“Miracle in Cell No. 7” (Lee Hwang-kyung), $86.5 million
This sleeper hit took the South Korean film industry by surprise when its 12.8 million admissions — in a country with a population of 50 million — made it one of the most watched films in local cinematic history. Most films that surpass the 10 million admission milestone are star-studded, big-budget actioners, so Miracle in Cell No. 7 — a small drama starring Ryu Seung-ryong, who had hitherto only played supporting roles, that cost a mere $3.16 million (3.5 billion won) — was an unexpected success. It's also notable that a smaller firm — Next Entertainment World (NEW) — handled the distribution. The I Am Sam-meets-The Green Mile story went on to enjoy some international success as well.