In recent years, South Korean cinema has rapidly evolved, producing high-quality films like Parasite, Spring in Seoul, and New World.
However, several highly anticipated films since 2023–2024 underperformed financially. For example, the 2023 sci-fi epic Moon (budget: ¥150 million CNY) drew only 500,000 viewers, and in 2024, Harbin starring Hyun Bin (also a ¥150 million CNY production) attracted just 4.7 million viewers.
Because of this, “reviving the box office” is the motto for South Korean cinema in 2025. One key strategy is expanding the genre palette.
This August, a rom-com will hit theaters: Demons Moved In (literal translation), starring Lee Sang-geun and Im Yoon-ah.
What to Expect from Demons Moved In
01. A Double-Faced Female Lead — Romantic Comedy with Absurd Twists
Though it follows the traditional rom-com formula, this film injects fresh, innovative plot devices.
Male lead: Recently laid off and at home with days passing by in monotony. Then a pure-appearing girl moves into the apartment downstairs, and he falls for her at first sight.
Next morning: He encounters two different versions of her in the elevator — one serene and gentle, the other… terrifying.
Two conflicting identities appear to coexist in one body.
The male lead, curious and frightened, learns from neighbors that the female lead’s family carries a remarkable secret:
They have dual personas — one during the day, and another after midnight.
By night, she becomes a demon; by day, she is sweet and quiet.