The success of Swiri has revived spirits in the South's battered commercial film industry.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia

What may be most remarkable about Swiri's success, however, is its delicately shaded portrait of the enemy.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia

In many ways the argument is typical of Swiri itself: the only black-and-white is in the bottom line.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia

So given the numbers being racked up by the South Korean spy thriller Swiri, you'd expect the film to have all the nuance of Schwarzenegger doing Shakespeare.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia

Depicting that simple-sounding conflict may stand as Swiri's greatest innovation.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia

Swiri, named after a tiny freshwater fish native to the Korean Peninsula, is so popular that even the South Korean army is considering screening the movie to motivate troops.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia

The U.S. has pushed hard for Seoul to abolish the quota system, and some have argued that Swiri has proven that Korean product can compete at the same level as Hollywood blockbusters.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia