Category Archives: Korean

Old Woman with the Knife, The (2025) Review

Director: Min Gyoo-dong Cast: Lee Hye-Young, Kim Sung-Cheol, Yeon Woo-Jin,  Kim Moo-Yul, Kim Kang-Woo, Shin Shi-A Running Time: 122 min.  By Paul Bramhall It’s been at least 5 minutes since a female assassin movie has hit either the big screen or a streaming service, so to ensure any withdrawal symptoms are avoided, in 2025 Korea stepped up to the table with The Old Woman with the Knife. The Korean film … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged |

Holy Night: Demon Hunters (2025) Review

Director: Im Dae-Hee Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Seohyun, David Lee, Kyung Soo-Jin, Jung Ji-So, Cha Woo-jin, Lee Da-il Running Time: 92 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s been almost 10 years since Ma Dong-seok’s breakthrough role in Train to Busan, and in that time he’s battled zombies, serial killers, crocodiles, gangsters, reptilian human hybrids, gangsters, heavenly guardians and even the yakuza. It was perhaps inevitable at some point then, that his anvil … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged |

Yadang: The Snitch (2025) Review

Director: Hwang Byeong-gug Cast: Kang Ha-neul, Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-joon, Chae Won-bin, Ryu Kyung-soo, Kim Geum-soon, Yu Seong-ju, Lim Sung-kyun, Cho Wan-ki, Kim Mi Suk Running Time: 122 min.  By Paul Bramhall In Korea the term Yadang refers to a professional snitch, a role that exists as an unofficial liaison between the junkies and the cops, forming a kind of symbiotic relationship that allows the latter to leverage the former … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews |

Uninvited Guest of the Star Ferry, The (1984) Review

"The Uninvited Guest of the Star Ferry" Theatrical Poster

Director: Kim Si-hyun Cast: Im Ja-ho, Seo Jong-ah, Hwang Jang Lee, Heo Yang-mi, Yoon Yang-ha, Baek Hwang-ki, Park Hui-jin, Lee Suk-koo, Baek Hwang-ki, Choe Hyeong-geun Running Time: 92 min. By Paul Bramhall When it comes to the niche world of Godfrey Ho’s infamous cut ‘n’ paste gweilo ninja movies, Ninja Terminator pretty much sits at the top of the pile. A cult oddity featuring Garfield phones, crab cookery gone wrong, … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged |

Leopard Fist Ninja | aka The Return of Twin Dragons (1982) Review

AKA: The Return of Twin Dragons Director: Nam Gi-nam Cast: Im Ja-Ho, Baek Hwang-Gi, Kim Yoo-Haeng, Jo Choon, Im Hae-Rim, Chia Kai, Kim Ki-Beom, Jo Hak-Ja, Park Jong-Seol, Choe Jong-Sook, Kang Cheol Running Time: 83 min. By Paul Bramhall By the 1980’s the popularity of the taekwon-action genre was starting to wane in its native Korea, a decline brought on by the hugely popular release of Drunken Master, which saw … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Ninja, Reviews | Tagged |

Raiders of Buddhist Kung Fu (1981) Review

Director: Godfrey Ho  Cast: Gordon Liu, Wang Ryong, Kim Ki-Joo, Seol Ji-Yeon, Kwak Eun-Gyung, Baek Hwang-Gi, John Kelly, Choe Moo-Woong, Lung Ho-Yu, Park Hui-Jin, Lee Hwa-Jin Running Time: 90 min.  By Ian Whittle So I picked up the DVD assuming from the cover still of Gordon Liu in his usual monk attire that this was going to be another “Gordon from Shaolin” by way of a Korea flick, but once … Continue reading

Posted in All, Chinese, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , |

Fallen (2019) Review

"Fallen" Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Jung-sub Cast: Yang Ji, Jang Tae Young, Han Sung Min, Kim Ga Hyun, Lim Jung Min, Lee Ji Yong, Hwang Se On, Yun Ha Bin, Ju Seo Eun, Oh Ji Young, Kwon Ip Sae Running Time: 110 min.  By Paul Bramhall  In the 2019 Korean production Fallen a famous sci-fi author played by Yang Ji, previously only seen in small bit roles in late 2000’s/early 2010’s productions like … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews |

