# Uprising (2024 film)
**Uprising** (전,란) is a 2024 South Korean action war film directed by Kim Sang-man, set during the [Imjin War](https://www.edgepedia.org/imjin-war) of 1592 to 1598 and telling the story of two childhood friends, a slave and his master, who become enemies on opposite sides of the conflict.[1](https://www.filmmakers.co.kr/movies/en/20244536) • [2](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/uprising-ending-explained) It was written by Shin Chul and [Park Chan-wook](https://www.edgepedia.org/park-chan-wook), who also produced, and released worldwide on Netflix on October 11, 2024.[3](https://about.netflix.com/ko/news/uprising-teaser-trailer-and-poster) • [4](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81672158)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original title | 전,란 (Uprising)[3](https://about.netflix.com/ko/news/uprising-teaser-trailer-and-poster) |
| Director | Kim Sang-man, whose earlier features include Girl Scout (2008), Midnight FM (2010), and The Tenor – Lirico Spinto (2014)[5](https://www.biff.kr/pop/20240912/Ticket-Catalogue-Ver-1.pdf) |
| Writers / producer | Shin Chul and Park Chan-wook (screenplay); Park Chan-wook also produced[3](https://about.netflix.com/ko/news/uprising-teaser-trailer-and-poster) |
| Production companies | Moho Film and Semicolon Studio; Netflix distribution[3](https://about.netflix.com/ko/news/uprising-teaser-trailer-and-poster) |
| Running time / release | 126 minutes; Netflix, October 11, 2024[6](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?category=ALL&mode=INDEX_FILMS_LIST&movieCd=20244536&pageIndex=1&pageRowSize=10&peopleCd=&s_genre=ALL&searchKeyword=Uprising&searchType=ALL&strMenuId=010401&userId=) • [4](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81672158) |
| Festival debut | Opening film of the 29th Busan International Film Festival, October 2, 2024, the first streaming title to open the festival[7](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20241003002100315) |
| Critical reception | 80% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer from 10 reviews[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/uprising) |
| Awards | Blue Dragon Awards: 1 win and 5 nominations[9](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/uprising-2024/) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and characters
The film follows Cheon-yeong (Gang Dong-won), a man born into slavery (노비) who struggles all his life to escape servitude, and Lee Jong-ryeo (Park Jeong-min), the only son of Joseon's most prestigious military family, who shares a friendship with him.[4](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81672158) When Cheon-yeong passes the military qualifying exam on Jong-ryeo's behalf, Jong-ryeo tries to persuade his father to free him in return, fails, and deeply enrages him.[4](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81672158)
When Japan invades Korea in 1592, Cheon-yeong runs away and joins the righteous army, a civilian militia, while Jong-ryeo mistakenly believes Cheon-yeong killed his family during their escape and swears revenge.[2](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/uprising-ending-explained) • [4](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81672158) After seven years of war, Cheon-yeong has risen to the top of the righteous army, and Jong-ryeo returns to the capital, Hanyang, seeking revenge; the two men, one siding with the people and the other with royalty, face each other with swords.[4](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81672158)
The supporting cast includes [Cha Seung-won](https://www.edgepedia.org/cha-seung-won) as King Seonjo, Kim Shin-rock as the loyal militia member Beom-dong, Jin Sun-kyu as the general Kim Ja-ryeong, and Jung Sung-il as the Japanese commander Genshin.[10](https://cine21.com/movie/info/?movie_id=62265) • [11](https://time.com/7085789/uprising-true-story-netflix/)
## Historical setting
The characters are mostly fictional, with the historical exception of King Seonjo, but the backdrop is real: Japan invaded Korea in 1592, beginning the Imjin War, a destructive conflict that lasted, on and off, until 1598.[2](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/uprising-ending-explained) The film opens with King Seonjo fleeing the capital ahead of the advancing Japanese army while the palace burns with his people's fury.[4](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81672158)
Although the Japanese invaders are antagonists, the film treats King Seonjo and the hereditary caste system he represents as the primary antagonist.[11](https://time.com/7085789/uprising-true-story-netflix/) Nam-lin Hur, a professor of premodern Japanese history and Joseon Korea at the [University of British Columbia](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-british-columbia), notes that the Imjin War still shapes how Korean people perceive themselves and Japan.[11](https://time.com/7085789/uprising-true-story-netflix/) The war's scale was enormous: some estimates put Joseon casualties and civilian abductions at 2 million people, about 20 percent of the population.[11](https://time.com/7085789/uprising-true-story-netflix/)
