‘Hijacking’ depicts in-flight emergency based on 1971 incident

Helmed by director Kim Sung-han, crime action film “Hijacking” centers on a real-life airplane hijacking incident from 1971, when two South Korean pilots were forced to redirect their plane carrying 51 passengers toward North Korea. A star-studded cast including Ha Jung-woo (“Saint Narcotics"), Yeo Jin-goo (“The Crowned Clown”), Sung Dong-il (“Reply” series) and Chae Soo-bin (“Sweet and Sour”) depicts the in-flight emergency in the movie

May 22, 2024

Ryoo Seung-wan’s ‘I, The Executioner’ premieres at Cannes Film Festival

South Korean filmmaker Ryoo Seung-wan’s new action blockbuster “I, The Executioner” premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on Monday. The 77th edition of the film festival kicked off Wednesday last week and runs through Saturday. “I, The Executioner,” also known as “Veteran 2” here, is a sequel to the 2015 hit blockbuster “Veteran” which attracted 13.41 million viewers. The movie is the only Korean film that has been invited to the offici

May 21, 2024

Bucheon Fantastic Film Fest to revisit Son Ye-jin’s career

The 28th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival is holding a special exhibition on celebrated South Korean actor Son Ye-jin. She is the sixth actor to have a retrospective exhibition at BIFAN. Other luminaries in the Korean film industry such as actors Choi Min-sik, Jeon Do-yeon, Jung Woo-sung, Kim Hye-soo and Sol Kyung-ku have been previously highlighted in BIFAN exhibitions. The 28th BIFAN kicks off July 4 and runs through July 14. Titled “Unrivaled Son Ye-jin” (direct trans

May 20, 2024

[Herald Interview] Byun Yo-han's 'unlikable' character is result of calculated acting

Actor Byun Yo-han, whose appearance in “The Book of Fish” (2021) and “Hansan: Rising Dragon” (2022) left the audience with resonating, serious acting, has returned to the silver screen with an unlikable, somewhat perverted character in “Following.” The mystery thriller centers on a real estate agent named Gu Jeong-tae (Byun), who has a strange if not perverse habit of peeping into other people’s lives. Whether it’s a person living next door or a cl

May 18, 2024

Two films featuring late Lee Sun-kyun open this summer

Two films starring late actor Lee Sun-kyun will posthumously hit theaters this summer, according to movie distributors Friday. "Project Silence," an action thriller by director Kim Tae-gon, is currently under review for theatrical release in July, the movie’s distributor CJ ENM said Friday. The film revolves around Jung-won (Lee Sun-kyun), who is stranded on a collapsed bridge shrouded in thick fog. Ju Ji-hoon appears as a tow truck driver to clear crashed cars from the bridge. T

May 17, 2024

Netflix Korea launches ‘Grow Creative’ education program for creators

Netflix Korea announced Friday an expanded education program for creators aimed at establishing a high-quality content production ecosystem and discovering and nurturing local talents. Titled “Grow Creative,” the program will run throughout the year to teach the latest production technologies and offer insights into market trends to aspiring content creators and VFX technicians. Netflix Korea has run workshops targeting local industry insiders since 2022 but it is the first time that

May 17, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Late Night with the Devil” (Australia) Opened May 8 Horror/Thriller Directed by Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes Things go horribly wrong during the live broadcast of a successful variety late-night talk show Night Owls in 1977, as the show’s host Jack Delroy invites special guests for the occult-themed episode on Halloween. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” (US) Opened May 8 Action/Sci-fi Directed by Wes Ball A young ape goes on a journey many years after the re

May 17, 2024

'Furiosa' speeds into the Cannes Film Festival

CANNES, France (AP) — Start your engines. “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” rolls into the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday, returning George Miller's dystopia-on-wheels to the Croisette promenade and launching one of the most anticipated movies of the summer. The latest “Mad Max” film, starring Anya Taylor-Joy as a young Furiosa, is premiering in Cannes almost exactly nine years after “Mad Max: Fury Road” debuted at the French festival. Miller, who has se

May 15, 2024

'The Roundup: Punishment' sets another record with 10m admissions

The crime-action film "The Roundup: Punishment" set another record by attracting more than 10 million viewers on Wednesday, after 22 days of screening, data showed. According to the data from the movie's distributor, ABO Entertainment, the fourth installment of the "The Roundup" crime-action film franchise topped more than 10 million. With Wednesday's record, three installments in the "The Roundup" series attracted more than 10 million viewers each. "

May 15, 2024

‘When We Bloom Again’ depicts bereaved families’ strife, sorrow after Sewol tragedy

Over the past decade since the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster, which claimed nearly 300 lives of high school students on a field trip, numerous documentaries on the tragedy have been made. In contrast, there have been just a few feature films, likely because this genre requires a careful and sensitive approach to dramatizing of the disaster. In “When We Bloom Again,” which has the Korean title “On the Day when Cotton Blooms,” (direct translation), the story is told from two di

