A Hong Kong / Korean co-production set in Amsterdam, Daisy would be a stunningly beautiful, engaging love story and suspenseful thriller if not for the lapses in logic and the fact that the narration pushes itself too far and takes itself a little bit too seriously. [Read More]
LKL articles by Hangul Celluloid (page 19)
A Good Lawyer’s Wife (바람난 가족, 2003) review: a family having affairs
The Korean title only partially sets the scene: “A family having affairs”. On the surface, Im Sang-soo’s A Good Lawyer’s Wife positively pulsates with explicitness while, at its heart, beats a deeply intelligent critique of family and the scars that familial bonds can create. In short, an utterly astonishing film. [Read More]
Mother (마더, 2009) review: when devotion becomes obsession
Bong Joon-ho’s Mother explores the unsettling symbiosis between a protective mother and her mentally disabled son. The film highlights how guilt and desperation drive a parent to abandon moral guidelines, eventually transforming her into a “monster” to protect her child. A gritty, multi-layered critique of how easily the line between love and depravity blurs. [Read More]
Death Bell (고死: 피의 중간고사, 2008) review: classroom carnage in mid-term exams
Death Bell is unlikely to cause viewers to alter their list of the best ever Korean horror films. But its old-school feel combined with nods to more recent horror fare, alongside references to the pressures that Korea’s school system places on pupils, parents and teachers alike, make it a welcome addition to the genre. [Read More]
Thirst (박쥐, 2009) review: vampirism, desire and the collapse of moral certainty
Park Chan-wook’s Thirst reimagines the vampire myth as a sensual, violent struggle between faith, desire and morality. Blending black humour, brutality and romance to question belief, free will and the nature of humanity, Thirst truly is a sumptuous film and the sum of its many parts utterly redefines the concept of beauty and the beast. [Read More]
The World of Silence (조용한 세상, 2006) review: trauma, trust, and a flawed but compelling thriller
Though flawed by the use of unlikely coincidences to move major plot points forward, worthy underlying theme discussion combined with engaging characterisation and some superb acting make The World of Silence a welcome addition to the serial killer/thriller genre. [Read More]
Breathless (똥파리, 2009) review: fractured families, inherited violence
Breathless is a visceral discussion of the legacy which violence can create and the ease with which it can span generations, infecting everything and everyone in its path. Utilizing a gritty, low-budget aesthetic, Breathless is an outstanding film which truly packs a punch and will take your breath away. [Read More]
Portrait of a Beauty (미인도, 2008) review: art and obscenity; morality and hypocrisy
Sexually explicit in both narrative content and imagery, the sumptuously filmed Portrait of a Beauty asks what dictates whether visual depictions of the sexual act are deemed as art or seen simply as pornography, deftly critiquing Joseon-era Korea, in the process. [Read More]
White night (백야행: 하얀 어둠 속을 걷다, 2009) review: beauty, darkness and moral ambiguity entwined
White Night is an utterly superlative film which repeatedly reminds fans of Korean films of the reasons they fell in love with South Korean cinema in the first place. Film of the year! [Read More]
Green Chair (녹색의자, 2005) review: taboo intimacy and social judgment
Park Chul-soo’s Green Chair exquisitely and explicitly tackles the taboo subject of a love affair between an older woman and a minor. Structured in three movements, it gives an insight into the minds, and opinions, of those both inside and outside the risqué relationship [Read More]
This Charming Girl (여자, 정혜, 2004) review: isolation, memory and the need for connection
This Charming Girl peels away the layers of an ordinary, everyday woman to reveal a character much more interesting and complex than she appears on the surface. An incredible film with astounding realism, This Charming Girl deftly shows that everyone has a story worth telling. [Read More]
Oasis (오아시스, 2002) review: forcing us to face our own prejudices
Lee Chang-dong has created a confrontational, moving masterpiece that explores the illicit bond between a social misfit and a woman with cerebral palsy. It is both a love story and a story about the human condition and the mirror it holds up for viewers to look at themselves in stays long after the credits roll. [Read More]
The Fox Family (구미호 가족, 2006) review: monsters, music and the meaning of humanity
At the same time, a horror film, a black comedy, a musical extravaganza and a love story, The Fox Family asks whether humanity is reserved for, and often wasted on, humans. A genuinely funny and engaging film which, like its characters, has more to it than initially meets the eye. [Read More]
Il Mare (시월애, 2000) review: classic time-spanning romance via mysterious mailbox
Telling a time-spanning romance between two lonely individuals who connect through a mysterious mailbox, Il Mare is unashamedly romantic but never resorts to being sappy. Warmth exudes from the characters, the dialogue and the screen imagery and the whole film feels like it could be real – quite something considering the other-worldliness of the story. [Read More]
Memories of Murder (살인의 추억, 2003) review: a masterpiece of tone and tension
Bong Joon-ho’s Memories of Murder is a masterful blend of black humor, procedural intensity, and poignant social commentary. Based on Korea’s first serial killer case, the film follows a bumbling local detective and a focused Seoul investigator. With subtle direction, haunting cinematography, and exceptional acting, it transcends the genre to deliver a deeply sincere, atmospheric experience. [Read More]
My Sassy Girl (엽기적인 그녀, 2001) review: the rom-com that started it all
Slapstick and melodrama combine in this romance between an aggressive, wounded heroine and her devoted partner. With engaging characters, witty dialogue and some truly laugh out loud moments My Sassy Girl makes watching a sociopath beat up her boyfriend more fun than you could ever imagine. [Read More]