Troll Factory (댓글부대)
Troll Factory (댓글부대, Daetgeulboodae, literally "Comment Army") is a 2024 South Korean crime drama film directed by Ahn Gooc-jin, in which a suspended journalist investigates an online operation that manufactures public opinion for pay. It is based on the 2015 novel Daetgeulboodae by Jang Kang-myeong and was released in South Korea on March 27, 2024.1 • 2
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Korean title | 댓글부대 (Daetgeulboodae); English title Troll Factory, also known as Comment Army or Troll Farm2 • 3 |
| Director and writer | Ahn Gooc-jin, screenplay by Ahn Gooc-jin from Jang Kang-myeong's novel1 |
| Release | March 27, 2024, South Korea; 109 minutes; rated 151 |
| Genre | Crime, drama1 |
| Main cast | Son Suk-ku (Im Sang-jin), Kim Sung-cheol (Jjingbboekking), Kim Dong-hwi (Chattatkat), Hong Kyung (Paebtaek)2 |
| Box office | 973,035 admissions on 1,228 screens; total gross about $6.66 million1 |
| Distributor | Acemaker Movie Works2 |
Spoilers
Plot
Im Sang-jin (Son Suk-ku) is a capable but blustering society-desk reporter who investigates corruption at the large corporation Manjeon, only to have his article declared a false report; he is suspended from the newspaper.4 One day an anonymous informant appears and tells him that the article was not a misreport at all: it was a method created by a comment unit, or troll farm, called Team Aleph, whose members claim that for enough money they can turn truth into falsehood and falsehood into truth.4
The three members of Team Aleph are Jjingbboekking (Kim Sung-cheol), the unofficial leader and sharp-witted mastermind of the opinion manipulation; Chattatkat (Kim Dong-hwi), the writer of the fabricated stories, who is also the anonymous informant; and Paebtaek (Hong Kyung), a keyboard warrior drawn deeper into online manipulation as he witnesses its power.2 • 5
Sang-jin sees the informant's confession as a chance at redemption and writes an article about the operation, which becomes a front-page headline. The activities described include viral advertisements for a tobacco company, fake news for movie promotions, and driving an innocent person to suicide. When the informant then goes into hiding, Sang-jin is left in a precarious position, and the film asks what the real truth behind the manipulation activities is.1 In the film, the manipulation team alters personal social media posts, community comments, and responses to articles, and its work is shown to endanger lives and even overturn proposed legislation.6
Source novel and production
The film adapts the novel Daetgeulboodae by Jang Kang-myeong, published on November 30, 2015 by the publisher Eunhaengnamu.2 Filming began on March 6, 2023.2 Director Ahn Gooc-jin wrote the screenplay and said he spent extensive time researching online opinion manipulation, including face-to-face interviews, to build the story.6 The production company was Yeonghwajeok Sungan (영화적순간), with Seo Yeon as producer and Acemaker Movie Works as distributor and investor alongside KC Ventures.7
The opening of the film states that it is based on true events, with company and personal names changed to avoid possible lawsuits.8
Release and reception
The film opened in South Korean theaters on March 27, 2024 and drew 973,035 admissions on 1,228 screens, with a total gross of about $6.66 million.1 Korean Film Council year-end data for 2024 lists it with 67,720 attendance in one recorded week and cumulative revenue of 9,240,359,711 won.9 It was invited to the Frankfurt Korean Film Festival in 2024.1
On the review aggregate Cine21, four critics gave it an average of 6.50, with individual scores of 7, 5, 7, and 7, while registered users averaged 7.67.7 Reviewers noted that a story drawn from a 2015 novel about paid commenters had remained current at the time of release.2 The film later became available on streaming services including Apple TV, Viki, Prime Video, Tubi, and Kocowa.3
References
- Troll Factory (2024), Korean Film Council (KOFIC) film database
- Troll Factory, AsianWiki
- Troll Factory (2024), KoreanDrama.org
- 댓글부대 (Troll Factory), KoreaFilm.co.kr
- Son Suk Ku Becomes Entangled With Kim Sung Cheol, Kim Dong Hwi, And Hong Kyung In "Troll Factory", Soompi
- "Troll Factory" Starring Son Seok-gu Takes Box Office by Storm, K-en News
- 댓글부대 (Troll Factory) 상세정보, Cine21
- Troll Factory (South Korea, 2023) – Review, AsianMovieWeb
- KOFIC 2024 Korean film industry data (Korean Film Council research report)
Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Crime, thriller, and mystery films (individual works) › 2023–2024 films
Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026
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