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Asian cinema: Korean films

A still from Korean AI-powered film Mateo. Creators say AI opens the door for anyone to create content, but question whether it can sustain viewer engagement. Photo: MBC C&I

AI-driven K-dramas, movies ring in new era of freedom for creators

Producers in Korea use ChatGPT and similar software to script dramas and films, and do AI editing. It cuts costs but there are still hurdles.

Profile | Meet Jung Yu-mi, star of coming K-drama Love Your Enemy

Recap | Gladiator II, Love in the Big City, Cesium Fallout: our latest film reviews

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Review | Love in the Big City: Kim Go-eun shines in 5-star romantic comedy

Korea’s rampant misogyny and homophobia are highlighted in this intelligent romcom, boosted by a fine performance from Kim Go-eun.

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Kim Go-eun as Jae-hee in a still from Love in the Big City.

Profile | Meet Kim Tae-ri, beloved Korean actress of Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born

Kim Tae-ri burst onto the scene in acclaimed 2016 erotic thriller The Handmaiden, and she has only gone from strength to strength since.

10 of the best movies at the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival 2024

This year’s programme includes a drama ripped from Hong Kong headlines, a social satire in a near-future Japan and a modern romantic drama.

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The top 5 Korean premieres at the 2024 Busan International Film Festival

Our pick of Korean movies that premiered at the film festival, from crime comedy collection The Killers to period action thriller Uprising.

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A still from The Land of Morning Calm, which premiered at the 2024 Busan International Film Festival.

How Gang Dong-won prepared for role in Netflix’s Uprising by playing golf

Korean star Gang Dong-won talks about practising his sword swing on the golf course, and how Netflix allows filmmakers more artistic freedom.

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Review | Hear Me: Our Summer, Korean remake of deaf romance, is problematic

The film’s demeaning portrayal of the deaf community and a final reveal that is insulting in its sheer stupidity make this one to miss.

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Review | Bogota: City of the Lost – abysmal ‘crime’ movie starring Song Joong-ki

Song Joong-ki stars as an immigrant who becomes a Colombian crime lord in Korean movie Bogota: City of the Lost, a one-star waste of time.

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Lee Hee-joon (left) and Song Joong-ki in a still from Bogota: City of the Lost. Photo: Plus M Entertainment and Watermelon Pictures Co., Ltd

Review | Uprising: Gang Dong-won leads a rebellion in lavish Netflix movie

Big on sword-fighting, but lacking in narrative, Netflix historical movie follows two friends who end up on opposing sides in a rebellion.

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Gang Dong-won as Cheon-yeong in a still from Uprising. Photo: Lee Jae-hyuk/Netflix

5 movies and TV shows to watch in Hong Kong this weekend, September 27-29

Inside Out 2, Wolfs and The Judge from Hell all hit streaming services while Stuntman and I, the Executioner open in Hong Kong cinemas today.

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Review | Officer Black Belt: Kim Woo-bin stars in fun Netflix action comedy

Kim Woo-bin plays a martial artist who finds some much-needed purpose in new Netflix action comedy Officer Black Belt, directed by Jason Kim.

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Giant panda and her South Korean keeper focus of ‘heartwarming’ film

Documentary Hello, Grandpa, a mix of live-action and animated scenes, tells the story of Fu Bao, a giant panda born in South Korea, her bond with her zookeeper and her bittersweet relocation to China.

A still from Hello, Grandpa. The documentary traces the journey of Fu Bao, the first giant panda born in South Korea, and her special relationship with the zookeeper who raised her, ahead of her relocation to China. Photo: Acomz

Profile | Meet Park Ju-hyun, feisty star of new K-drama Perfect Family

The South Korean star was close to becoming a K-pop trainee before pursuing an acting career. She’s been on the ascendant since 2020’s Extracurricular, and had a star turn in drama series Mouse.

Korean actress Park Ju-hyun. Photo: Instagram/@charmgirl_1005.

