The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale is inherently and deliberately silly but that fact in itself is a plus point in this case and any film fans (Korean or other) looking for a couple of horror/comedy hours of sheer tongue in cheek, genuinely funny zombie escapism could do a lot worse than check it out. [Read More]
People: Eom Ji-won
The Phone (더폰, 2015) review: a tense but derivative time-slip thriller
While The Phone is engaging enough for the most part, its ‘love across time’ elements lack the originality to be seen as much more than derivative, and a glaring contrivance to enable the film’s conclusion to actually take place sadly stands as the narrative’s most memorable element. [Read More]
Missing (aka Missing Woman, 미씽: 사라진여자, 2016) review: a poignant study of motherhood and societal despair
While the societal issues critiqued in ‘Missing’ – and indeed its child abduction story as a whole – can be found in a virtual plethora of Korean films, director Lee Eon-hee wholly succeeds in weaving them together into a worthy, grippingly intricate and ultimately deeply poignant tale of motherhood and female understanding of female pain. [Read More]
The Silenced (경성학교: 사라진 소녀들, 2015) review: atmosphere, mystery and unfulfilled promise
Initially accomplished and deftly realised, The Silenced sadly soon becomes a victim of its own early promise. While the mystery at the film’s core has worked well enough as a theme in ‘B’ action movies and sci-fi TV shows, the praiseworthy aspects of The Silenced ultimately deserve a far more original and unpredictable outcome… [Read More]
Jo Jin-gyu’s Shaman Gangster / Man on the Edge is great entertainment
I know I’ve been somewhat grouchy about a lot of K-film recently, so let me make amends. What could be better than a hilarious but tearjerking shaman gangster almost-semi-gay rom-com. Man on the Edge (aka Shaman Gangster, 박수건달, Dir Jo Jin-gyu, 2013, starring a brilliant Park Sin-yang as a gangster who discovers he is in … [Read More]
Hope (aka Wish) (소원, 2013) review: finding humanity and healing in the aftermath of unthinkable trauma
A devastating yet profoundly humane drama, Hope focuses on a young girl’s journey towards physical and emotional recovery after unimaginable trauma. Director Lee Joon-ik balances heartbreak with compassion, crafting a deeply moving film anchored by an astonishing, career-defining performance from child actress Lee Re. [Read More]
The Good, The Bad, The Weird (좋은 놈, 나쁜 놈, 이상한 놈, 2008) review: exhilarating action and genre-blending fun
The Good, The Bad, The Weird revels in kinetic set-pieces, black humour and playful genre parody, delivering relentless momentum and crowd-pleasing thrills. OK, the plot isn’t multi-layered, there’s no real “good will triumph over evil” but if that’s what you’re looking for you’re missing the point. [Read More]
The Scarlet Letter (주홍글씨, 2004) review: desire, deception and the cost of temptation
The Scarlet Letter is an utterly gripping work showing the darker side of love and the consequences of surrendering completely to lust and temptation, using explicit sexuality in a tragic study of identity, power and consequences. It also serves as a tribute to the talent of the late Lee Eun-joo. [Read More]