The Great Flood Review: An Exciting Watch Bogged Down By Unnecessary Situations

The Great Flood Review: When a catastrophic flood sweeps the planet, residents of a high-rise building scramble to get to safety as their home swiftly goes underwater.

The film has a runtime of 106 minutes.

The Great Flood Review

In this South Korean sci-fi film, Kim Da-mi’s An-na, a brilliant AI researcher and mother, finds herself struggling to stay alive with her son when a devastating and catastrophic flood threatens to destroy everything. There’s an immediate peril as the movie opens, as Seoul gets overwhelmed by unprecedented rainfall and rising waters that the residents of the An-na’s high-rise building must save themselves from.

The survival side of the story is thrilling, although nothing new, but what gives it a new twist is how An-na’s research works into the story and how she might hold the answer to this horrifying situation. First and foremost, I am a fan of disaster films, and so watching people scramble to safety with human nature taking over more often than not is an entertaining ordeal either way. The suffocating, water-filled corridors, rising pressure and desperation among the characters and general lack of safety make for an interesting watch that will entertain viewers.

The themes of the film, although a bit obvious, are ambitious regardless. The ideas surrounding survival, motherhood and existential stakes for humanity make for an engaging and oftentimes moving watch that will leave anyone quite interested. Kim Da-mi and Park Hae-soo are also great and make a good impression, leaving us to root for them throughout.

Kim Da-mi, especially, is solid as the desperate An-na, who must save humanity to save her child, but finds herself at a crossroads with such a huge responsibility on her shoulders. There are various facets to her character that I really enjoyed, and the film feels moving because of her. I think it also does a good job of portraying some real-world situations that crop up in these scenarios that other films don’t mention as much, which grounds it a bit more as well.

However, what makes this film somewhat odd and ultimately less impactful is that it struggles to balance the disaster movie with the sci-fi elements, ultimately bogging it down as a result. The explanations are not effective, and they slow down the runtime in a way that shifts focus from the tension and makes you feel uneasy. These elements create confusion instead of deepening the plot, and the conceptual leaps feel unnecessary.

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As a result, the 106-minute runtime feels like it’s holding a lot. There’s the action to be considered, and on top of that, these speculative concepts and philosophical situations feel unnecessary and overstuffed. It feels overwhelming and over the top and, most importantly, unnecessary. I think disaster movies are a fun watch without the added concepts, as they tap into our innate need to be safe and keep everyone safe. The extra challenge is just anxiety-inducing!

Final Thoughts

The Great Flood is fine, entertaining even at times. But I think it could’ve done without the sci-fi elements, as it does bog down the runtime a bit. Overall, it’s fine for a one-time watch, but it remains mostly forgettable.

What are your thoughts on The Great Flood? Let us know in the comments below!

Also Read: The Great Flood Review: An Exciting Watch Bogged Down By Unnecessary Situations