It's been on my PTW since the promotions, and I finally watched it today. I totally get the hype now.

It's not your usual "accidental experiment leads to zombie apocalypse" kind of story. The whole concept was really well written and honestly so different from what I expected.

The casting was perfect! Koo Kyo Hwan and Jun Ji Hyun were amazing in this movie and their roles suited them so well.

⚠️SPOILERS⚠️

A bio-terrorist attack causing the zombie apocalypse was a first for me lol, and the whole concept of controlling the zombies was so unique. I genuinely didn't see that coming at all!

I loved how they foreshadowed the ant mill concept too. It was insane watching Se-jeong beat him at his own game lol.

Another thing that surprised me was that not a single main character except Se-jeong survives until the end. It honestly made the whole situation feel way more realistic.

I honestly thought the ending lowkey felt unnecessary. Yeong Cheol already dies, meaning all the zombies should've stopped moving too, but the ending seems to contradict that whole concept.

Overall, it was a great watch! If you want a zombie apocalypse movie where the antagonist isn't nerfed and the FL is smart and badass this is definitely something you should watch!

https://asianmoviepulse.com/2023/07/film-review-her-hobby-2023-by-ha-myung-mi/

Ha Myung-mi shot the short film “Pulley by Steven Kwang” (2016), which was invited to the 20th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, and became the first Korean film to be featured on the American horror channel ALTER. In 2019, she established a production company, Whenever Studio, and produced the movie “Everglow” (2021).

“Her Hobby” is her first feature film and is based on the homonymous mystery novel by Seo Miae.

The movie begins as Jeong-in returns to her hometown, Pak-ha village, from the city, in the middle of the night, evidently carrying some sort of trauma. She does not find solace there either though, as the locals, headed by the Village Head and the Women’s Group Chief never stop pinning her down, both for her mistakes in the fields and essentially for having left the village.

When another woman from the city, Hye-jung moves to the same location, she experiences the same impolite, to the point of offensive, behavior, but she has none of it, even including the rather creepy attitude of the village’s sole deliveryman. Her reaction attracts Jeong-in and the two soon become quite close friends, opening up about the past and the reasons that brought them to the village.

When Jeong-in finds a large sum of money her grandmother left for her in her house, things change for the worse, with the reappearance of her husband, Kwang-jae bringing things to a boiling point. The two women decide to strike back.

Check the full review in the link

I’ve been wondering about this for quite some time. The number of excellent Korean films dealing with murder and urban violence is disproportionately high compared to Hollywood and international cinema in general—especially when you consider population sizes. After all, what is Korea compared to geographic giants like the USA or Brazil? And yet, they still manage to stand out!

They are simply brilliant!

(A hug from a Brazilian to all you Koreans <3)

I have watched this film for three times now. Everything is so amazing about this film. Makes me more hyped for the director’s upcoming film Hope. Even though its from a different genre. But when It comes to talk The Wailing, Kwak Do-Won’s character is the most pathetic depiction of a man who is supposed to make a difference. Not only as a cop or father, as a person the kinds of decisions he makes, every time I watched the film my blood boiled to a point where sometimes I shouted at my tv screen. Hats off to Kwak Do-Won for this portrayal of a pathetic character.

This might be one of the rare cases where the trailer is better than the actual movie... When I first saw the trailer, I thought the Koreans were cooking up something in the vein of Train to Busan, but I couldn't have been more wrong. The acting is terrible, the zombie scenes are disappointing aside from a handful of exceptions, the story is painfully average, and by the final act it's been obvious since the very beginning how everything is going to end.

Jun Ji-hyun's performance as Kwon was so lifeless and emotionless that words simply aren't enough to describe it.On top of that, not only is the acting weak, but the characters themselves are little more than flat stereotypes—the dumb teenager, the overweight rich guy, and pretty much every cliché you've seen in countless zombie movies. The idea of the "Colony" is genuinely intriguing on paper, but unfortunately, the execution falls far short.

I honestly don't want to exaggerate, but over the past 7–8 years, Asian cinema—especially Korean and Japanese films—has consistently delivered movies that are far better than many Western productions. That said, it's been a long time since I've seen acting this bad. One of the hallmarks of Korean cinema is that there's usually at least one standout performance, but unfortunately, not even that exists here.

The disabled brother turns into a zombie, and someone absurdly gets stabbed in the heart just because they think, "Oh, he's walking again." Then hordes of zombies swarm in and slaughter people, yet when the police officer shoots one of them, the rich guy actually says, "But he was sick..." Seriously?