## Themes and style
**Class and slavery.** Yonhap's review calls Uprising one of the most compelling Korean films on slavery, portraying the absurdity of a system that reduces human beings to disposable objects stripped of dignity and rights.[7](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20241003002100315) The Busan festival's selection notes describe the film as a celebration of resistance against a privileged and oppressive elite, with rulers ignoring the people's plight while corrupt courtiers fold surrendered enemy soldiers into private armies.[12](https://www.biff.kr/eng/artyboard/mboard.asp?Action=view&intSeq=95900&strBoardID=9611_24)
**Park Chan-wook's imprint.** Critics identify Park's trademark extreme violence, noirish brotherhood and betrayal, swirling music in 3/4 time, and jet-black humor, including scenes of noblemen holding lavish feasts amid post-war poverty while commoners starved.[7](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20241003002100315) • [12](https://www.biff.kr/eng/artyboard/mboard.asp?Action=view&intSeq=95900&strBoardID=9611_24) Director Kim Sang-man also incorporates pansori, the traditional Korean musical storytelling art, alongside the action.[7](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20241003002100315)
Gang Dong-won described the film to Netflix Tudum as a genre film offering gratification through relentless, exhilarating action scenes and a clear storyline, and also a period film conveying profound messages and themes.[2](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/uprising-ending-explained) The ending centers on crates of salted noses, a grotesque image the Tudum feature discusses with the filmmakers.[2](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/uprising-ending-explained)
## Reception
Uprising premiered as the opening film of the 29th Busan International Film Festival on October 2, 2024, the first time a streaming title kicked off the event.[7](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20241003002100315) It holds an 80 percent Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes from 10 reviews, with an 80 percent audience score from more than 100 ratings.[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/uprising) At the Blue Dragon Awards it received 1 win and 5 nominations, and at the Chunsa Film Art Awards 1 win and 1 nomination.[9](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/uprising-2024/) Reviewers were divided on focus: IndieWire's [David Ehrlich](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-ehrlich) gave it a B-, writing that director Kim can only dismember so many body parts before losing track of the movie's spine, while Kate Sánchez of But Why Tho? scored it 8/10, saying it stands out within the sageuk (historical drama) genre.[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/uprising)
## References
1. [Uprising (2024) - Korean Film - Filmmakers](https://www.filmmakers.co.kr/movies/en/20244536)
2. [Uprising Ending Explained: Who Wins the Final Sword Fight?, Netflix Tudum](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/uprising-ending-explained)
3. [〈전,란〉 티저 포스터 & 예고편 공개, About Netflix](https://about.netflix.com/ko/news/uprising-teaser-trailer-and-poster)
4. [Uprising, Netflix Media Center](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81672158)
5. [Opening Film · 개막작, Busan International Film Festival ticket catalogue (2024)](https://www.biff.kr/pop/20240912/Ticket-Catalogue-Ver-1.pdf)
6. [Uprising (2024), Korean Film Archive (KOFAC) database](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?category=ALL&mode=INDEX_FILMS_LIST&movieCd=20244536&pageIndex=1&pageRowSize=10&peopleCd=&s_genre=ALL&searchKeyword=Uprising&searchType=ALL&strMenuId=010401&userId=)
7. [(Movie Review) 'Uprising': gripping tale of brotherhood meeting brutality of broken system, Yonhap News Agency](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20241003002100315)
8. [Uprising, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/uprising)
9. [Uprising Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/uprising-2024/)
10. [전,란 (Uprising) 상세정보, 씨네21](https://cine21.com/movie/info/?movie_id=62265)
11. [The Real History Behind Netflix's Korean War Epic Uprising, TIME](https://time.com/7085789/uprising-true-story-netflix/)
12. [Selection Review: Uprising, Busan International Film Festival](https://www.biff.kr/eng/artyboard/mboard.asp?Action=view&intSeq=95900&strBoardID=9611_24)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › War and historical films (individual works) › War action and adventure › War action films released since 2000 › Released 2017 to 2026*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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