The Fortress
Seen it?2017 | 140 min | War, Drama, History, Action
Weeknight Watchearly ratingWhy it’s a Weeknight Watch
With soft box office and little lasting buzz, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for action fans and history buffs. If you loved Amadeus or The Pianist, start here.
- The mood
- Intense.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 20 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Korean, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
Ancient Korea, 17th century. The powerful Khan of the Jurchen tribe of Manchuria, who fights the Ming dinasty to gain China, becomes the first ruler of the Qing dinasty and demands from King In-jo of Joseon to bow before him; but he refuses, being loyal to the Mings. On December 14th, 1636, the Qing horde invades Joseon, so King In-jo and his court shelter in the mountain fortress of Namhan and prepare to defend the kingdom.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsSolid
63% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
6.8 out of 10
- AwardsSolid
16 wins and 24 nominations from smaller awards and festivals
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$29 million worldwide
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 33K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
More like this
Amadeus
Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed true-story historical drama.
The Pianist Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed true-story war drama.
The Outpost
Sunday Safe BetAnother true-story historical drama, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
The Kill Team Weeknight WatchAnother true-story war drama, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
Medieval Weeknight WatchAnother true-story historical drama, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks
Cast & crew
Directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk
- Lee Byung-hunChoe Myeong-gil
- Kim Yoon-seokKim Sang-heon
- Park Hae-ilKing In-jo
- Go SooSeo Nal-soe
- Park Hee-soonLee Si-baek
- Song Young-changKim Ryu
- Jo Woo-jinJeong Myeong-su
- David LeeChil-bok
- Heo Sung-taeYong Gol-dae
- Kim Beop-raeKhan