Category Archives: Korean

Record of Sweet Murder, A (2014) Review

"A Record of Sweet Murder" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Koji Shiraishi Writer: Koji Shiraishi Cast: Kim Kkobbi, Yeon Je-Wook, Ryotaro Yonemura, Tsukasa Aoi, Yeo Min-Jung, Koji Shiraishi Running Time: 86 min. By Paul Bramhall  Japanese director Koji Shiraishi had, for a long time, carved out a niche for himself as the guy who makes grimy found-footage/docu-horror flicks. The likes of 2005’s Noroi: The Curse, 2009’s Occult, and 2011’s Cho Akunin, all feature some kind of first person perspective … Continue reading →

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

Extreme Job (2019) Review

"Extreme Job" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Byeong-Hun Cast: Ryoo Seung-Ryong, Lee Ha-Nee, Jin Seon-Kyu, Lee Dong-Hwi, Gong Myung, Shin Ha-Kyun, Oh Jung-Se, Kim Eui-Sung, Yang Hyun-Min Running Time: 111 min. By Martin Sandison In the last few years Korean action comedies have really come into there own, with films such as Confidential Assignment and Unstoppable proving the well-established tropes in the genre can be given a fresh and innovative twist. While more comedic and thrill-a-minute … Continue reading →

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

Steel Rain (2017) Review

"Steel Rain" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Yang Woo-Seok Cast: Jung Woo-Sung, Kwak Do-Won, Kim Kap-Soo, im Eui-Sung, Lee Kyoung-Young, Jo Woo-Jin, Park Eun-Hye, Ahn Mi-Na, Won Jin-A, Park Sun-Young Running Time: 139 min. By Paul Bramhall With improving relations between South and North Korea, the theme of mutual understanding between the divided nation has also begun to be reflected in the South’s cinematic output in recent years. Movies like Confidential Assignment and The Spy Gone … Continue reading →

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

Witness, The (2018) Review

"The Witness" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Jo Kyu-Jang Cast: Lee Sung-Min, Kim Sang-Ho, Jin Kyung, Kwak Si-Yang, Park Bom, Kim Sung-Kyun, Bae Jung-Hwa, Shin Seung-Hwan, Jung Yoo-Min, Yeon Je-Wook Running Time: 111 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s fair to say that violence is as an integral a part of Korean cinema as kimchi is to its cuisine. Sure, you don’t need it with every dish, but when it’s there, it makes for a distinctly Korean … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews |

Drug King, The (2018) Review

"The Drug King" Korean Teaser Poster

Director: Woo Min-Ho Cast: Song Kang-Ho, Cho Jung-Seok, Bae Doo-Na, Kim So-Jin, Kim Dae-Myung, Lee Sung-Min Running Time: 139 min. By Paul Bramhall I finished my review of director Woo Min-ho’s last movie, the excellent Inside Men, by stating my hope that “his next movie is at least on par with what he’s pulled off here.” 3 years later and that opportunity is now upon us, and it comes in … Continue reading →

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

Misbehavior (2017) Review

"Misbehavior" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Kim Tae-Yong Writer: Kim Tae-Yong Cast: Kim Ha-Neul, Yu In-Young, Lee Won-Geun, Lee Hee-Joon, Lee Ki-Woo, Gi Ju-Bong, Jung Suk-Yong, Hong Ahn-Pyo, Lim Hwa-Young, Kwon Soo-Hyun Running Time: 96 min.  By Paul Bramhall There can be no more tried and tested plot device within the world of Korean drama’s than the love triangle. In a way it’s understandable, the kind of relationship dynamic it invokes provides a framework in … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews |

Revenger (2018) Review

"Revenger" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Seung-won Writer: Bruce Khan Cast: Bruce Khan, Park Hee-soon, T.J. Storm, Yoon Jin-seo, Kim In-kwon, Park Chul-min Running Time: 101 min. By Paul Bramhall The Korean martial arts movie can more or less be said to have died out at some point in the 1990’s. Sure there’s been a few attempts to revive it, the likes of 2006’s City of Violence and 2013’s The Suspect were both sold … Continue reading →

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

Return, The (2018) Review

Director: Malene Choi Writer: Sissel Dalsgaard Thomsen Cast: Thomas Hwan, Karoline Sofie Lee Running Time: 85 min. By Paul Bramhall Out of all the many characters that frequent Korean cinema, the one which is arguably the most underrepresented is that of the international adoptee. So it came as quite a shock when I watched the recently released Champion, a mainstream production starring Ma Dong-seok as an adoptee raised in the … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews |

