Tag Archives: Ma Dong-seok

Villagers, The (2018) Review

Posted on September 26, 2025 by Paul Bramhall

Director: Lim Jin-soon Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Kim Sae-ron, Lee Sang-yeob, Jin Sun-gyu, Jang Gwang, Oh Hee-joon Running Time: 99 min.  By Paul Bramhall The trope of a big city character having to set up shop in a small rural town is one that’s been repeatedly visited in Korean cinema. Whether it be a cop hiding from their past in A Girl at My Door, a grieving widow looking to start … Continue reading →

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Holy Night: Demon Hunters (2025) Review

Posted on May 9, 2025 by Paul Bramhall

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 →

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Roundup: Punishment, The (2024) Review

Posted on April 26, 2024 by Paul Bramhall

Director: Heo Myung-haeng Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Kim Moo-Yul, Lee Dong-Hwi, Park Ji-Hwan, Lee Beom-Soo, Kim Min-Jae, Lee Ji-Hoon, Lee Joo-Bin, Park Bo-kyung, Derek Chouinard Running Time: 109 min.  By Paul Bramhall In a world where it’s perfectly normal to wait a couple of years for a sequel to land, The Roundup rebranded follow-ups to 2017’s The Outlaws have looked to buck the trend. Audiences only had to wait 11 months … Continue reading →

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Badland Hunters (2024) Review

Posted on January 28, 2024 by Paul Bramhall

Director: Heo Myung-haeng Cast: Ma Dong-seok, Lee Hee-Jun, Lee Jun-Young, Roh Jeong-Eui, Ahn Ji-Hye, Park Ji-Hoon, Jang Young-Namm, Park Sang-Hoon , Ahn Seong-Bong Running Time: 107 min. By Paul Bramhall Badland Hunters marks the latest entry in Korea’s burgeoning fascination with post-apocalyptic settings, a spin-off from director Eom Tae-hwa’s Concrete Utopia, which saw a group of survivors living in the last standing apartment block after an earthquake razed Seoul to … Continue reading →

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The Roundup: No Way Out (2023) Review

Posted on June 11, 2023 by Paul Bramhall

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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Deep Trap (2015) Review

Posted on February 7, 2023 by Paul Bramhall

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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Roundup, The | aka The Outlaws II (2022) Review

Posted on July 1, 2022 by Paul Bramhall

Director: Lee Sang-yong Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Son Suk-Ku, Choi Gwi-Hwa, Park Ji-Hwan, Heo Dong-Won, Ha-Joon, Jeong Jae-Kwang, Eum Moon-Suk, Nam Moon-Chul, Park Ji-Young Running Time: 106 min. By Paul Bramhall  Burly Korean actor Ma Dong-seok’s popularity skyrocketed after his supporting turn as a zombie bashing protective husband in 2016’s Train to Busan, leading to him featuring in a whopping 13 productions from 2017 – 2019, over half of which he … Continue reading →

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Ashfall (2019) Review

Posted on February 13, 2022 by Paul Bramhall

Director: Lee Hae-Jun Co-director: Kim Byung-Seo Cast: Lee Byung-Hun, Ha Jung-Woo, Ma Dong-Seok, Jeon Hye-Jin, Bae Suzy, Lee Sang-Won Running Time: 130 min. By Paul Bramhall Korean cinema went for the disaster movie double in 2019, with the low-key Exit offering up a brisk comedic take on the genre, one that saw the residents of Seoul looking to escape a steadily rising cloud of poisonous gas. On the other hand, … Continue reading →

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Derailed (2016) Review

Posted on January 6, 2021 by Paul Bramhall
"Derailed" Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Seong-Tae Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Minho, Kim Jae-Young, Jung Da-Eun, Lee You-Jin, Baek Soo-Min, Kim Won-Sik, Park Ho-San, Park Sung-Il, Han Soo-Hyun, Seo Ho-Chul Running Time: 91 min. By Paul Bramhall Derailed had a pretty bumpy road to the screen, as the story which takes place in the world of runaway teenagers was turned down by every investor it was pitched to, for reasons which become apparently clear once … Continue reading →

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Bad Guys: Reign of Chaos, The (2019) Review

Posted on September 19, 2020 by Paul Bramhall
"The Bad Guys: Reign of Chaos" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Son Yong-ho Writer: Han Jeong-hoon Cast: Kim Sang-Joong, Ma Dong-Seok, Kim A-Joong, Jang Ki-Yong, Gang Ye-Won, Kim In-Woo Running Time: 115 min. By Paul Bramhall Feature length spin-offs of TV shows are a rarity in Korea, so it came as a surprise when the announcement was made that Bad Guys was going to be heading for the big screen. The concept of writer Han Jeong-hoon, Bad Guys aired as … Continue reading →

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One on One (2014) Review

Posted on October 28, 2019 by Paul Bramhall
"One on One" Theatrical Poster

Director: Kim Ki-Duk Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Kim Young-Min, Lee Yi-Kyung, Cho Dong-In, Yoo Teo, Ahn Ji-Hye, Jo Jae-Ryong, Kim Joong-Ki, Kim Jae-Rok, Joo Hee-Joong, Choi Gwi-Hwa Running Time: 122 min. By Paul Bramhall Just like movies are a product of the time they’re made in, so the same can be said for reviews that are written of them. A review of The Matrix in 1999 described it as an innovative … Continue reading →

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Gangster, The Cop, The Devil, The (2019) Review

Posted on September 2, 2019 by Z Ravas
"The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil" Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Won-Tae Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Kim Moo-Yul, Kim Sung-Kyu, Kim Yoon-Sung, Oh Hee-Joon, Choi Min-Chul, Ahn Sung-Bong, Yoo Seung-Mok, Heo Dong-Won Running Time: 110 min. By Z Ravas If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, chances are writer/director Park Hoon-jung is somewhere in Korea blushing a bright shade of crimson right about now. In fact, the biggest surprise about this year’s The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil is … Continue reading →

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Unstoppable (2018) Review

Posted on November 30, 2018 by Paul Bramhall
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 →

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Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days (2018) Review

Posted on July 30, 2018 by Paul Bramhall
"Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days" Teaser Poster

Director: Kim Yong-Hwa Writer: Kim Yong-Hwa Cast: Ha Jung-Woo, Ju Ji-Hoon, Kim Hyang-Gi, Ma Dong-Seok, Kim Dong-Wook, Lee Jung-Jae, Jo Han-Chul, Kim Myung-Gon, Il-woo Nam Running Time: 141 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s been less than a year since Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds hit cinema screens, and already the second part of the consecutively filmed pair is upon us with Along With the Gods: The Last 49 … Continue reading →

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Champion (2018) Review

Posted on May 17, 2018 by Paul Bramhall

Director: Kim Yong-Wan Producer: Han Dong-Hwan Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Kwon Yool, Han Ye-Ri, Choi Seung-Hoon, Ok Ye-Rin, Yang Hyun-Min, Kang Shin-Hyo, Lee Kyoo-Ho, Bae Myung-Ho, Kim Dong-Hyun Running Time: 108 min. By Paul Bramhall In 1987 Sylvester Stallone famously headlined the arm wrestling movie Over the Top, having agreed to star in it believing that, in all likelihood, nobody would watch it. He was wrong, of course, as despite its … Continue reading →

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