Lee Min Ho hits career low as Omniscient Reader: The Prophet becomes his worst-rated title on IMDb: 'Trashiest movie of 2025'

2025 hasn’t gone Lee Min Ho’s way. The Hallyu superstar, long hailed as the original K-drama heartthrob, first stumbled with the underwhelming performance ofWhenthe Stars Gossip. Now, his latest film,Omniscient Reader: The Prophet, has become his lowest-rated project on IMDb. Despite boasting a star-studded cast and a strong box office debut, the film has been heavily criticised by fans, many of whom have taken to IMDb to share negative reviews.


Based on the popular webtoonOmniscient Reader's Viewpointby Shin Shong, the film was considered one of Lee Min Ho’s most anticipated projects in recent years. Also featuring major names like Ahn Hyo Seop, Chae Soo Bin, and Nana, the film has faced backlash from webtoon fans who accused the director of straying too far from the original material. Many are now turning to IMDb to express their disappointment. The film currently holds a 3.9 rating from over 1,500 reviews, making it Lee Min Ho’s lowest-rated project to date. In comparison,When the Stars Gossipstands at 6.5.



Screenshots of harsh IMDb reviews for Omniscient Reader: The Prophet are now circulating widely online, with fans shocked by the level of criticism.

One viewer wrote, “Everything is worse than some cringeworthy vlog on YouTube. Camera angle, CGI, the narrator? I believe the director should be fired because this is the worst movie of all time. The original story is very interesting with all those unique settings. They changed like 98% of the original plot; they changed the personality of every single character. Now this movie is just your generic lame apocalypse story with a nonsense plot and boring characters. Not worth watching. Don’t waste your time and money.”


Another viewer noted, "You can change details in an adaptation...but not the heart of the story. This movie feels like it was made by someone who didn't understand what made the original good. It's honestly frustrating how much potential this movie had and how badly it was handled. The story feels like a random action movie with the ORV name slapped on. So many important details were changed or ignored, and the characters barely resemble their original versions. Not just in looks but in personality and purpose. Even when the cast seems passionate, the direction clearly doesn't care about staying true to the heart of the story. It feels more like a rewrite than a real adaptation, and not a good one."


One mentioned, "This is like my new trauma. Just hope the manhwa you read doesn't get made into a movie. I think it would be fine with the whole plot being changed. But everything seemed stiff. Even the dialogue, the narration, and the words spoken in her heart—everything was stiff. Don't expect anything from this film. Even the cinematography is completely unintended. I watched it, and it looked like a picture just pasted into the video. There are so many unnecessary effects. I don't know how the director made them because it really seems like I could have made a better movie than he did. I can say this is the most trashy movie of 2025."



Omniscient Reader: The Prophet, directed by Jang Yoo Ji, follows Kim Dokja, played by Lee Min Ho, an ordinary office worker who suddenly finds himself trapped inside the world of his favourite web novel, where he must survive deadly scenarios while trying not to alter the story’s timeline.


Produced by Realies Pictures and distributed by Lotte Entertainment, the film is quickly becoming a summer box office hit, despite negative reviews. Co-produced by MYM Entertainment, Smilegate Realies, and The Present Company, the fantasy action film drew 427,357 viewers over its first weekend (July 25–27), with a total of 627,885 admissions so far, maintaining its No. 1 position since release, as per Chosun Biz. However, whether it can maintain this momentum or dip during the weekdays remains to be seen.

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