Are you among those who missed this South Korean 2012 flick back when it was first released? Well, you’re not alone; we missed it too, and we usually keep track of every disaster thriller.

Truth to be told, with the incredible amount of movies South Korea is putting out there nowadays, its easy to miss gems like this, much less stay up to date.

Thankfully, we have Netflix.

What is it about?

A fire breaks out in a luxury skyscraper during Christmas Eve downtown Seoul. Guests and employees are trapped, waiting to be rescued. A veteran firefighter who was planning to spend his first Christmas Eve with his wife in years gets the call.

He and his team are experienced, but nothing they have gone through could have prepared them for what they are going to face. With the incredible building about to fall apart, they race to put out the fire and rescue the guests before it’s too late starts.

Why it is worth watching?

The movie resembles the mythical unicorn of Christmas movies: die hard. Its packed with action, its fun, it makes you laugh, it makes you cry; it surprises you by keeping you at the edge of your seat. Something most disaster thrillers usually miss (and big time).

Character development is just right. It makes you care about the characters, but it doesn’t bore you with their backstory. You get to know them and you get to care about what will be their fate, but you don’t get to see what they did the entire past year as many movies do.

The effects are practically invisible, and that’s a good thing: a mixture of old school prop making and today’s CGI (well, 2012 CGI) masterfully executed.

The Verdict

All in all, The Tower makes for a terrific movie night fun with friends or family. It never takes on the absurd mission of redefining the genre, as it is the case with many of the action thrillers Hollywood is constantly putting out nowadays. Instead, it focuses on giving 100% of what it promises: a well-executed disaster film. And it delivers with a glorious bang.

★★★★★

Incredible acting, camera work, lighting and visual effects. The joy of seeing an action thriller that doesn’t stars Dwayne Johnson “The Rock” or Liam Neeson.