Secret Reunion (2010) Review

"Secret Reunion" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Jang Hun Cast: Song Kang-Ho, Gang Dong-Won, Jeon Kuk-Hwan, Park Hyuk-Kwon, Yoon Hee-Seok, Ko Chang-Seok, Lee So-Yun, Jung In-Gi, Bae Yong-Geun, Jo Suk-Hyun, Park Yong-Jin, Kwon Bum-Taek, Choi Jung-Woo Running Time: 116 min. By Z Ravas Secret Reunion opens at a fever pitch most action movies hope to achieve during their climax. Gang Don-won’s character has been living in South Korea as a sleeper agent for the North when … Continue reading →

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

Psychokinesis (2018) Review

"Psychokinesis" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Yeon Sang-Ho Writer: Yeon Sang-Ho Cast: Ryoo Seung-Ryong, Shim Eun-Kyung, Park Jung-Min, Kim Min-Jae, Jung Yu-Mi Running Time: 101 min.  By Z Ravas Train to Busan must be the most popular Korean film in America since Oldboy. No, I don’t have any hard data to back that up (although the movie did gross close to $100 million worldwide). But anecdotally, here in the States – where Korean cinema is still … Continue reading →

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

Illang: The Wolf Brigade (2018) Review

"Illang: The Wolf Brigade" Theatrical Poster

Director: Kim Ji-woon Cast: Gang Dong-Won, Han Hyo-Joo, Jung Woo-Sung, Kim Moo-Yul, Han Ye-Ri, Heo Jun-Ho, Minho, Shin Eun-Soo, Kim Pub-Lae, Lee Dong-Ha, Choi Jin-Ho Running Time: 138 min. By Z Ravas A Tale of Two Sisters. A Bittersweet Life. The Good, the Bad, the Weird. I Saw the Devil. Age of Shadows. Over the last 15 years, the work of Kim Jee-woon has come to help define popular Korean … Continue reading →

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

Unstoppable (2018) Review

Unstoppable | Blu-ray (Well Go USA(

Direcor: Kim Min-ho Writer: Kim Min-Ho Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Song Ji-Hyo, Kim Sung-Oh, Kim Min-Jae, Ji-Hwan, Lee Sung-Woo, Bae Noo-Ri, Park Ji-Hoon, Park Kwang-Jae, Lim Hyung-Joon Running Time: 115 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s fair to say that if The Man from Nowhere was Korea’s Taken, then Unstoppable is Korea’s Taken 2. One had Won Bin tracking down the traffickers who kidnapped his neighbour’s child, while the other has Ma … Continue reading →

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

Witch: Part 1. The Subversion, The (2018) Review

The Witch: Subversion | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Director: Park Hoon-Jung Cast: Kim Da-Mi, Jo Min-Soo, Choi Woo-Sik, Go Min-Si, Park Hee-Soon, Da-Eun, Choi Jung-Woo, Oh Mi-Hee, Kim Byung-Ok, Lee Joo-Won, Kim Ha-Na Running Time: 125 min. By Paul Bramhall As 2018 draws close to an end, the appetite for female driven action movies doesn’t seem to be waning in the West or the East. Warner Brothers appear to know this, so for their latest foray into the … Continue reading →

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

Negotiation, The (2018) Review

"The Negotiation" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Jong-Suk Writer: Choi Sung-Hyun Cast: Son Ye-Jin, Hyun-Bin, Kim Sang-Ho, Jang Young-Nam, Jang Gwang, Lee Moon-Sik Running Time: 114 min. By Paul Bramhall In the Korean film industry, Son Ye-jin is known as the Queen of Melodrama, and Hyun Bin the Rom-Com King. However the movie that’s brought them both together is (perhaps mercifully) neither a melodrama nor a romantic comedy, with The Negotiation instead being a thriller … Continue reading →

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

Rampant (2018) Review

Rampant | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Director: Kim Sung-Hoon Writer: Won Shin-yun Cast: Hyun-Bin, Jang Dong-Gun, Jo Woo-Jin, Kim Eui-Sung, Jeong Man-Sik, Lee Sun-Bin Running Time: 129 min. By Paul Bramhall Less than 3 years ago Korea spawned one of its most unlikely breakout hits, with the zombie action thriller Train to Busan. While personally I didn’t find the concept of zombies on a train to be executed as entertainingly as it could have been, there’s no … Continue reading →

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