Parents' Guide to The Great Flood

Where this disaster movie goes from its premise will likely lose a few people, but those who stick around will be rewarded with a satisfying adventure. Crucially, the primary mysteries of The Great Flood are thankfully revealed by its end. The performances by fan favorites Kim Da-mi and Park Hae-soo are strong, as is the standout performance by Kwon Eun-sung, who plays 5-year-old Ja-in. Indeed, Kim's An-na is the heart of this story, and her performance requires a lot of turmoil, inner struggle, and guilt. If Kim isn't convincing in this role, this film arguably doesn't work.

The movie also never tries to explain what's going on, either the reasons or the solutions, but it clearly doesn't feel the need to. Again, at its heart is a story about a mother and the lengths she will go to find her child. While not overtly a social commentary nor a film with religious connotations, the themes of mothers and child abandonment clearly speak to national and cultural contexts regarding how Koreans view the "national shame" of historically "giving up their children" to international adoption institutions after the Korean war. Certainly not overt, themes of abandonment and what it means to be a mother are still heavily accentuated. And while the ending may leave some viewers a bit unsatisfied, the journey getting there will still be worthwhile.