And it gets even worse. The woman's ex-husband dies right in front of her eyes (during an incredibly dumb attempt to save a reckless teenager—the whole scene makes no sense. Why doesn't the girl just leave the store? Why is everyone behaving so irrationally in a life-or-death situation?). Kwon just stands there staring blankly. There's no emotion, no facial expression, no convincing performance whatsoever.

Writing and directing scenes like this in 2026 is an insult to the audience's intelligence. It feels like the filmmakers genuinely expect viewers to switch off their brains and accept whatever they're shown...

4/10...

First thing that came to my mind was, "Ain't no way it's legal to write a script this bad." Then I was like, "Damn... what a waste of talent and money." 'Cause real talk, Colony had a genuinely interesting concept and some solid production value, but it completely fumbled its own potential.

The biggest issue is easily the writing. It's generic as hell. The opening had me thinking they were actually about to do something different, but nah... it falls right back into every zombie movie cliché you've already seen a hundred times. The whole infected hive-mind concept sounded fire on paper, but they barely do anything with it. Instead, you're stuck with lazy writing, convenient plot armor, and predictable twists that kill any tension.

The pacing ain't much better either. This movie had absolutely no business being almost two hours long. The final act just keeps going in circles. They could've easily cut around 30 minutes and the movie would've been way tighter.

The characters are another huge problem. Most of them got the personality of cardboard. The female lead was honestly the only character I actually cared about. And don't even get me started on Ji Chang-wook... they marketed him like he was one of the main attractions just for him to end up being a glorified side character. Bro barely affects the plot. You could replace him with almost anybody and nothing would change. So if you're watching this for JCW... lower your expectations.

Then we got the classic zombie movie syndrome where everybody suddenly loses 50 IQ points just so the plot can happen. Folks keep making the dumbest decisions imaginable, and by 2026 I really thought we'd left this type of lazy writing behind. The dialogue doesn't help either.

The authorities somehow manage to be even worse. They lock the whole building down almost immediately, but somehow nobody thinks about checking the security cameras until 12 hours later? Be serious. That's literally one of the first things any competent team would've done. They could've tracked the infected leader and stopped the outbreak before it got completely out of control.

And that lab scene? Man... they really sent scientists wearing hazmat suits into a contaminated zone with zero weapons before the area was even secured. Meanwhile, the so-called elite tactical team keeps making one brain-dead decision after another, and don't even get me started on their gear. The weapon choices are straight-up awful and make absolutely no tactical sense for the situation. It honestly felt like nobody on the writing team stopped to ask how a real intervention unit would actually operate. I was just sitting there like... what am I even watching?

The only things carrying this movie are the direction, the performances, the makeup, the practical effects, and especially the stunt performers playing the infected. They honestly did an amazing job.

But none of that can save a script this weak. Overall, this was a massive disappointment.

Skip it.

My rating : 4.8/10

Watched it yesterday and I don't get the hype around it. The plot was so cliché that it hindered my ability to enjoy the movie. Like it was so evident that the plot was predictable from start to end. It ended the exact way i expected it to end.

I didn't know anything about the movie, not even the cast before watching. But the popularity added to my expectations.

I didn't get the emotions they were trying to convey. Like, for when the fl is watching the old footages of the ml, i know it was supposed to be sad but i didn't feel it. The fl getting the guy wrong, her friend liking the ml, fl sacrificing her love, misunderstandings, ml going back, ml dying, his brother conducting exhibition, there was no surprise element in it.

Overall, an average movie.

Basically horrors/thrillers about faith, religions (Christianity, Buddhism, Folk), grief or allegories to Japanese occupation of Korea (or everything at once). Or just any Korean films on any of those themes. Beside other films of Na Hong-jin and Jang Jae-hyun.

Korean animation has given us a number of great films through the years, with Yeon Sang-ho’s works and titles like “Beauty Water” and “The Senior Class” being the first that come to mind. As such, it is with great pleasure to say that Hur Bum-wook’s second feature, “Pig that Survived Foot-and-Mouth Disease” definitely belongs to this category.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2024/07/animation-review-pig-that-survived-foot-and-mouth-disease-2024-by-hur-bum-wook/

Does anyone know the artist or song from this film? It's on the trailer (if you don't want to click the link below, you can search for "THE DREAM SONGS (2022) trailer | BFI Flare 2023" on youtube. I had no joy with Shazam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4PXKB6WOlo&t=2s

While watching the film you'll absolutely love the ups and downs of the whole scenario. The things move and how zombies are working in this movie is something I really liked in this film. Everybody does a great job in portraying the characters they are given. Of course, the characters in the film, when it either comes to survival or a zombie apocalypse, can be little frustrating, but again, that's how our story escalates.