May 14, 2024

[Herald Review] 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' offers meticulously crafted scenes, layered characters

Upon its release in 2011, the classic Hollywood blockbuster IP Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy, backed by Oscar-nominated VFX techniques, captivated audiences worldwide with its shocking story of primates challenging humans as the dominant species on Earth. The series is back seven years later with a meticulously crafted fourth installment, which effectively prompts the question of what it means to be human -- and whether it will be possible for different species with high intelligence to co

May 14, 2024

[New on the scene] Director Kim Se-hwi captures dark side of social media in thriller

While people’s obsession and dependence on social media services have only grown stronger in recent years, social media use can be a double-edged sword. It can be a tool used to gain important information and spread useful tips, or it can be a means to stalk people or even plot a crime. In director Kim Se-hwi’s debut film, “Following,” a real estate agent named Gu Jeong-tae (Byun Yo-han) has a strange if not perverse habit of peeping into other people’s lives. Wheth

May 13, 2024

Lee Sun-kyun's posthumuous film to hit theaters in August

"The Land of Happiness," a film starring the late actor Lee Sun-kyun, known for his appearance in the Oscar-winning flick "Parasite," will hit theaters in August, according to the film's distributor, Friday. "The Land of Happiness" depicts the story of a lawyer, Jung In-hoo (Jo Jung-suk), who defends a soldier named Park Tae-joo (Lee Sun-kyun) during a trial involving the assassination of President Park Chung-hee, according to NEW, the film's distributor.

May 10, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” (US) Opened May 8 Action/Sci-fi Directed by Wes Ball A young ape goes on a journey many years after the reign of Caesar, following the War for the Planet of the Apes. Now this journey, which questions everything he's been taught about the past, can determine the future for apes and humans alike. “The Fall Guy” (US) Opened May 1 Action/Comedy Directed by David Leitch A down-and-out stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is called ag

May 10, 2024

Suzy, Park Bo-gum star in AI fantasy romance ‘Wonderland’

“Wonderland,” a sci-fi fantasy and romance film set in the near future that deals with relationships, death and life, shows what it is like to communicate using AI technology, director Kim Tae-yong said Thursday. The movie revolves around people reuniting in a virtual world called Wonderland. Tang Wei, Suzy and Park Bo-gum star as those who ask to meet people they loved but cannot meet anymore in the real world. Jung Yu-mi and Choi Woo-shik appear as staff who support the AI service

May 9, 2024

Namkoong Sun’s 'Time to Be Strong' nabs 3 prizes at Jeonju film fest

Director Ingrid Porkropek’s “The Major Tones,” director Namkoong Sun’s “Time to Be Strong” and director Gong Seon-jeong’s “Farewell” are the winners of the top prizes in the international film, Korean film and Korean short film categories, respectively, at this year's Jeonju International Film Festival. A total of 15 best films in the international competition section, the Korean competition and the Korean short film competition section

May 8, 2024

‘Moving,’ ‘12.12: The Day’ win top prizes at 60th Baeksang Arts Awards

“12.12: The Day,” also known as “Seoul’s Spring” in Korean, and Disney+ sci-fi fantasy series “Moving” won the top honors at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards on Tuesday. Prolific actor Hwang Jung-min, who played the head of the Defense Security Command Chun Doo-gwang in “12.12: The Day,” also snatched the best actor award in the film category. He had been likened to the “Leonardo DiCaprio of Baeksang” for a long streak of missing out

May 7, 2024

Local filmmakers criticize ‘The Roundup: Punishment’ monopoly of screens

While ticket sales of the latest crime action franchise “The Roundup: Punishment” continue to climb toward the 10 million mark, filmmakers criticized the film’s monopoly of screens, occupying over 80 percent of all screens in Korea. The film is the fourth installment about hot-blooded detective Ma Seok-do (Ma Dong-seok), who this time is on a mission to nab the head of an illegal casino cartel. With no clear rivals in cinemas following its April 24 opening, the movie quickly ga

May 7, 2024

[What to Watch] Game, set, match: Three great sports films to watch

Sports films inevitably have their cliches -- underdog stories, training montages, the inspiring pep talk and, of course, ultimately reaching a satisfying conclusion regardless of the last game's outcome. But just like the sports themselves, the movies offer the audience unpredictable elements and sometimes even a twist on the big screen. A detailed replication of an actual sports scene in a cinematic way is another perk of the genre. Rivalry, adversity and masculinity are common themes to

May 4, 2024

[Herald Interview] ‘Time to Be Strong’ follows retired K-pop idols’ self-discovery

JEONJU, North Jeolla Province -- This year’s Jeonju International Film Festival saw its iconic Korean Competition section receive the highest number of submissions ever -- 134 films. While a majority of the submissions focused on female narratives, director Namkoong Sun’s “Time to Be Strong” clearly stood out among the 10 films in competition for the top three awards. The rookie director’s second feature film “Time to Be Strong” follows three retired K-p

May 3, 2024