Netflix might have a deserved reputation for putting out almost never-ending amounts of content, from new shows to big-budget movies, but it perhaps doesn’t get enough praise for its productions in non-English languages.
It’s been producing more and more international content over the years, and one of its upcoming releases in this slate looks like it could be pretty stunning addition. Uprising is a Korean historic drama that looks violent and epic – and it comes from the director of Oldboy, a 2003 classic.
The film will take place in the Joseon Dynasty of Korean history, a long-running phase that saw a huge amount of development and change take place over centuries. Uprising will focus in particular on 16th-century incursions and invasions by Japan, however, through the lens of one legendary story.
It’ll chronicle the life of a slave and his master, two fighters whose impact on the conflict around them will be significant, and it looks like there will be some fascinating and action-packed sequences to enjoy. Whether or not it’s a full-on martial arts film might be something we’re better placed to judge once it’s out and streaming.
The movie also has the advantage of at least one big international name attached as a producer – famed director Park Chan-wook has at least some sort of oversight. From the trailer, though, it doesn’t look like there’s anything to worry about – it’s full of arresting imagery and interesting moments.
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People have been commenting in droves under the YouTube upload, too, with a chorus of appreciation for Korea getting into the spotlight again. One commenter said: “Looks cool. Man, Korea is single-handedly saving Netflix.” Another agreed: “Not gonna lie, this looks epic, and you know the Koreans rarely disappoint”.
Between this and the upcoming second season of Squid Game, it’s hard to argue with that, and Netflix might well be the best streaming service for fans of Korean drama, outside of some specialist platforms.
Uprising will be available to watch substantially earlier, though – it’ll hit Netflix worldwide on 11 October, so there’s only around a month to go before you can settle in for a movie night of bloody Korean history.
