The organisers of the first London edition of the SXSW festival have done a great job in securing some enticing Korean movies – including two UK premieres and a world premiere – and scheduling them so that you can get to see them all. Here’s hoping there are sufficient interesting movies left for the festivals later this year. I’m particularly looking forward to the screen adaptations of two recent enjoyable novels. Venues are in Shoreditch / Hoxton.
The Old Woman with the Knife (파과)
UK Premiere
Director: Min Kyu-dong (South Korea, 2025, 2h 14m)
Principal Cast: Lee Hye-yeong, Kim Sung-cheol, Kim Mu-yeol
Rich Mix, June 2, 2025, 8:30 – 11:09 PM | Buy tickets
Curzon Hoxton, June 7, 2025, 6:00 – 8:24 PM | Buy tickets
Based on the book by Gu Byeong-mo, this sleek, action-filled thriller follows Hornclaw, a woman whose job is to clean the city of “human vermin.” A legendary assassin with over four decades on the job, the titular knife-yielding badass must face a new definition of vermin when she finds herself fighting possible proteges turned enemies, who all come looking for revenge. Despite her ageing body, Hornclaw’s killer instinct remains younger than ever; this new, dangerous mission heightens her stealth mind and gives the contract killer a new purpose in life when she least expects it. Isra Al Kassi
Forte (포르테)
World Premiere
Director: Kimbo Kim (Hyoungmin Kim) (South Korea, 2025, 76 mins)
Principal Cast: Chaeyoung LEEM, Jungeun LEE, Jaehong KIM, kyungchang CHO, Sejin CHA
Rich Mix, June 5, 2025, 6:30 – 7:56 PM | Buy tickets
Curzon Hoxton, June 6, 2025, 6:15 – 8:11 PM | Buy tickets
Budding composer Yeonji’s (Leem Chae-young) biggest dream comes true when she lands an entry-level position at the prestigious Forte Studio working on the score for a renowned director’s new film. Soon enough, what was once a dream begins to spiral into a nightmare as the young musician realises her boss — and main reference in the field — is not only overly demanding but also more than happy to take credit for her work. Kimbo Kim’s confidently paced debut cleverly plays with workplace tensions and issues of sexism and ageism to take Forte to a gory, thrilling apex set deep in the Korean woods.
The Square (광장)
Director: KIM Bo-sol (South Korea, 2024, 73 mins)
Rich Mix, June 3, 2025, 8:30 – 10:08 PM | Buy tickets
Curzon Hoxton, June 5, 2025, 6:45 – 8:08 PM | Buy tickets
Deployed to Pyongyang, First Secretary of Sweden Isak Borg lives in a gruelling state of Groundhog Day, his meticulously designed routine allowing for no social interaction outside the constrictions of his bureaucratic job. What his boss doesn’t know, however, is that Isak has been secretly meeting a local traffic security officer, breaking the rules of his profession but nurturing his need for emotional connection. When his lover disappears, Isak begins a frantic search that sees The Square spiral into a whirlwind of paranoia, betrayal, and the unwavering power of love. Rafa Sales Ross
Winter in Sokcho
UK Premiere
Director: Koya KAMURA (France / South Korea, 2024, 1h 44mins)
Principal Cast: Bella KIM, Roschdy ZEM, Mi-hyeon PARK, Tae-Ho RYU, Doyu GONG, Kyung-Soon JUNG
Curzon Hoxton, June 4, 2025, 6:40 – 8:51 PM | Buy tickets
Curzon Hoxton, June 7, 2025, 6:50 – 8:46 PM | Buy tickets
Sooha’s (Bella Kim) pleasant, if dull, life is interrupted by the arrival of an enigmatic guest at the guest house where she works. Firstly, no one really travels during the winter to the remote South Korean town of Sokcho. And secondly, he is French, just like the father who she never met. The arrival of this stranger (Roschdy Zem) sends the young woman into a tailspin of doubts and memories as she struggles with understanding her own place in the world. Koya Kamura’s adaptation of Elisa Shua Dusapin’s acclaimed novel brings to the surface the themes of identity and vulnerability. Anna Bogutskaya
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