Review | Pilot is a Korean cross-dressing comedy that takes on gender imbalance

Jo Jung-suk stars as a disgraced pilot working for a rival airline as a woman in this cross-dressing comedy – less a tale of deception than one that highlights gender imbalance in today’s world.

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5 of the best things to do this weekend, August 9-11, in Hong Kong

A neon signs exhibition, a K-pop girl group pop-up store, a boozy night out and more awaits those looking for entertainment in Hong Kong this weekend.

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Film recalls the resilience of Korean factory girls in Japan

A Song of Korean Factory Girls tells the story of 30,000 Korean women, mostly teenagers, who faced discrimination while working in textile mills in Japan during the colonial era.

A scene from the documentary A Song of Korean Factory Girls. Photo: courtesy of Cinema Dal

Review | Mission: Cross, Korean spy caper on Netflix, is an action-packed romp

In Netflix action comedy Mission: Cross, Yum Jung-ah shines as a top detective who discovers her husband (Hwang Jung-min) is a retired special forces operative.

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5 of the best things to do this weekend August 3-4 in Hong Kong

There is plenty to do this weekend – feline fans can hit the Cat Expo in Wan Chai, MTR enthusiasts an exhibition in Wong Chuk Hang, and those looking to escape the heat an ice rink in Discovery Bay.

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5 movies or shows to watch this weekend August 3-4 in Hong Kong

The weekend’s viewing highlights include recent Godzilla and Planet of the Apes films, a ‘reverse heist’ caper, and from Korea, a historical hijack story and a mystery manhunt thriller.

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Ha Jung-woo in a still from Hijack 1971.

Review | Hijack 1971 tells true story of Korean Air Lines jet hijacked to North Korea

First-time director Kim Sung-han ably conjures an era of high tension between North and South Korea, the context in which the events of Hijack 1971, inspired by true events, take place.

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Ha Jung-woo in a still from Hijack 1971.

Kurosawa, Godzilla and girlishness: Choi Jinhee on themes in East Asian cinema

Professor of film studies at King’s College, London, Choi has created a course that uses the films as a gateway to explore the societies that produced them

K-pop singer and actress Lee Hye-ri on her ‘intense’ role in Victory

Lee Hye-ri went from K-pop success to a household K-drama name. She talks about playing a cheerleader for her first lead movie role in Victory, and winning an award at the New York Asian Film Festival.

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Profile | Meet Go Min-si, rising K-drama star back for Netflix’s Sweet Home 3

Korean actress Go Min-si, seen in Sweet Home on Netflix, is a rising K-drama star. We recall her roles, consider her versatility and look at what’s next.

Korean actress Go Min-si rose to global fame with her role in Sweet Home on Netflix after playing a wide range of roles. She will be back on Netflix in season 3 of the series on July 19, and will be in another series for the streaming platform, The Frog, also in 2024. Photo: Instagram/@gominsi

Are AI-generated films the future? Festival launches competition for them

The first competition in Korea for AI-generated films has been launched by the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, where experts debated AI’s impact on content creation and the film industry.

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A still from AI-generated feature film Who Said Death Is Beautiful? Photo: Rain Trail Pictures

Review | The Plot: showy Korean remake of Soi Cheang’s Accident falls flat

The story of a group of assassins who disguise their hits as accidents, and their increasingly paranoid leader, is needlessly complicated in this remake. If there is some social commentary, it is obscured by chaos.

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Profile | Meet Lee Je-hoon, K-drama star of Taxi Driver and Chief Detective 1958

South Korean actor Lee Je-hoon, best known for his role in K-drama Taxi Driver, endeared himself to viewers with his fearless approach to acting and his willingness to challenge himself in a variety of roles.

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Asian cinema: Korean films
From the stylish blockbusters of Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho to art-house gems by Hong Sang-soo and Kim Ki-duk, this is the place to go for reviews, interviews and features about movies both classic and new from South Korea.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
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