The Great Flood begins with the promise of a large-scale disaster, but this review reveals how it quickly transforms into a far more complex Netflix sci-fi experiment about AI, simulation, and motherhood.
Netflix’s The Great Flood, released on December 19, arrived with considerable anticipation.
Directed by Kim Byung-woo and starring Kim Da-mi and Park Hae-soo, the film promised a large-scale disaster spectacle backed by strong performances.
I had the chance to watch the film earlier at the Busan International Film Festival. During the GV session, director Kim jokingly remarked that the version screened felt like “TheGreatFlood_final_final_final_final.mp4.”
That comment turned out to be strangely accurate: technically polished, visually impressive — yet narratively unresolved.
A Disaster Film in Form, but Not in Spirit
At first glance, the premise is straightforward.
A planet-level catastrophe unfolds as torrential rain submerges cities. Anna (Kim Da-mi), trapped in a high-rise apartment with her son, must fight her way to the rooftop to survive. A government security agent, Hee-jo (Park Hae-soo), is sent to protect her at all costs.
This setup closely resembles familiar disaster-movie formulas.
However, The Great Flood deliberately abandons that path early on.
Rather than escalating tension through survival mechanics, the film pivots toward simulation theory, artificial intelligence, and the reconstruction of humanity. The flood becomes less a threat and more a conceptual backdrop.
Repetition, Confusion — and the Simulation Reveal
As the film progresses, certain moments feel deliberately unsettling:
- A mother leaving her child behind to board a helicopter
- Odd pauses in life-or-death situations
- Security forces appearing to obstruct survival rather than enable it
These moments only begin to make sense near the end.
The core revelation is this: the flood is a simulation.
- The disaster scenario is an AI-driven simulation
- The objective is to complete an Emotion Engine capable of replicating human maternal instinct
- The son, Jae-in, is already a fully developed AI
- Anna herself is an unfinished emotional model, learning what it truly means to be a mother
The numbers printed on Anna’s clothing mark each simulation cycle.
Only after thousands of iterations does she finally choose her child over escape — the condition required for the experiment to succeed.
“Why Kim Da-mi as a Mother?” — The Film’s Answer
One of the most common reactions before release was skepticism toward Kim Da-mi’s casting as a mother.
Early scenes reinforce that doubt. Anna appears emotionally detached, awkward, even ill-suited to motherhood.
Yet this discomfort is intentional.
Anna is not meant to represent an experienced mother.
She is becoming one.
Her failures, hesitations, and emotional gaps are all part of the learning process. In that sense, Kim Da-mi’s casting is not a misstep, but a thematic necessity.
Kim Byung-woo’s Craft — and the Cost of Ambition
Kim Byung-woo is known for confined spaces, handheld camerawork, and psychological pressure.
The Great Flood continues this tradition with aggressive POV shots and claustrophobic framing.
However, here the style often creates fatigue rather than immersion.
The spectacle expected from a disaster film is intentionally restrained, replaced by conceptual exposition.
As a result, the film exists in an uncomfortable middle ground:
- Too restrained to satisfy disaster-movie expectations
- Too under-explained to fully function as hard sci-fi
- Too emotionally thin to work as a character drama
Is The Great Flood a Failure?
Not exactly — but it is undeniably divisive.
Viewers expecting a conventional survival thriller will likely be disappointed.
Those open to speculative sci-fi may appreciate its ambition, even if execution falls short.
Perhaps the most accurate summary is this:
“It feels like I watched something important — but I’m not entirely sure what it was.”
The film deserves credit for resisting Netflix’s usual preference for accessibility.
Still, ambition alone cannot replace clarity.
Film Information
- Title: The Great Flood
- Director: Kim Byung-woo
- Cast: Kim Da-mi, Park Hae-soo
- Genre: Sci-Fi, Disaster, Thriller
- Runtime: 108 minutes
- Rating: 15+
- Release Date: December 19, 2025
- Platform: Netflix
Final Verdict
The Great Flood review ultimately shows how this Netflix disaster movie shifts into a dark sci-fi story driven by simulation, AI emotion engines, and an unsettling ending.
A film that uses disaster as a testing ground for emotion and humanity —
rich in ideas, but ultimately distant in feeling.
OFFICIAL STREAMING & VERIFIED RESOURCES
Netflix — The Great Flood Official Page
https://www.netflix.com/
Kim Da-mi (김다미) — Official Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/d_a___m_i/
Park Hae-soo (박해수) — Official Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/haesoopark_official/
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