bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

James Marsh

2/5 stars
Based on a hit Korean webtoon, director Kim Byung-woo’s ambitious science fiction fantasy Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy stars Ahn Hyo-seop as a reclusive loner who discovers that his favourite online novel has become a reality.
Lee Min-ho and Chae Soo-bin also appear, as do K-pop starlets Nana and Blackpink’s Jisoo, but they all take a back seat to the film’s polished, if generic, spectacle.
It is impossible to conceive that a feature film like this would exist without the success of Train to Busan and Squid Game.


Both of these international hits opened the floodgates for high-concept genre fare within South Korea’s risk-averse industry, and audiences have been inundated ever since, with their influence and aesthetic visible in every frame.
Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy begins with recently fired office worker Dok-ja (Ahn) trolling the anonymous author of his favourite online novel Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse for not ending the story to his liking.
Specifically, its hero, Jung-hyeok (Lee), is revealed to be deeply flawed – a revelation that leaves Dok-ja crestfallen and disillusioned by the saga he has loved since middle school.
Journeying home with co-worker Sang-ah (Chae), Dok-ja is astonished to receive a reply from the author, challenging him to rewrite the story’s ending.

At that moment, their train jolts to a halt, and Dok-ja realises they have been transported into the novel’s fantasy setting. Everyone must survive a series of increasingly dangerous challenges if they are to proceed to the next level.
Each scenario pits them against fantastical creatures, or occasionally each other, and winners are rewarded with coins, power-ups and even sponsorship from unseen spectators.
As the only remaining fan of the source material, Dok-ja has a prophetic advantage over other players, but his efforts to help Jung-hyeok go unappreciated.
Instead, he assembles a motley crew, including Sang-ah, guilt-stricken soldier Hyeon-seong (Shin Seung-ho), feisty fighter Hui-won (Nana), and Gil-yeong (Kwon Eun-seong), a boy who can communicate with insects.

Director Kim delivers some bombastic visuals, but struggles to conjure anything of substance. Dok-ja might have all the answers, but remains utterly unsympathetic, and following his odyssey feels like watching someone play a video game on cheat mode.
The rest of the cast are equally one-dimensional, though it must be noted that Nana effortlessly eclipses the woefully inert Jisoo, while the film’s overarching theme of “together strong” is pitifully uninspired.
For a film based on a webtoon about a world consumed by a novel that unspools like a game, Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy quickly dissolves into a vacuous torrent of derivative media “content” desperately in search of a reality to call its own.
Want more articles like this? Follow SCMP Film on Facebook


Who is Shin Hye-sun, versatile actress of K-dramas Mr. Queen and The Art of Sarah?

10 Asian movies about winning the lottery and why the jackpot is never enough

The 10 most successful Korean art-house films of all time, including The World of Love

M+ and Chanel bring John Woo movie plus other rare Asian avant-garde films to Mubi

Asian cinema: Korean films

Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy movie review – Korean fantasy is glossy but uninspired

Nana (left) as feisty fighter Hui-won and Ahn Hyo-seop as recently fired office worker Dok-ja in a still from Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy.

Ahn Hyo-seop in a still from Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy (category IIB, Korean), directed by Kim Byung-woo. Lee Min-ho and Chae Soo-bin co-star.

Lee Min-ho in a still from Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy.

Nana in a still from Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy.

Netflix movie review: Wall to Wall – homeowning is a living nightmare in Korean thriller

Kang Ha-neul as new resident Wu-song in a still from Wall to Wall. Photo: Young-uk Jeon/Netflix

Kang Ha-neul in a still from Wall to Wall, directed by Kim Tae-joon. Yeom Hye-ran so-stars. Photo: Young-uk Jeon/Netflix

Seo Hyun-woo (right) in a still from Wall to Wall. Photo: Young-uk Jeon/Netflix

Yeom Hye-ran (centre) in a still from Wall to Wall. Photo: Young-uk Jeon/Netflix

Hi-Five movie review: Korean superhero fantasy with Yoo Ah-in fails to meet its potential

Yoo Ah-in in a still from Hi-Five.

Yoo Ah-in in a still from the new movie Hi-Five (category IIA; Korean), directed by Kang Hyeong-cheol. Ra Mi-ran and Lee Jae-in co-star.

Park Jin-young in a still from Hi-Five.

Ahn Jae-hong (left) and Ra Mi-ran in a still from Hi-Five.

Holy Night: Demon Hunters movie review – Ma Dong-seok in tiring Korean action horror

Ma Dong-seok in a still from Holy Night: Demon Hunters.

Ma Dong-seok in a still from Holy Night: Demon Hunters (category IIB, Korean), directed by Lim Dae-hee. Seohyun co-stars.

(From left) Seohyun, as Sharon, Ma Dong-seok as Kang Bow and Lee David as Kim Gun in a still from Holy Night: Demon Hunters.

Ma Dong-seok (left) in a still from Holy Night: Demon Hunters.

The 10 best K-dramas of 2025 so far, from Squid Game 3 to When Life Gives You Tangerines

Lee Jung-jae as Sung Gi-hun in a still from Squid Game season 3. Photo: Noh Ju-han/Netflix

IU (front) and Park Bo-gum in a still from Netflix K-drama When Life Gives You Tangerines. Photo: Yoo Eun-mi/Netflix

Lifestyle

K-drama

K-movies

K-Pop

Entertainment

Culture

Film & TV

Featuring Ahn Hyo-seop, Lee Min-ho, Chae Soo-bin and K-pop’s Nana and Jisoo, this Korean sci-fi fantasy fails to live up to its ambitions


Featuring Ahn Hyo-seop, Lee Min-ho, Chae Soo-bin and K-pop’s Nana and Jisoo, this Korean sci-fi fantasy fails to live up to its ambitions.


Asian cinema

Film reviews

Cinema

What's hot in Korea

South Korean celebrities

Fame and celebrity

Blackpink

Science fiction

What to do in Hong Kong

An assessment or critique of a service, product or creative endeavour.  Film reviews, restaurant reviews, reviews of art exhibitions. (Eg. Crazy Rich Asians: an important film, yes, but a good one?)


Review

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Featuring Ahn Hyo-seop, Lee Min-ho, Chae Soo-bin and K-pop’s Nana and Jisoo, this Korean sci-fi fantasy fails to live up to its ambitions

Featuring Ahn Hyo-seop, Lee Min-ho, Chae Soo-bin and K-pop’s Nana and Jisoo, this Korean sci-fi fantasy fails to live up to its ambitions