Category Archives: Korean

Childe, The (2023) Review

Director: Park Hoon-Jung Cast: Kim Sun-Ho, Kang Tae-Ju, Kim Kang-Woo, Go Ara, Justin John Harvey, Caroline Magbojos Running Time: 118 min. By Paul Bramhall As a director and scriptwriter Park Hoon-jung has become one of the most consistent commercial filmmakers in Korea since his debut with The Showdown in 2010, going on to helm a further 7 productions over the next 13 years. His latest arrives in the form of … Continue reading

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Cobweb (2023) Review

Director: Kim Jee-Woon Cast: Song Kang-Ho, Lim Soo-jung, Oh Jung-Se, Jeon Yeo-Bin, Krystal Jung, Jung Woo-sung Running Time: 135 min.  By Paul Bramhall Back in the 2000’s the Korean film industry was going through a creative renaissance, so much so that its popularity overseas coined the term the ‘Korean Wave’, referencing that particular period of the countries cinematic output. Back then there were a trio of directors at the forefront … Continue reading

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The Roundup: No Way Out (2023) Review

Director: Lee Sang-Yong Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Lee Joon-Hyuk, Munetaka Aoki, Jun Kunimura, Lee Beom-Soo, Kim Min-jae, Jun Suk-ho, Ko Kyu-phil, Bae Noo-ri, Lee Ji-hoon Running Time: 105 min. By Paul Bramhall The expression “it’s the role he was born to play” may be a cliched one, but its hard to think of a more fitting one when it comes to Ma Dong-seok playing the witty, hammer fisted detective Ma Seok-do. Introduced in 2017’s … Continue reading

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Girl on a Bulldozer, The (2022) Review

Director: Park Ri-Woong Cast: Kim Hye-Yoon, Park Hyuk-Kwon, Oh Man-Seok, Yesung, Choi Hee-Jin, Lee Hwi-Jong, Sung Yeo-Jin, Kim Hee-Chang, Han Hye-Ji, Kim Joong-Ki Running Time: 112 min.  By Paul Bramhall The Korean indie movie has long been the stomping ground of grim and gritty drama’s focusing on societies downtrodden and overlooked, with those focusing on teenage girls almost being its own genre. In the last 10 years alone we’ve had … Continue reading

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Confidential Assignment 2: International (2022) Review

Director: Lee Suk-Hoon Cast: Hyun-Bin, Yu Hae-Jin, Lim Yoon-A , Daniel Henney, Jin Sun-Kyu, Jang Young-Nam, Park Hoon, Im Sung-Jae, Yoon Sang-Hwa, Park Min-Ha Running Time: 129 min. By Paul Bramhall In 2016 Yoo Hae-jin and Hyun Bin played a South Korean detective and North Korean agent who team up to track down a rogue North Korean general in Confidential Assignment. Somewhat of a precursor to the trend of movies … Continue reading

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Anchor, The (2022) Review

Director: Jeong Ji-Yeon Cast: Chun Woo-Hee, Shin Ha-Kyun, Lee Hye-Young, Cha Rae-Hyoung, Park Ji-Hyun, Nam Moon-Chul, Im Sung-Jae, Kim Young-Pil, Lee Hae-Woon Running Time: 111 min. By Paul Bramhall There’s something morbidly entertaining about those movies which take a character and put them through the wringer to a point that they become completely unhinged. Jack Nicholson in The Shining, Christian Bale in American Psycho, Natalie Portman in Black Swan – the … Continue reading

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Kill Boksoon (2023) Review

Director: Byun Sung-hyun Cast: Jeon Do-yeon, Sol Kyung-Gu, Kim Si-A, Esom, Koo Gyo-Hwan, Lee Yeon, Lee Jae-Wook, Park Se-Hyun, Ahn Seong-Bong, Kim Sung-Oh, Ki Joo-Bong Running Time: 137 min. By Paul Bramhall At this point there are very few active actors and directors left who haven’t worked with Netflix in some form or another, and in 2023 arguably the most highly regarded actress in Korean cinema, Jeon Do-yeon, made her … Continue reading

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Returned Single-Legged Man | aka The Korean Connection (1974) Review

