The Hauntingly Graphic Itaewon Halloween Disaster Documentary Trailer Draws Mixed Feelings From Netizens

On October 29, 2022, what is now known as the Itaewon Halloween Disaster occurred on the streets of Itaewon. The fatal crowd crush resulting from the massive number of people crowded into a small place claimed the lives of over 150.

In an age of technology, the coverage of events spread by regular citizens led to many graphic images and videos being shared online in real-time, leaving a lasting impact on those who survived the experience, first responders, and those watching behind a screen.

The impact of the tragedy is likely what led to the release of the Crush docuseries.

Airing on Paramount+, Crush was filmed by the team behind the award-winning documentary 11 Minutes, a telling of the story of the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas.

The trailer for the docuseries was released at the beginning of October and gave an emotional preview of the series, using actual footage and first-hand accounts to paint a picture of the night.

While this was enough to surprise the average viewer, the promotional poster for the series was just as, if not more, shocking. Featuring an image of the crush, the photo is only slightly blurred, allowing the fearful expressions to be seen.

In an online forum post, Korean netizens shared their mixed feelings over the poster. Though it inspired great sadness, many saw the need for the content, considering how systematic failures have been blamed for the tragedy.

• Omg, the poster is giving me PTSD… I remember how I didn’t want to watch the videos of the incident because they were so raw and unfiltered… But it was everywhere, and I couldn’t stay away from them forever.
• T-T
• WTF… This poster, OMG… This makes me feel all weird…
• It’s going to break my heart, but I’m going to watch it. So many people died that night, but no one is taking responsibility for what happened. Pretending nothing ever went wrong. We should do our part in staying interested.
• The poster scares me.
• Oh no… T-T
• I wonder if the release is going to be postponed in Korea… I think it’d be better to release it before Halloween, though. It’s going to be difficult for some people, but that way, we’re reminded to do better this time.
• This poster, though… T-T
• Sigh…
• This reminds me of how shocked I was to see the photos and videos of what happened that night…

The series is currently only available on Paramount+.