The 2015 Academy award-winning film “Whiplash” topped the Korean box office over the weekend, replacing previous box office hit “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” according to the Korean Film Council.

“Whiplash” sold 228,591 tickets on Friday and Saturday, bringing the total number of viewers to 679,329, pushing “Kingsman” to the third place, with the fairytale-based Hollywood flick “Cinderella” taking the No. 2 spot.

“Whiplash” hit the local theaters on March 12 and hovered at fourth place before climbing its way to the top of the ranks on March 20. 

Critics attributed the success of the movie to word of mouth. It is anticipated the movie would follow the footsteps of “Begin Again,” a music drama, which sold more than 3 million tickets last year.

The movie won three 2015 Academy Awards last month for Best Supporting Actor, Best Filming Editing and Best Sound Mixing. Directed by American Damien Chazelle, the 107-minute flick follows the path of a young, talented and ambitious musician played by Miles Teller, who aspires to become one of the jazz world’s greatest drummers.

J.K. Simmons plays the role of a renowned music instructor who pushes his students to the limits and stops at nothing to ensure his musicians play at the highest of standards.

By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)