AKA: The Korean Connection Director: Lee Doo-yong Cast: Han Yong-cheol, Kwan Yung-moon, Jeong Sonyeo, Lee So-yeong, Kim Mun-ju, Nam Chung-il, Bae Su-chun, Kwon Il-soo, Cho Chun, Elton Chong, Hwang Jang Lee, Nam Chung-il, Lim Hae-lim, Kim Ki-bum Running Time: 88 min. By Paul Bramhall Being a fan of Korea’s martial arts output, which spanned from the 1960’s through to the 1990’s, has never been a particularly rewarding endeavour. Want to … Continue reading

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Manchurian Tiger, The (1974) Review

Director: Lee Doo-Yong Cast: Han Yong-cheol, Kim Mun-ju, Bae Su-chun, Woo Yeon-jeong, Chang Il-sik, Park Dong-ryong, Sim Sang Chun, Gang Dong-gyu, Choe Sung-kwan Running Time: 95 min.  By Paul Bramhall Looking back on the evolution of martial arts cinema over the years, there’s little doubt that it was the 1970’s when the genre evolved at such a rate that, if you put a production from 1970 and 1979 side-by-side, it … Continue reading

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Unlocked (2023) Review

Director: Kim Tae-Joon Cast: Chun Woo-Hee, Im Si-Wan, Kim Hee-Won, Park Ho-San, Kim Ye-Won, Jeon Jin-Oh, Oh Hyun-Kyung, Ryoo Sung-Hyun, Jeon Ik-Ryung, Kim Joo-Ryung Running Time: 117 min.  By Paul Bramhall Ever since the mobile phone became widely available in the late 90’s there’s been no shortage of cinematic offerings to have their plots revolve around the device that we can’t live without. Korea is no different, be it supernatural … Continue reading

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War of the God Monsters | aka The Flying Monster (1985) Review

AKA: The Flying Monster Director: Kim Jung-yong Cast: Kim Ki-ju, Nam Hye-gyeong, Kim Da-hye, Moon Tae-Seon, Kim Uk, Jang Cheol Running Time: 85 min.  By Paul Bramhall Korean cinema was in a strange place during the mid-80’s. After military strongman Chun Doo-hwan essentially elected himself as the country’s president in September 1980 following months of martial law and the infamous Gwangju Massacre in May, filmmakers needed to be extra cautious not … Continue reading

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Slate (2021) Review

Director: Jo Bareun Cast: Ahn Ji-hye, Lee Min Ji, Park Tae San, Jung Jin-woo, Lee Se-ho, Nam I-seul, Jo Sun-ki Running Time: 100 min.  By Paul Bramhall It could be argued that the swordplay movie has never really fallen out of fashion in Asian cinema, with each decade bringing about a reinvention of the genre in one way or another. Be it Patrick Tam’s The Sword in the 1980’s, Tsui … Continue reading

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Deep Trap (2015) Review

Director: Kwon Hyung-Jin Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Jo Han-Sun, Kim Min-Kyung, Ji An, Yoon Joo, Kwon Bum-Taek, Kim Dong-Hyun, Min Kyung-Jin, Jeong Gi-Seop, Kang Seung-Wan Running Time: 96 min. By Paul Bramhall In the Korean film industry the mid-budget genre piece has become increasingly rare in recent years, with the international success of 2019’s Parasite and the 2021 Netflix series Squid Game seemingly widening the gap when it comes to production … Continue reading

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Geochilmaru: The Showdown (2005) Review

Director: Kim Jin-sung Cast: Jang Tae-sik, Sung Hong-il, Kwon Min-gi, Yu Rang-rae, Hong Seung-hun, Mi-jeong Oh Running Time: 86 min.  By Paul Bramhall My memory of Geochilmaru – The Showdown being released in 2005 is one of it being dragged over the coals in almost every review it received. Now, with the benefit of hindsight 18 years later, I would theorise there are a couple of contributing factors to the … Continue reading

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Jung_E (2023) Review

Director: Yeon Sang-Ho Cast: Kang Soo-Yeon, Kim Hyun-Joo, Ryoo Kyung-Soo, Lee Dong-Hee, Uhm Ji-Won, Han Woo-Yul, Yun Ki-Chang, Lee Ga-Kyung, Ki Hwan Cha Hee Running Time: 100 min. By Paul Bramhall Watching the journey of director and screenwriter Yeon Sang-ho has been an interesting one. Originally making a name for himself through animated features like King of Pigs and The Fake, stories which were grounded in reality and tackled a … Continue reading

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