Seoul descends into chaos as a devil-worshipping criminal network emerges. In a desperate plea for salvation, the police are forced to enlist ‘Holy Night’, a trio of demon hunters armed with supernatural powers. Can ‘Holy Night’ conquer the devil’s reign and restore order to the city? Screening at: London: ODEON Haymarket / Kingston / Greenwich … [Read More]
People: Ma Dong-seok
The Roundup: Punishment (범죄도시 4) – UK theatrical release
‘Monster Cop’ Ma Seok-do (Don LEE) investigates an illegal online gambling business led by a former STS Baek (KIM Moo-yul) and an IT genius CEO Chang (LEE Dong-hwi). Ma proposes an unexpected alliance to Jang (PARK Ji-hwan) and begins hunting down the criminals. LONDON ODEON Haymarket / Wimbledon / Kingston CINEWORLD Leicester Square / O2 … [Read More]
The Roundup: No Way Out: UK theatrical release
The monster cop Ma Seok-do returns— This time, to the Metro Investigations! Seven years after the roundup in Vietnam, Ma Seok-do (Don LEE) joins a new squad to investigate a murder case. Soon, he finds out this case involves busting a synthetic drug and starts to dig deeper… Meanwhile, the guy behind it all—Joo Sung-chul … [Read More]
Movie review double bill: Along with the Gods 1 and 2
Somehow, I managed to miss last year’s fantasy blockbuster Along with the Gods. I didn’t spot that it got a brief UK release until it was too late, and the movie didn’t make to any of the UK festivals to my knowledge. I didn’t even read any reviews. But it registered in my brain as … [Read More]
Train to Busan (부산행, 2016) review: zombies, corporate self-interest and a relentless ride
A father and daughter’s train journey becomes a fight for survival when a zombie outbreak erupts onboard. Combining ferocious, fast-moving undead with humour, emotional stakes and critiques of corporate selfishness, Train to Busan delivers white-knuckle intensity, crowd-pleasing thrills and a rare balance of spectacle and human drama. Miss it at your peril. [Read More]
Brief review: Train to Busan
What can you say about Train to Busan that hasn’t already been said? When everyone tells you it’s a fantastic thrill-ride you try to go into the screening with lowered expectations just in case everyone is delusional and you come away disappointed. No need to fear. It’s pretty much non-stop entertainment from start to finish, … [Read More]
Azooma (공정사회, 2012) review: a gritty if unbalanced critique of social injustice and patriarchal apathy
At its core, Azooma is a critique of Korean society at large, a dissection of injustices in the name of procedure, and lingering patriarchy. But the decision to focus the narrative culmination on suddenly chosen revenge, almost as catharsis, leaves Azooma teetering between being an overly rushed revenge genre film and an insightful dramatic thriller. [Read More]
Neighbors (이웃사람, 2012) review: guilt, communal apathy and genre confusion in a serial killer drama
While Korean cinema is well known for its deft ability to merge genres, in ‘Neighbors’ their mixing with a multitude of individual character stories results in a film that, though interesting and well-acted, feels rather cluttered and even schizophrenic on more than one occasion. [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]