Author Archives: Paul Bramhall

Smugglers (2023) Review

Director: Ryoo Seung-Wan Cast: Kim Hye-Soo, Yum Jung-Ah, Zo In-Sung, Park Jeong-Min, Kim Jong-Soo, Go Min-Si, Kim Jae-Hwa, Park Jun-Myun, Park Kyung-Hye, Kwak Jin-Seok Running Time: 129 min.  By Paul Bramhall Any discussion on modern Korean action cinema will invariably also be a discussion on director (and sometime actor) Ryoo Seung-wan. An avid Hong Kong action cinema fan when he was growing up, Seung-wan would debut in 2000 with Die … Continue reading

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Officer Black Belt (2024) Review

Director: Kim Joo-hwan Cast: Kim Woo-bin, Kim Sung-kyun, Lee Hyun-geol, Lee Joong-Ok, Kang Seung-Ho, Yoon Dae-Yul, Park Ji-Yeol, Jin Mi-Sa, Lee Jung-Gwi, Bang Byung-Hyun Running Time: 105 min. By Paul Bramhall The latest in Korea’s steady stream of post-Squid Game Netflix produced movies, Officer Black Belt hit the platform in 2024, offering a look into a rarely seen part of the law enforcement system – the parole officers who monitor … Continue reading

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Land of Happiness, The (2024) Review

Director: Choo Chang-min Cast: Cho Jung-Seok, Lee Sun-Kyun, Yoo Jae-Myung, Woo Hyeon, Lee Won-Jong, Jeon Bae-Su, Song Young-Kyu, Choi Won-Young, Kang Mal-Geum Running Time: 124 min. By Paul Bramhall The 8 months spanning October 1979 to May 1980 are some of the most tumultuous in Korea’s recent history, marked by the assassination of president Park Chung-hee on the 26th October, and culminating in military dictator Chun Doo-hwan ordering the Gwangju … Continue reading

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The Sword (1980) Review

Director: Patrick Tam Kar-Ming Cast: Adam Cheng Siu Chow, Norman Chui Siu-keung, Jade Hsu, Tien Feng, JoJo Chan Kei-Kei, Bonnie Ngai, Eddy Ko Hung, Lau Siu-Ming, Lee Hoi-Sang Running Time: 86 min. By Paul Bramhall In the early 80’s Hong Kong cinema was experiencing what’s come to be labelled the new wave, as a fresh generation of young directors came to the fore. Movies like Tsui Hark’s Dangerous Encounter of … Continue reading

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Killer, The (2024) Review

Director: John Woo Cast: Omar Sy, Nathalie Emmanuel, Diana Silvers, Sam Worthington, Eric Cantona, Aurélia Agel, Tchéky Karyo, Saïd Taghmaoui, Angeles Woo Running Time: 126 min. By Paul Bramhall  Chances are if you’re a fan of Hong Kong action cinema, then John Woo’s 1989 classic The Killer is part of the reason why. In the 35 years since there’s been multiple attempts at a Hollywood remake – in the 1990’s … Continue reading

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Man of Reason, A (2023) Review

Director: Jung Woo-sung Cast: Jung Woo-sung, Kim Nam-Gil, Kim Joon-Han, Park Sung-Woong, Park Yoo-Na, Lee Elijah, Ryu Jian, Kim Joo-Hun, Park Yong, Choi Soo-Im Running Time: 98 min.  By Paul Bramhall  One of the most enduring actors in Korean cinema, since making his debut in 1994’s The Fox With Nine Tails Jung Woo-sung has rarely been absent from the screen in the close to 30 years that followed, and in … Continue reading

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One More Shot (2024) Review

Director: James Nunn Cast: Scott Adkins, Waleed Elgadi, Tom Berenger, Meena Rayann, Alexis Knapp, Michael Jai White, Aaron Toney, Teddy Linard, Hannah Arterton Running Time: 102 min.  By Paul Bramhall After his scene stealing role on the big screen in 2023’s John Wick: Chapter 4, in 2024 British thespian Scott Adkins would return to his role as leading man of DTV action flicks by headlining One More Shot. A sequel … Continue reading

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Mission: Cross (2024) Review

