Saagar Kote
Netflix’s ‘The Great Flood’ or ‘Daehongsu’ is the tale of Koo An Na (Kim Da-mi), an AI researcher, who finds herself in a desperate scenario. Dangerous floods hit her neighborhood, making it difficult to survive in her apartment. She crosses paths with Hee-jo (Park Hae-soo), a man who tells her that the flood will lead to the end of humanity before the day is through. He offers to rescue her, while also indicating that her survival is connected to a greater purpose. However, An Na’s beloved son Ja In (Kwon Eun-sung) is separated from his mother as the flood gets more intense.
The mother must battle through death and life scenarios to save her son before it is too late. As the reason behind Hee-jo’s interference in her life remains mysterious, the threats become increasingly difficult for An Na and Ja In. Helmed by Byung-woo Kim, the Korean disaster drama film is a layered depiction of familial bonds in existential moments. These films, similar to ‘The Great Flood,’ will be worthy additions to your watchlist, as they explore large-scale threats and survival.
10. Concrete Utopia (2023)
‘Concrete Utopia’ or ‘Konkeuriteu yutopia’ follows Yeong-tak (Lee Byung-hun), Min-sung (Park Seo-joon), and others. In the Korean disaster film, the survivors of a large-scale earthquake take refuge in Seoul’s single remaining building, Hwang Gung Apartments. However, as they prepare to settle into their new reality, an unexpected challenge arises. They find out that there are others who have survived the seismic activity and are searching for shelter.
Due to the weather patterns and the lack of resources, the survivors converge on the apartment, leading to a conflict between the residents and the outsiders. As the moral issues deepen, the situation tests the collective conscience of society. The Taehwa Um directorial, akin to ‘The Great Flood,’ is a commentary on social morality, survival, and familial bonds in apocalyptic times. The films are set in claustrophobic spaces, adding to the intensity of the situation.
9. #Alive (2020)
Directed by Il Cho, ‘#Alive’ or ‘#Saraitda’ chronicles the trials and tribulations of Oh Joon-woo (Yoo Ah-in), a video game streamer whose life changes due to a sudden Zombie outbreak. He is able to isolate himself in his apartment, as the streets are overrun by the creatures. With the threat reaching his apartment building, it becomes increasingly difficult for him to survive. When Joon-woo makes contact with neighboring girl Kim Yoo-bin (Park Shin-hye), who is also trying to survive, their destinies may depend on cooperation and instincts. The Korean action horror film, based on Johnny Martin’s film ‘Alone,’ is complementary to ‘The Great Flood’ due to its portrayal of world-ending scenarios in an apartment complex and the difficulties of survival. The visual similarities of the films connect them on a spiritual level.
8. The Calm Beyond (2020)
‘The Calm Beyond’ revolves around the life of a young woman named Asha (Kara Wang), who lives alone in her apartment, shielding herself from the outside world, which has been ravaged by a Tsunami. She remains fearful of the others, who are also looking for survival in a brutal world. When a kid named Hei Hei (Sarinna Boggs) crosses paths with Asha, the latter feels responsible for the former. As they try to save themselves from the wrath of the outsiders, they form a complex bond. The Chinese thriller drama film, directed by Joshua Wong, is a nuanced exploration of survival and loneliness in a post-apocalyptic world, which connects it to ‘The Great Flood’ and its characters.
7. Nowhere (2023)
Directed by Albert Pintó, ‘Nowhere’ is the tale of a dystopian future where Spain has become a dictatorship, which manages dwindling resources by killing children, pregnant women, and the elderly. Mia (Anna Castillo), a pregnant woman, separates from her husband as she attempts to flee the country and seek refuge in Ireland. Hiding in a small container on a cargo ship, Mia must fight for her life when a violent storm knocks the container overboard. Trapped and lost at sea, Mia gives birth and is then forced to survive to save her baby at any cost. As she goes through this tumultuous journey, the only hope she has left is her courage and will to survive. Netflix’s Spanish thriller movie, like ‘The Great Flood,’ is a haunting combination of mother-child bond, flooded living spaces, the element of danger, and the desperation to survive.
