Category Archives: Korean

Hope (2026) Review

Ten years is a long time to wait for anything, but as a fan of director Na Hong-jin, that patience has finally paid off in 2026 with the release of Hope. Notwithstanding his 2023 short film Faith (made to promote the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra) and foray into producing with the 2021 Korea-Thailand co-production The Medium, the last time Hong-jin sat in the director’s chair for a feature length production was … Continue reading

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Holiday (2006) Review

"Holiday" Poster

Onscreen text during the final moments of Holiday states “This film is for the victims of the Preventative Custody Policy”. A policy which was only abolished in September 2005, just 4 months before Holiday hit the cinema in January 2006, it was used to unfairly extend prison sentences under the guise that it would prevent the prisoner in question from going back to a life of crime. In reality it … Continue reading

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Greenhouse (2023) Review

Whether it’s a stereotype or not, there can be a tendency to lump Korean indie features from debut directors together as being rather depressive affairs. Usually gritty character driven dramas centred around those on the bottom rungs of society and their daily struggles, the genre is an understandable go-to, able to be executed on a small to mid-budget while still being able to pack a powerful emotional punch. Director Lee … Continue reading

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The Sin (2024) Review

There are two extremes when it comes to directorial debuts in Korea – on the one end you’ve got the gritty social dramas, tending to focus on those dwelling on the bottom rungs of societies ladder and the struggles of their every day lives. On the other, you’ve got an almost avant garde approach that could best be described as go hard or go home, in which first time filmmakers … Continue reading

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Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy (2025) Review

When it comes to summer blockbusters, sometimes it’s worth leaving some space between the noise generated around the time of release, and actually watching the movie itself. That’s what happened with me and Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy, when I found myself willingly skipping a trip to the cinema when it was released in the summer of 2025. As a Korean cinema fan I confess I now feel slightly guilty, especially … Continue reading

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Colony (2026) Review

While in recent years it’s 2019’s Parasite that most commonly gets referred to as Korean cinema’s international breakout hit, over the course of the 21st century there have of course been other examples along the way. In the early 2000’s it was 1999’s Shiri that made waves overseas and for many, including myself, acted as the first introduction to what Korean cinema had to offer. In 2003 I still remember … Continue reading

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Boss X File (2002) Review

Director: Kim Sung-duk Cast: Jeong Woon-Taek, Kim Bo-Sung, Lee Ji-Hyun, Ahn Moon-Sook, Sung Hyun-Ah, Ki Joo-Bong, Jo Sang-Geon, Lee Yoon-Sung, Park Geun-Hyung, Kim Kuk-Jin Running Time: 108 min. By Paul Bramhall I confess that Boss X File would have been one of the many comedies that Korea churned out during the early to mid-2000’s that would never have landed on my radar, had it not been for an interview that … Continue reading

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Demon Dancer: Sua/Nara (2026) Review

Director: Attila Korosi Cast: Jiyeon Han, Anita Korosi, Won Hee Lee, Isabella Rose, Wondae Son, Shinyoung Moon, Eunhee Jeong, Joseph Kim, Jayden Moon-Dell, Hyonkuk Pak Running Time: 83 min.  By Paul Bramhall In 2025 audiences were hit with the double whammy of the John Wick spin-off Ballerina, and the massively popular Netflix movie KPop Demon Hunters, so it was perhaps only a matter of time before someone thought to combine … Continue reading

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Salmokji: Whispering Water (2026) Review

Director: Lee Sang-min Cast: Kim Hye-yoon, Kim Young-sung, Oh Dong-min, Yoon Jae-chan, Jang Da-ah, Kim Jun-han Running Time: 95 min. By Paul Bramhall In 2018 director Jeong Beom-sik had a stroke of genius for a found footage horror movie – film it in a real location that’s said to be haunted, effectively blurring the lines between cinema and reality. The result was Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, a real abandoned psychiatric hospital, … Continue reading

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Thunderstruck Cop (2025) Review

Director: Kim Young-jun Cast: Kim Soo-mi, Shin Hyun-jun, Chae Si-yeon, Jung Jun-ho, Jo Won Hee, Kim Heung Kook Running Time: 107 min. By Paul Bramhall Being a fan of Korean cinema since the early 2000’s, one of the unique quirks of the countries film industry is for directors to seemingly disappear for years, sometimes decades at a time, then re-appear with a new movie out of the blue. My nostalgia … Continue reading

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Humint (2026) Review

Director: Ryoo Seung-wan Cast: Zo In-Sung, Park Jeong-Min, Park Hae-Joon, Shin Se-Kyung, Lee Shin-Ki, Jung Eugene, Park Myung-Shin, Kim Eui-Sung, Jang Hyun-Sung Running Time: 119 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s been 13 years since director Ryoo Seung-wan helmed The Berlin File, a murky espionage action thriller that revolved around a quartet of characters – a South Korean agent and a trio of North Koreans, two of them operatives, one of … Continue reading

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Project Y (2026) Review

Director: Lee Hwan Cast: Han So-Hee, Jun Jong-Seo, Kim Shin-Rok, Kim Sung-Cheol, Kim Sung-cheol  Running Time: 110 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s always interesting to watch a director who’s primarily worked in the independent scene have the opportunity to helm a mainstream production. The likes of Jo Sung-hee would go from the lo-fi post-apocalyptic road movie End of Animal to helming Werewolf Boy, Phantom Detective, and Space Sweepers. Yeon Sang-ho … Continue reading

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Ghost Train (2025) Review

Director: Tak Se-woong Cast: Joo Hyun-young, Jeon Bae-soo, Choi Bo-min, Kim Woo-kyum, Kim Na-yeon Running Time: 94 min. By Paul Bramhall Spend any amount of time in the world of 21st century Asian horror cinema, and you’ll soon realise that practically any enclosed space can become haunted. From elevators to toilet cubicles to school corridors – nowhere is safe if a vengeful spirit is on the loose. So it shouldn’t … Continue reading

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King’s Warden, The (2026) Review

Director: Jang Hang-Jun Cast: Yu Hae-Jin, Park Ji-Hoon, Yoo Ji-Tae, Jeon Mi-Do, Park Ji-Hwan, Lee Jun-Hyuk, Ahn Jae-Hong, Kim Min, Lee Joon-Hyuk, Kim Soo Jin, Jung Jin Woon Running Time: 116 min. By Paul Bramhall The latest period piece from Korea has turned into quite the cultural phenomenon on its home soil, one which is continuing to play out as of the time of writing (March 2026). Having recently passed … Continue reading

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Dead Camping the Live (2022) Review

Director: Kim Hyun-woo Cast: Nam Jihyun, Lee Jae-seok, Lee Pu Reum, Kim Jung Joo, Jo Myung-haeng, Jeong In-gi, Dong-Hyung Kim, Rim-Hoo Kim, Seung-Jae Won, Big Alex Running Time: 72 min.  By Paul Bramhall Ladened with the kind of grammatically challenged title that feels like it came straight out of 80’s or 90’s Hong Kong cinema, 2022’s Dead Camping the Live is a low budget entry in the rape-revenge genre, a … Continue reading

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