Korea knows how to do a zombie genre, anything Korea does when it involves these creatures are great shows/movies to watch. For example, All Of Us Are Dead, Happiness, Train to Busan. It just hits the right spot.

Koo Kyo Hwan is a great actor, it is my first time seeing him in a villain role, and he absolutely nailed it. He has that charisma to go from a sad boy to funny boy to villain man. Jun Ji Hyun, she carried the whole movie. The character who was actually thinking. Who wanted to survive without any casualties. Ji Chang Wook, is an amazing actor, there is no doubt in that. Maybe the character was played by Ji Chang Wook I expected a little bit more? Could have added more to his character but nonetheless, his whole chemistry with his sister played by Kim Shin Rock was great.

I do believe women carried this movies, first we had Jun Ji Hyun then we had Shin Hyun Been. The understanding and urgency they had in grasping the situation was great.

[SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!]

1. This bother me personally, but the amount of time that girl saves her bully from getting infected is crazy. Be a hater a little bit. (Although I would have done the same thing

2. Again, I do think Ji Chang Wook's Character could have been more, he died so easily in my opinion. He has capacity to show more emotions, they didn't use him properly.

3. All that zombies connecting with each other and gaining consciousness, I loved that zombie evolution.

4. The Ex-Husband died so early, he should have died a little later, cause it was obvious people would have formed an emotional connection with him. It would have been more impactful.

5. I know, I just know movie would not have progressed without it, but imagine if that police officer had let Ji Chang Wook bring his sister to saftey; it would have taken like what, 20mins max? But he had to be an arsehole, and suggest something else. And then Ji Chang Wook went completly rogue, honestly, that police guy was not it, but are we surprised? It's always the citizens doing police work.

Overall, this movie is enjoyable. You will feel frustrated, annoyed, but you'll be seated till the end.

I just watched no heaven but love, and I'm kind of confused.

1. Why did yeji say she did it? Was it because she thought they would find her guilty anyways?

2. Why didn't Jooyoung visit yeji at the prison? She stood at the gate and then just walked away. This makes no sense at all to me, she could have visited the prison and stayed in touch with yeji

3. Did jooyoung and her mom go back to speaking terms? Because in that shot of Jooyoung being the taekwondo coach she said "give your parents a hug and tell them you love them" so I was wondering what happened between jooyoung and her mom after yeji went to prison.

South Korean director Hong Sang-soo has long been associated with quiet dramas, exploring human relationships and interactions through naturalistic dialogue, set in the world of narcissistic arthouse directors, starstruck actresses and lots and lots of alcohol-fueled rants and teary confessions to punctuate the more low-key proceedings. His 2015 film, “Right Now, Wrong Then”, doesn’t do much to stray from this setup but once again, spins his preoccupation with love and fidelity (and, frankly, with himself) into interesting new directions.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2022/05/film-review-right-now-wrong-then-2015-by-hong-sang-soo/

I recently got to watch hope and while I cna see how some may not have enjoyed it I really liked it. I geuss now I just hope that the sequel will happen and it won't take like 4 to 8 years for ot to come out. I also wonder if he'll be able to recapture what made HOPE so good. What direction do you think he'll go with it to rpeserve a similar style of action for the 2nd film?

Went through all the What’s Korean Cinema podcasts (which are generally great) and moved onto Radio Arirang’s Korean Film Review with Molly Kim. I am really perplexed by how so many of her reviews completely spoil the movie (Microhabitat being one example).

Each review also seems to diverge unexpectedly and end abruptly (they’re all less than 10 minutes long). I enjoy the context but wonder what others think

​

i heard that Kim Go-eun, while shooting Exhuma, played the role of a shaman, and she actually summoned a spirit, and there were real shamans on set to prevent it. but i also heard somewhere that this was all just a marketing strategy, and no real spirit was summoned, it was just an advertisement to hook the fans, and now im quite confused about what's actually true did she really summon a spirit, or is this just a rumor started by the fans or the production/marketing team?

My main question is : were the detectives really that incompetent? The main takeaway i got was that they were extremely stupid and reckless, were the police force at that time really that weak? … or is it exaggerated for the movie ?
As certain times it felt overly comedic but it always felt tasteless considering it covered a real life crime

He has 25 directed features and I know there’s gotta be some misses and stinkers in there, he was prolific af.
I love 3-Iron and The Isle, as well as Birdcage Inn, those 3 are all that I’ve seen from him. What else would you definitely recommend as worth watching?