Mickey 17 (2025) Review

Director: Bong Joon-Ho Cast: Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo, Holliday Grainger, Anamaria Vartolomei, Thomas Turgoose, Cameron Britton Running Time: 137 min. By Paul Bramhall When it comes to any artist following up whatever it was that gave them their breakthrough – be it a song, a movie, or any other form of creativity – it’s always a challenge. That challenge is exasperated when we’re talking … Continue reading

Posted in All, Asian Related, Korean, News, Other Movies, Reviews | Tagged , , |

Dark Nuns (2025) Review

Director: Kwon Hyeok-Jae Cast: Song Hye-Kyo, Jeon Yeo-Bin, Lee Jin-Uk, Heo Jun-Ho, Moon Woo-Jin, Kim Guk-Hee Running Time: 114 min.  By Paul Bramhall  It’s been a decade since the release of 2015’s The Priests, a movie for which its Korean title directly translates to Dark Priests, an approach which has been taken quite literally for its 2025 sequel – Dark Nuns. Despite The Priests being a straight forward exorcism flick, … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews |

Revolver (2024) Review

Director: Oh Seung-wook Cast: Jeon Do-Yeon, Ji Chang-wook, Kim Joon-Han, Kim Jong-Soo, Jeong Man-Sik, Jeon Hye-Jin, Lee Jung-Jae, Jung Jae-Young, Ma Woong-Kyu Running Time: 114 min. By Paul Bramhall Revolver marks the third directorial outing for Oh Seung-wook, and while there’s nothing particularly out of the ordinary about a director making their third feature, what makes Seung-wook’s case relatively unique is that it’s taken him the best part of quarter … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , , |

Harbin (2024) Review

Director: Woo Min-Ho Cast: Hyun-Bin, Park Jeong-Min, Jo Woo-Jin, Jeon Yeo-Bin, Lee Dong-Wook, Park Hoon, Yoo Jae-Myung, Lily Franky, Kim Ji-Oh, Lee Tae-Hyeong, Ahn Se-Ho Running Time: 114 min.  By Paul Bramhall There’s been no shortage of action tinged spy thrillers set during Japan’s colonisation of Korea in the early 20th century, with productions like Assassination, The Age of Shadows, and Phantom being superlative examples of the genre, but few … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , , |

Devils Stay (2024) Review

Director: Hyeon Moon-seob Cast: Park Shin-Yang, Lee Min-Ki, Lee Re, Won Mi-won, Yoon Jong Seok, Yoo Sun-ho, Shim So-young Running Time: 95 min. By Paul Bramhall Ever since 2015’s The Priests Korean cinema has had bit of a thing going on with, well, priests. While Jang Jae-hyon’s debut served up its holy protagonists in the context of the exorcism genre, since then we’ve had MMA priests fighting demons in The Divine … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged |

Secret Executioners | aka Trouble-Solving Broker (1982) Review

Director: Lee Doo-Yong Co-director: Godfrey Ho Cast: Shin Woo-chul, Hwang Jang Lee, Jim Norris, Kwon Il-soo, Min Bok-gi, Park Dong-ryong Running Time: 90 min. By Paul Bramhall It remains one of the greatest travesties in Korean cinema that director Lee Doo-yong’s The Trouble-Solving Broker is referenced in 99% of English language content as “another one of those Godfrey Ho cut and paste jobs.” The real tragedy is that it’s also … Continue reading

Posted in All, Chinese, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , , , |

Bridge of Death (1974) Review

Director: Lee Doo-yong Cast: Han Yong-cheol, Bae Su-chun, Kim Yeongran, Chang Il-sik, Woo Yeon-jeong, Mun-ju Kim Running Time: 90 min.  By Paul Bramhall In my review for Returned a Single-Legged Man 2 I concluded with “What’s left to ask but for more taekwon-action productions be made available to be enjoyed.” The line was in reference to the Korean Film Archive’s decision in 2023 to release some of director Lee Doo-yong’s … Continue reading

Posted in All, Bruceploitation, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , |

Uprising (2024) Review

Director: Kim Sang-man Cast: Gang Dong-won, Park Jung-min, Cha Seung-won, Jung Sung-il, Kim Shin-rok, Jin Sun-Kyu Running Time: 126 min.  By Paul Bramhall Much of the publicity for Uprising has leant into the fact that it’s co-scripted by Park Chan-wook, the director who gave us such modern-day classics like Decision to Leave and The Handmaiden. It’s an understandable approach, as while Chan-wook is most well known for the times he’s … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , |