An Underdog Korean Film Just Dethroned Disney’s $300M 'Snow White' & 'Mickey 17' in 3 Days

A Korean film has just taken the global streaming world by storm—beating out Disney’s $300 million fantasy remake Snow White and Bong Joon-ho’s much-anticipated sci-fi film Mickey 17. The surprise hit? Director Yeon Sang-ho’s latest psychological thriller, Revelations (계시록), which premiered on Netflix on March 21.

Within just three days, Revelations skyrocketed to No.1 globally in Netflix’s non-English film category, tallying over 5.7 million views (based on total watch time divided by runtime). It's the first Korean film to hit that spot since Black Knight in spring 2023.

The film is a collaboration between Yeon Sang-ho—known for Train to Busan and Hellbound—and webtoon artist Choi Gyu-seok. It follows a pastor (played by Ryu Jun-yeol) who believes every event is divine prophecy, and a detective (Shin Hyun-bin) haunted by her sister’s ghost as they chase their own truths through a tangled web of faith and delusion. The movie is based on Yeon’s own webtoon of the same name.

But the success of Revelations isn’t limited to Netflix. On the WatchaPedia HOT 10 chart (March 4th week), which tracks ratings, search traffic, and user comments across Korea’s top portals, the film ranked No. 1 in movies and No. 2 overall, beating Disney’s Snow White and Mickey 17.

Notably, Snow White—a live-action fantasy musical with a staggering ₩400 billion (~$300 million USD) budget—was released just days earlier, on March 19. Mickey 17, Bong Joon-ho’s Hollywood debut, has already drawn over 2.88 million theatergoers but couldn’t top the buzz of Revelations online.

Hollywood Collaboration

The film also boasts global prestige: Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity, Children of Men) joined the project as executive producer. In a behind-the-scenes Netflix feature, Cuarón revealed his admiration for Yeon’s work, saying,

“I first discovered Yeon Sang-ho through The King of Pigs at Cannes. Later, Train to Busan blew me away. I’ve wanted to collaborate with him ever since.”

Yeon responded with equal respect, crediting Children of Men as an influence on Train to Busan’s emotional ending. “Cuarón always brings a kind of inventiveness to his directing,” Yeon noted.

A Story of Belief, Delivered Realistically

Yeon explained that Revelations is a spiritual successor to his earlier work The Fake, but now told through a more mature lens: “Ten years later, I wanted to revisit the theme of belief—what it means to believe in something—through the perspective I have now.”

Renowned film critic Lee Dong-jin praised the film, saying: “It tackles the issue of belief without confining itself to one religion. It fits perfectly into Yeon’s cinematic universe while expanding into something deeper.”

Cuarón echoed the praise, highlighting the film’s genre-blending power: “It’s a gripping psychological thriller that dives deep into layered themes.”

Unlike his previous effects-heavy projects, Yeon said he deliberately minimized CGI in Revelations to create a more grounded, realistic atmosphere—and audiences are clearly responding.

With high praise, record-breaking streams, and a global conversation building, Revelations may just be Korea’s next global cult hit.