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New Normal

Name: New Normal
Director: Jung Bum-shik
Released: 2023
Duration: 111 min

Representation Score

5.3/10

Fair

2023

Director

Jung Bum-shik

Runtime

111 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

New Normal utilizes the horror and thriller genres to explore the breakdown of societal norms. By focusing on the 'identity of fears' within everyday life, the film examines how ability to act is renegotiated when the status quo is dismantled. The narrative structure emphasizes the fragility of common spaces and the shifting power dynamics that emerge when traditional structures fail. It serves as a speculative study of human behavior during unprecedented global chaos. While the film offers a sophisticated look at societal fractures, it remains grounded in a localized South Korean cultural framework. The exploration of identity is closely tied to the systemic upheaval of the setting.

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Category Breakdown

Does New Normal have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not explicitly confirm any queer identities or romantic relationships. However, the focus on shifting identities during societal collapse suggests a space where traditional assumptions about relationships might be disrupted.

How does New Normal portray gender?

Fair

With prominent female leads like Choi Ji-woo, the film gives a significant role in driving the story to women. This framework allows for the subversion of traditional gender roles amidst systemic instability.

How racially and ethnically diverse is New Normal?

Fair

As a South Korean production set in Seoul, the film offers a culturally specific lens. While the cast is predominantly Korean, the narrative explores human behavior on a global scale.

How does New Normal represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative critiques the stability of modern civilization by depicting the collapse of established institutions. It favors a fluid, situational morality as the old world gives way to chaos.

Does New Normal include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no specific evidence regarding the inclusion or portrayal of characters with physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Present on Screen

Gives a significant role in driving the story to female characters through prominent casting.
Explores the deconstruction of traditional social hierarchies and stability.
Offers a sophisticated look at how identity shifts during systemic collapse.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth characters.
Provides no visible evidence of characters with physical or neurodivergent disabilities.
Operates within a predominantly Korean cast and localized cultural framework.

Official Synopsis

New Normal is a captured record of 4 days in Seoul, 2022, which is a time of chaos that all the mankind never have been experienced before in entire human history. It depicts the unexpected risks and identity of fears that are hidden in everyday life and common space.

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