Director: Lee Myung-Hoon Cast: Hwang Jung-Min, Yum Jung-Ah, Jung Man-sik, Lee Ho-chul, Cha Rae-hyung, Jeon Hye-jin, Kim Chan-Hyung, Kim Joo-Hun, Jonathan Yiombi Running Time: 105 min. By Paul Bramhall  3 years after the unexpected global success of the Netflix series Squid Game, the streaming giant continues to plough money into Korean content, with the countries K-dramas coming to enjoy the same level of popularity globally as they have within Asia … Continue reading

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Christmas Carol (2022) Review

Director: Kim Seong-soo Cast: Park Jinyoung, Kim Young-min, Heo Dong-won, Song Geon-hee, Kim Dong-Hwi Running Time: 130 min. By Paul Bramhall While the English title of writer and director Kim Seong-soo’s 3rd feature Christmas Carol may sound like another disposable entry in Netflix’s festive movie lineup, thankfully the reality is very different. Taking the classic tale of a revenge seeking protagonist who intentionally gets sent to prison to hunt down … Continue reading

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New Normal (2022) Review

Director: Jung Bum-Sik Cast: Choi Ji-Woo, Lee Yu-Mi, Choi Min-Ho, Pyo Ji-Hoon, Jeong Dong-Won, Lee Moon-Sik Running Time: 112 min. By Paul Bramhall Filmmaker Jong Beom-sik is one of those few director screenwriters in Korea whose name is almost exclusively tied to the horror genre. After making his debut alongside his brother Jeong Sik with 2007’s Epitaph, Beom-sik would go on to helm segments in both 2012’s Horror Stories and … Continue reading

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Super Power (1980) Review

Director: Lin Chan-Wai Cast: Billy Chong, Hau Chiu-Sing, Chiang Tao, Ho Kei-Cheong, Annie Liu On Lai, Lau Dan, Fung Ging-Man, Wong Chi-Ming, Wang Han-Chen, Lau Hok-Nin Running Time: 95 min. By Paul Bramhall In the late 70’s production house The Eternal Film Co. must have felt like they struck gold by signing on Indonesian martial artist and local movie fixture Billy Chong. While Chong had shown hints of what he … Continue reading

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Customs Frontline (2024) Review

Director: Herman Yau Cast: Jacky Cheung, Nicholas Tse, Karena Lam, Francis Ng, Liu Yase, Michelle Wai, Angus Yeung, Melvin Wong, Ben Yuen, Amanda Strang, Brahim Chab Running Time: 115 min.  By Paul Bramhall While the flaunting of China’s various authorities and military divisions through the format of cinema has become almost the exclusive forte of Dante Lam, in 2024 he kindly stepped aside to make some room for fellow Hong … Continue reading

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Phantom (2023) Review

Director: Lee Hae-Young Cast: Sol Kyung-Gu, Lee Ha-Nee, Park So-Dam, Park Hae-Soo, Seo Hyun-Woo, Kim Jong-Soo, Bibi, Esom, Lee Joo-Young, Kim Dong-Hee, Kim Joong-Hee Running Time: 133 min. By Paul Bramhall If someone asked if I could recall the name of that Korean movie which was set in 1933, and involves a group of independence fighters whose mission is to assassinate an official in the occupying Japanese government, chances are … Continue reading

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Handsome Guys (2024) Review

Director: Nam Dong-hyub Cast: Lee Sung-min, Lee Hee-jun, Park Ji-hwan, Lee Kyu-hyung, Gong Seung-yeon, Woo Hyeon Running Time: 100 min.  By Paul Bramhall The comedy genre has always been one which feels reluctant to be tackled head on in Korea, with even productions that bill themselves as comedies often making sharp U-turns into melodrama for their final reels. The likes of 2002’s Sex is Zero and 2017’s I Can Speak … Continue reading

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Escape (2024) Review

Director: Lee Jong-pil Cast: Lee Je-hoon, Hong Xa-bin, Koo Kyo-hwan, Shin Dong Hyeon, Esom, Lee Ho Jung Running Time: 95 min. By Paul Bramhall When the Korean War ended in an armistice in 1953 the anti-communist film became a mainstay in the South Korean film industry, going through a golden era during the remainder of the decade, and one which continued well into the 1960’s (so much so that, in … Continue reading

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