| Monstrum | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Hangul | 물괴 |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Mulgoe |
| Directed by | Heo Jong-ho |
| Written by | Heo Jong-ho Heo Dam |
| Produced by | Yang Chang-hoon |
| Starring | Kim Myung-min Kim In-kwon Lee Hye-ri Choi Woo-shik |
| Cinematography | Kim Dong-young |
| Edited by | Shin Min-kyung Jang Rae-won |
| Music by | Mowg |
Production companies | Kidari Ent Taewon Entertainment Finecut |
| Distributed by | Lotte Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Box office | US$5.5 million[1] |
Monstrum (Korean: 물괴) is a 2018 South Koreanperiodaction horror film directed by Heo Jong-ho. It starsKim Myung-min,Kim In-kwon,Lee Hye-ri andChoi Woo-shik.[2][3][4] The film was released on September 12, 2018.[5][6] It was chosen to compete in theSitges International Fantastic Film Festival,[7] screening there on 13 October.[8]
Set in 1527 duringKing Jungjong's reign where plague is spreading in Joseon and rumors are rife that a mysterious vicious creature called "Monstrum" is roaming around the country.
Principal photography began on April 10, 2017.[10] Production ended inYangpyeong County ofGyeonggi Province on July 21, 2017. Filming took place in various locations such asPaju,Yangju,Gwangju City andSouth Gyeongsang Province.[11]
The film was released domestically on September 12, 2018, on 1,183 screens. The film receivedage 15-rating for violence, bloody images, and some frightening sequences.[12] The film was set to be released inVOD service anddigital download on October 8, 2018.[13]
Shim Sun-ah fromYonhap News Agency gave a mixed review and wrote, "Monstrum is the first creature action movie set in the Joseon era and has a suspenseful and entertaining premise, but it is ruined by a predictable plot. One highlight of this film is the design of the monster and splashy special effects. On another positive note, the movie constantly arouses the curiosity of viewers regarding the identity of the strange monster recorded in history, the secret behind the creature and, most importantly, whether the creature's existence is true or not."[14]
At the 2018 Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, the film won the Panorama Fantàstic Audience Award.[15][16]
The film finished first place on its opening day, attracting 105,255 moviegoers withUS$750,819 gross, placingSearching and new releaseThe Predator on the second and third place respectively. The film continued to top the box office on its second day of release.[17] However, the film dropped to second place during the weekend, tailingSearching on the lead by attracted 421,479 moviegoers withUS$3.3 million gross.[18]
As of October 4, 2018, the film earnedUS$5.5 million from 720,721 total attendance.[1]