Netflix’s New Disaster Film ‘The Great Flood’: A World Sinking Beneath Water

The world drowns in silence. One day, everything is there. Next, Earth is covered in water. Cities sink. Lives scatter. The last hope rests inside an apartment building going down fast.

Among the survivors are An Na, an AI researcher, and Hee Jo, a member of a human resource security team. Their struggle begins not just against nature, but against hidden forces that twist the disaster into something larger.

An Na fights to survive while trapped between collapsing walls and rising water. She is brilliant in her field, but her intelligence cannot control the flood swallowing her world.

Hee Jo pushes himself to keep her alive. He is not just saving a stranger. He has reasons. But what those reasons are, and who ordered him to act, remain questions left hanging in the shadows.

This is the heart of The Great Flood, a South Korean sci-fi disaster film set to release on Netflix on December 19, 2025. Directed by Kim Byung Woo, the film stars Kim Da Mi as An Na and Park Hae Soo as Hee Jo.

It was first shown at the Busan International Film Festival in September, under the “Korean Cinema Today – Special Premiere” section, where it drew attention long before its global release.

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A Disaster That Looks Too Real

Disaster films are not new, but this one feels different. The setting is not distant or abstract. It takes place in something familiar—an apartment building.

People live there. Families share walls there. The same place that once meant safety becomes the final battleground against nature.

The teaser poster shows this sharply. A high-rise apartment lies completely underwater. It looks almost like a sunken ruin, with faint light breaking through the surface. At the center, an adult and a child hold each other tightly.

No faces are clear, only outlines. The image is haunting. It raises questions. Who are they? Why are they still holding on when the building itself is collapsing?

The tagline, “The only choice for humanity on the day the world ends,” adds another layer. It suggests decisions that go beyond survival, it suggests sacrifice. It forces the audience to think about what a person might do when no choices remain.

Director Kim Byung Woo is no stranger to high-stakes storytelling. His past works, The Terror Live (2013) and PMC: The Bunker (2018), both placed characters in impossible situations.

He often explores not just the disaster itself, but the psychology of those trapped in it. In interviews, he explained that The Great Flood does not end with destruction. Instead, it begins with it. The disaster becomes a stage where deeper stories unfold.

This approach makes the film stand out. It is not just water crushing buildings. It is about hidden motives, unspoken loyalties, and desperate human bonds. Why is Hee Jo so determined to save An Na?

Is he following orders, or is there more between them? And who holds the power behind this survival attempt? The movie teases mystery beneath the surface, much like the flood itself.

The cast adds weight. Kim Da Mi is known for strong, layered performances. She brings intelligence and fragility together in An Na.

Park Hae Soo, remembered for roles in Squid Game and Narco-Saints, gives Hee Jo a mixture of toughness and vulnerability. Together, they create a dynamic that feels tense yet deeply human.

Ending

The release date is clear: December 19, 2025. The runtime is 1 hour and 46 minutes, short enough to stay tight, but long enough to develop tension. Its 15+ rating signals heavy themes and intense sequences, though not extreme gore.

The genre mix of action, adventure, sci-fi, and drama widens its pull. It is not just about spectacle. It is about choices, trust, and the thin line between saving and sacrificing.

Skepticism remains. Disaster films often lean on visuals but forget depth. The question here is whether The Great Flood avoids that trap. The early poster and statements hint at something layered, but nothing is certain until release.

Some viewers may expect pure spectacle and be surprised by a slower, more psychological pace. Others may crave action but instead get themes of loyalty and betrayal.

Still, the premise holds weight. A flood covering the planet is extreme, but the idea of an apartment building sinking is painfully close to reality. It feels like a nightmare that could happen. And that makes the film more unsettling.

The unanswered mystery of Hee Jo’s mission keeps the story alive beyond the water. Why is An Na so important? What role does her AI background play? The trailer has yet to reveal those answers. The secrecy is part of the hook.

What to Watch If You’re Excited for The Great Flood:

• Similar Vibe (Korean): Tidal Wave (2009) – For a different take on the Korean disaster film.

• Similar Vibe (International): Greenland (2020) – Focuses on the human struggle during an apocalyptic event.

• From the Director: The Terror Live (2013) – A masterclass in confined-space tension.

• Star Power: Watch Kim Da Mi in Itaewon Class or Park Hae Soo in Squid Game to appreciate their range before this film.

In the end, The Great Flood is not just about a disaster. It is about two people forced together when everything collapses. Their survival is not just about beating water.

It is about uncovering hidden truths and facing choices they cannot avoid. Whether they succeed or fail may not matter as much as what they reveal about humanity when the world finally drowns.

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