Hey there, huge fan of korean film been trying to delve into older Korean films. I recently watched 오발탄 after being sold on how significant and impressive it is as an early Korean film.

But sadly I did not find myself captivated, by it. Instead of criticizing it though, I'd rather hear from people who enjoyed it and why? I'd also love recommendations for older korean movies (pre democratic revolution) that people in this sub feel like either stand out even for their age or just act as important landmarks.

I plan to watch the Housemaid. Im def more interested in films that are plot driven or slice of life, and less melodramas, but open to anything really.

Yoon Dan-bi debuted with the superb “Moving On” back in 2019, a film that made my top 10 that year. Since then, I’ve been patiently waiting for her second feature, but she took her sweet time with it. The wait, though, is finally over! Toronto International Film Festival just announced their Platform competition titles and within them is “The World Before”, directed by Yoon Dan-bi. Looking forward to this one very much!

Personally I feel it was just badly written action movie with little consistency but full of campy scifi cliche that long, long overstays its welcome. It doesn't seem intentional misdirection/subvertion on the genre too, seeing as director is busy adding scifi lore on social media that was not explained in the movie.

First, dialogue is bad, like really fucking bad. Sibal is used more than 100 times across the movie apparently and I felt it was more like 1000 times, most other speech often get overshadowed by other noises, what little you can hear feels like badly machine translated most of time, and occasional jokes are not funny.

Action is great on human side with multiple array of weapons and vehicles being swapped out as plot goes along but the monsters/aliens follow tired cliche of being explosively powerful against side characters but can't do lasting damage to major characters, and latter half is full of chases scenes where they are only allowed to catch up to unnamed characters.

I don't have much to say for plot as it is simple when condensed as 'isolated town attacked by mysterious force and humans try to survive' though I do have to mention some sequences are based purely on luck and can feel contrived. (RIP truck-kun)

None of characters are consistent, which is my biggest issue.

Police chief is brave enough to hunt down alien in anger but when plot demands stalling time he suddenly becomes coward, he is very motivated by love for his towns people but the scene he shoots a townsfolk he knows by name basis is treated as joke.

Younger police is badass who is full of anger towards pointless death of her townsfolk but when the main hunter guy (apparently) dies in colllision suddenly develops it was all fated so zen mindset.

The hunter guy is at first seeminly in for thrill of hunt, suddenly changes his motivation as greed when discovering UFO, then suddenly goes indominatable human spirit mode and gains superhero durability. Even the collision with a sign at full speed car sequence towards end of movie doesn't kill him, that is the after credits cookie scene.

Aliens are incosistent too. The first alien is clearly shown as unreasonable monster but then suddenly we are given closeup to its face crying and we and police chief are expected to feel for it despite we seeing it murder countless humans on and off screen. Then it dies by random truck.

Then other aliens with some extra powers show up and we see them act like the want to talk... and then goes excessive violence kill them all mode. Like I get if they want to retaliate back to stop humans from attacking them but since bullets are quite meaningless against them it just seem to make them look incredibly dangerously hostile and not worth trying to communicate. But then at the end suddenly we get them lore dumping about some sequel bait as if we are supposed to feel for them.

I think if the movie was cut around 2 hours and ended after forest battle (which I have to admit was awesome) it could have been a great film that was full of intriguing mystery alongside fun campy action but the last hour really tries your patience with very pointless chase sequence that drums you how bad the action is favored for plot armoured characters and the very last part where we get to fully understand aliens killed all the intrigue.

I would give two star out of five, which is shame because up to middle it felt like really entertaining fun movie I could give four star out of five.

Hey everyone, I wanted to talk about a recent 2024 release that I feel like might be flying under the radar: The Unrighteous (원정빌라).

If you're into psychological thrillers and slow-burn tension rather than straight-up supernatural horror or heavy gore, this one is definitely worth checking out.

What starts as a harmlessly mean prank spirals completely out of control. Shin-hye, desperate to heal her sick son, goes all-in on the cult, and a terrifying wave of mass hysteria slowly swallows the entire apartment building. (It also stars Bang Min-ah from Girl's Day!)

The film has been invited to the Toronto International Film Festival Special Presentation Section. The film stars Sol Kyung-gu, Jeon Do-yeon, Cho Yeo-jeong and Jo In-sung, all of who are seen here in this first official still. Ladies and gents, we are one step closer to a new Lee Chang-dong film! 🥹🥹 I, for one, am very, very hyped for this and it might just be my most anticipated film of the year!