[Screen PICK] What to Watch During the Golden Holiday? ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2,’ ‘Mario,’ and ‘Salmokji’

The cinema scene ahead of the May golden holiday is heating up with a competition between new releases across various genres. From office dramas and family animations to horror thrillers, works of different colors are waiting for audiences, showing a clear trend of “taste diversification.”

‘Super Mario Galaxy,’ targeting family audiences, has also emerged as a powerful box office contender. It took the lead by ranking first at the box office on May 1, the first day of the golden holiday. Based on a popular game intellectual property (IP), this work emphasizes entertainment that people of all ages can enjoy, featuring familiar characters, fast-paced development, and spectacular visuals. It is expected to be chosen by family audiences, especially coinciding with the holiday season including Children’s Day.

The Korean horror film ‘Salmokji’ is continuing its long-term success based on word of mouth. It maximizes tension and increases audience immersion through mysterious events taking place in a confined space set against a reservoir. It is also notable that it has been showing a “reverse run” trend, recording a steady influx of viewers since its release. The film stars Kim Hye-yoon, Lee Jong-won, Kim Jun-han, Kim Young-sung, Oh Dong-min, Yoon Jae-chan, and Jang Da-ah.

As such, these three works of different genres are forming a competitive structure in theaters by targeting different audience segments. As the options have diversified from light entertainment to realistic relatable dramas and high-intensity horror, it is expected that the theaters this holiday will see a pattern of distributed viewing according to audience tastes.