6. The End We Start From (2023)
Based on Megan Hunter’s eponymous novel, ‘The End We Start From’ is the story of an unnamed woman (Jodie Comer), who gives birth, even as floods ravage her home. She shares a close bond with her husband, R (Joel Fry). As she traverses across the UK to survive the floods, she is separated from her home and her spouse. With her newborn in her care, she must face seemingly insurmountable odds to find her way back home. Directed by Mahalia Belo, the British survival drama film, like ‘The Great Flood,’ is about a mother risking everything to save her child in harsh conditions caused by floods.
5. The Wave (2015)
‘The Wave’ or ‘Bølgen’ is a Norwegian film about a seasoned geologist named Kristian Eikjord (Kristoffer Joner) who makes a terrifying discovery. He finds out that a high-level tsunami will wreak havoc in Geiranger, Norway, where he lives with his wife, Idun Karlsen (Ane Dahl Torp), and kids Sondre (Jonas Hoff Oftebro) and Julia (Edith Haagenrud-Sande). The disaster film directed by Roar Uthaug focuses on Kristian’s desperate struggle to evacuate the local community and his own family to safety before the disaster strikes. As the moment of contact gets close, the limits of endurance are tested in unimaginable ways. The familial angle of the film, along with its brutal depiction of a water-based disaster, makes it complementary to the world of ‘The Great Flood,’ and especially to An Na’s journey.
4. The Impossible (2012)
‘The Impossible’ or ‘Lo imposible’ is the story of Henry (Ewan McGregor) and his wife Maria (Naomi Watts). The couple takes a vacation to Thailand with their kids, Lucas (Tom Holland), Thomas (Samuel Joslin), and Simon (Oaklee Pendergast) in 2004. What seems like a joyous holiday soon turns into a horrifying scenario when a tsunami strikes the resort and the larger region it is part of. The kids and parents get separated in the aftermath of the disaster, leaving them stranded in different parts of the region in Thailand.
As the government takes measures to ensure the safety of the locals and the tourists, the kids and parents must do everything in their power to find each other before time runs out. The English-language Spanish drama film, helmed by J. A. Bayona, is a haunting tale of human connection. The journey of An Na in ‘The Great Flood’ to find her child bears resemblance to Henry and Maria’s journeys in the film.
3. Greenland (2020)
Directed by Ric Roman Waugh, ‘Greenland’ centers on John Garrity (Gerard Butler) and his family, including estranged wife Allison Garrity (Morena Baccarin), and son Nathan Garrity (Roger Dale Floyd). They try to fight their way to survival when a comet heads towards the Earth. With only a few zones of safety in the world, the family comes across tragic and hopeful scenarios as they try to find shelter. As chaos and a state of lawlessness ravage people at the global level and a doomsday scenario approaches, the family’s only hope is to board a flight to a potentially safe zone elsewhere in the world. The thriller film, like ‘The Great Flood,’ explores the ideas of familial bond in trying circumstances, the inevitability of apocalypse, and the difficulty of sticking to hope.
2. 2012 (2009)
In ‘2012,’ a disaster drama film, a washed-up writer named Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) finds himself facing incredible odds when a world-ending event begins. As predicted by scientists, the Earth is struck by a series of calamities that lead to global disaster in the year 2012. With only hours left to somehow find safety, Jackson takes his wife Kate (Amanda Peet), son Noah (Liam James), and daughter Lilly (Morgan Lily) on an arduous journey across the world to survive. With several parts of the world completely submerged, only a miracle can save the rest of humanity. The Roland Emmerich directorial, through its depiction of an apocalyptic scenario, visual elements, and a family in crisis, forces a connection with ‘The Great Flood’ and its characters.
1. San Andreas (2015)
‘San Andreas,’ directed by Brad Peyton, is a disaster drama film that revolves around the aftermath of a huge earthquake in California. Raymond Gaines (Dwayne Johnson), a rescue-chopper pilot, faces a difficult scenario when he realizes that his daughter, Blake Gaines (Alexandra Daddario), is still not safe. He teams up with his former wife Emma (Carla Gugino) to traverse dangerous zones and flooded areas to save his daughter. What begins as a rescue effort soon turns into an uphill battle against the elements as nature continues to unleash fury. The idea of parents trying to save a daughter in trying times, the visual elements of flooded areas, and the element of survival play an important role in the movie, akin to ‘The Great Flood.’
Read More: The Great Flood Ending Explained
