Park Inje, the director behind the internationally successful Moving, hopes that the success will show South Korea that crossing genres can be successful if done right.
Moving is a South Korean TV show based on the webcomic of the same name by Kang Full. It follows teenagers who have secret superpowers and how their parents discover them, turning their lives upside down in more ways than one.
If you're interested in some great Korean movies, here are some that you can check out.
The popular show gained critical acclaim and international recognition and even scored a nomination for Best Foreign Language Series at the 2024 Critics Choice Awards. And while Moving itself already did something incredible with its twenty-episode season (in a world where it feels like we never get those anymore), it also stepped out of the box by crossing genres.
From the incredible superhero show to romance, to action to suspense, Moving had something for everyone, leading to its success. And when speaking with CinemaBlend about what he hopes the South Korean film and TV industry would learn from its global acknowledgment is that it's alright to explore "different genres" and that the show could be used as a point of "reference" for others:
So in Korea there isn't as much exploration of different genres, so I hope that Moving can be a reference in order to branch out in terms of genre in Korea.
Plenty of great South Korean movies and TV shows have taken the world by storm. We could talk about Parasite winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2020 or how one of the best shows to binge-watch on Netflix, Squid Game, became one of the biggest shows on the streaming site. It's even receiving the Squid Game Season 2 treatment.
Several other major South Korean shows have become increasingly popular worldwide, from the zombie-hit All Of Us Are Dead to the gory drama series Kingdom (which Park Inje also directed). Still, Moving is the exception – because it's one of the first popular South Korean shows to cross multiple genres, with some episodes feeling like they are their own self-contained story.
While it's great to follow a show throughout a few six-season episodes and learn the fate of one character over one serialized storyline (looking at you, Loki Season 2 finale), Moving takes a different approach. It lets the characters breathe in their stories while connecting the web of tales through an overarching plot, giving something for everyone.
Park Inje also said that the experience taught him so much a well and that it's something others can learn from, too if they're willing to cross over in different genres – something he had never done before and that he could use in future opportunities:
I don't know exactly what it will influence, but what I can say is that as a director I learned so much, especially in learning more about VFX and the CG process that I can carry over and expand my imagination in terms of the next projects that I work on.
For years and years, it has felt like we are always so focused on the next upcoming Marvel movie or the next superhero TV show, but it's time we start to focus on other shows from other countries for a change. Moving was the fresh breath of air I needed to make myself love superheroes again, somehow, after years of superhero fatigue.
While there hasn't been a Season 2 confirmed for Moving, I highly suggest checking it out, if not for the superbly talented Moving cast and the unforgettable story.
