Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- propulsive
- tense
- urgent
- action movie night
- disaster film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an entertaining Korean disaster spectacle with strong performances and effects, though its ambitious genre blend is uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
South and North Korean professionals must work together against the volcanic threat.
The eruption, earthquakes, collapsing environments, and threatened peninsula provide the film's central visual engine.
The team pursues a dangerous plan to stop successive eruptions from devastating the Korean Peninsula.
Baekdu Mountain carries major significance in North Korean symbolism and propaganda, including its association with the national emblem.
Films like Ashfall, and why
The Host
Korean disaster spectacle combining urgent survival stakes, ensemble teamwork, and large-scale visual effects
The Wave
High-concept disaster thriller driven by escalating catastrophe, scientific problem-solving, and family-oriented emotional stakes
San Andreas
International disaster action built around a race to prevent mass destruction and vivid crisis set pieces
The Flu
Disaster thriller using a natural catastrophe to stage political tension and uneasy cooperation
Movie Details
- Directors
- Kim Byung-seo, Lee Hae-jun
- Release Date
- 2019-12-19
- Runtime
- 128 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (658)
Cast
- Lee Byung-hun
- Ha Jung-woo
- Don Lee
- Jeon Hye-jin
- Suzy
- Lee Kyung-young
- Kim Sia
- Lee Sang-won
- Ok Ja-yeon
- Choi Gwang-il
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, AsianCrush, Midnight Pulp, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Ashfall about?
- South and North Korean specialists confront a chain of volcanic disasters in a high-stakes mission to save the Korean Peninsula.
- What is Ashfall like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Ashfall as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Ashfall violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Ashfall as moderate.
- What did critics think of Ashfall?
- Critics broadly found the film an entertaining Korean disaster spectacle with strong performances and effects, though its ambitious genre blend is uneven.
- Which films are like Ashfall?
- Films with a similar feel include The Host, The Wave, San Andreas, and The Flu.
- How long is Ashfall?
- Ashfall runs 128 minutes.
- Where can I watch Ashfall?
- In United States, Ashfall streams on Amazon Prime Video, AsianCrush, Midnight Pulp, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
