8 Low-budget but Successful Korean Films with Multiple Profits, Some Make Box Office History

Kapanlagi.com - There are many Korean films that are currently successful internationally. Some have extraordinary budgets, but there are also low-budget Korean films that are successful with multiple profits.

In fact, these low-budget Korean films prove that expensive production costs are not necessary if they can provide a good and entertaining storyline.

What are these films? Here is a list of low-budget but successful Korean films with multiple profits, some even make box office history.

1. THE HANDMAIDEN (2016) - 136 Billion

Drama The Handmaiden (credit: imdb.com)

Low-budget but successful Korean film titled THE HANDMAIDEN. Yes, this film that can only be watched by viewers aged 18 and above turns out to be one of the successful and highly watched Korean films. It is known that this film had a budget of around 8.8 million dollars or about 136 billion rupiah and managed to earn a profit of 588 billion rupiah.

This film tells the story of a wealthy woman who has many household assistants. One day, a female thief infiltrates the wealthy woman's house as one of the household assistants. The female thief collaborates with a man in an attempt to seize the wealthy family's fortune. However, it turns out that their plan is disrupted by a romantic relationship between the thief and her female employer.

2. DONGJU: THE PORTRAIT OF A POET (2016) - 38 Billion

Drama Dongju: The Portrait of A Poet (credit: imdb.com)

Low-budget Korean film but successful, the second one is titled DONGJU: THE PORTRAIT OF A POET. This film, which focuses on the epic history of a Korean writer during the colonial era, managed to achieve incredible profits, KLovers. It is known that this film had a production budget of only 2.5 million dollars or about 38 billion Indonesian rupiah.

However, this film, which won the main award at the 52nd Baeksang Awards, managed to earn profits of 7.7 million dollars or about 119 billion Indonesian rupiah. This film tells the story of Yun Dong Ju, a Korean poet who lived during the Japanese occupation of Korea, and it portrays his dedication to preserving Korean culture and identity through his artistic works.

3. TRAIN TO BUSAN (2016) - 131 Billion

Drama Train to Busan (credit: imdb.com)

Who would have thought, a film like TRAIN TO BUSAN had a relatively small production budget, KLovers. Yes, it can be said that this film only spent a budget of 8.5 million dollars or about 131 billion. And managed to earn a profit of 98.5 million dollars or about 1.5 trillion rupiah.

In fact, this film directed by Yeon Sang-Ho managed to attract 10 million viewers in 2016. And has been screened in 156 countries. It's no wonder that the film TRAIN TO BUSAN became the first Box Office film in South Korea to break the record for the highest number of viewers in history.

The focus of the film is on a father and his daughter who are on a train to Busan. At that time, there was a passenger who was injured. It turns out that the passenger has been infected with a zombie virus. One by one, the passengers become infected. Until the uninfected people have to fight to save their lives.

4. MIDNIGHT RUNNERS (2017) - 108 Billion

Drama Midnight Runners (credit: imdb.com)

Film MIDNIGHT RUNNERS is also one of the low-budget but successful Korean films. Yes, this comedy film only spent a budget of 7 million dollars or around 108 billion rupiah. And it managed to earn a profit of 39.7 million dollars or around 615 billion rupiah.

This film tells the story of Park Ki Joon and Kang Hee Yeol who are undergoing education at the Police University. They are also faced with a kidnapping case as new police officers. Both of them try to solve the case in a funny and entertaining way because they don't have much experience. And it's a shame if you miss it.

5. A TAXI DRIVER (2017) - 213 Billion

Drama A Taxi Driver (credit: imdb.com)

Low-budget but successful Korean film titled A TAXI DRIVER. This film, which is based on a true story during the crisis in Gwangju, Korea in 1980, turned out to have a small budget. Yes, it is known that this film only had an initial budget of 13.8 million dollars or around 213 billion rupiah.

However, this film managed to make an extraordinary profit of 88.7 million dollars or around 1.3 trillion rupiah. This film tells the story of a brave taxi driver who takes risks to escort a journalist from Germany who will cover the dark events. The taxi driver's journey and the journalist's journey are certainly not easy, various dangers threaten their safety.

6. CONFIDENTIAL ASSIGNMENT (2017) - 131 Billion

Drama Confidential Assignment (credit: imdb.com)

Then there is the film CONFIDENTIAL ASSIGNMENT which is also a low-budget Korean film but succeeded afterwards. This action film has a production cost of 8.5 million dollars or about 131 billion rupiah. And managed to earn a profit of 57 million dollars or about 883 billion rupiah.

This film tells the story of a North Korean detective, Im Chul Ryung, and his team, Chul Ryung, who chase a counterfeiter fugitive to South Korea. And for the first time, this case requires the North Korean and South Korean police to cooperate in order to facilitate Chul Ryung's investigation and also monitor his movements while he is in their country.

7. GONJIAM: HAUNTED ASYLUM (2018) - 108 Billion

Drama Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (credit: imdb.com)

Those of you who like horror movies, surely know about this one. And the movie GONJIAM: HAUNTED ASYLUM is one of the low-budget Korean movies that succeeded. This film has a budget of 2.2 million dollars or around 108 billion rupiahs. And managed to earn a profit of 21 million dollars or around 325 billion rupiahs.

As the title suggests, this film is set in the background of the Gonjiam mental hospital in South Korea. The mental hospital is famous for its spookiness and has been closed since 1996. And it has become one of the legendary haunted hospitals in South Korea.

It is told that a group of YouTubers challenged themselves to explore the place. At first, they were fine when they first set foot in the area around the hospital. But as the night went on and they went further inside, many bad things happened to them.

8. EXTREME JOB (2019) - 8.9 Billion

Drama Extreme Job (credit: imdb.com)

Low-budget but successful Korean film titled EXTREME JOB. This film is known to have an initial budget of 5.8 million dollars or around 8.9 billion rupiah. And it managed to earn a profit of 81.6 million dollars or around 1.2 trillion rupiah.

The film itself tells the story of five detectives who handle a drug case, until they are forced to disguise themselves as chicken restaurant employees. Things change when the detectives' chicken recipe suddenly transforms the rundown restaurant into the most popular restaurant in Seoul, Korea.

That's the list of low-budget but successful Korean films that KLovers can watch. Moreover, the stories in these films are very good and it's a shame if you miss them.

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