major year-round box office draw, powered by extraordinary returns and solid storytelling. From 'Obsession', which turned a production budget of just 10 billion won into 690 billion won in global revenue, to 'Salmokji', which made new history for Korean horror, a wave of well-crafted fright films that tap into audience psychology is gathering force.

'Salmokji' topples 'A Tale of Two Sisters' and foreign horror scores first hit in seven years

The first spark in this year's box office run came from 'Salmokji,' which opened in April. The film follows road-view mapping employees who encounter strange phenomena after entering a mysterious reservoir. Its meticulous depiction of horror seeping into everyday life won critical acclaim. The film went on to draw about 3.241 million viewers, reclaiming the record for the highest-grossing Korean horror film of all time from 2003's 'A Tale of Two Sisters,' which had held the top spot with 3.14 million viewers. 'The Backrooms,' which arrived in theaters in May, continued the momentum with about 1.216 million viewers. It was the first foreign horror thriller to surpass 1 million viewers since director Jordan Peele's 'Us' in 2019—a seven-year gap.

'Obsession' hits a jackpot with 660-fold return as survival horror 'Resident Evil' invades theaters

The clear force shaking up the recent box office is 'Obsession.' Directed by Curry Barker, a YouTuber born in 1999, the low-budget film was completed after just 20 days of shooting with a production budget of $750,000, or about 100 million won. But its inventive sequences and unpredictable story generated strong word of mouth, helping it post astronomical global box office revenue of $500 million, or about 69 billion won. In South Korea, it has drawn about 741,000 viewers as of the 23rd since opening on the 2nd of this month.

That momentum is carrying directly into the fall movie season. 'Resident Evil: Night Zero,' released on the 17th, is a survival horror thriller inspired by the legendary game Biohazard, which has sold more than 200 million copies worldwide. The film depicts one harrowing night in the life of a medical courier thrown into a fight for survival without knowing why, while maximizing the distinctive suspense of director Zach Cregger, who enjoys the unwavering support of horror fans.

Palme d'Or winner Julia Ducournau returns with 'Alpha,' expanding horror's audience through everyday fears

On the 30th, Julia Ducournau, director of 'Titane,' which won the Palme d'Or at the 74th Cannes International Film Festival, will return to South Korean theaters with her new film 'Alpha.' The film offers a sharp look at the social stigma and hatred faced by a 13-year-old girl who returns with a bizarre A-shaped tattoo on her arm while suspected of having a viral infection. It is a standout work from a filmmaker known for elevating the grotesque theme of bodily transformation into artistic imagery.

Experts say the horror genre's string of hits stems from a diversification of its audience. Film critic Jung Ji-wook said, "The genre prejudice that confined horror to a particular season has been completely shattered." He added, "By carefully crafting everyday fears that could exist somewhere in the real world, the genre has moved beyond being the preserve of a small group of enthusiasts and established itself as a mainstream formula for box office success."