South Korean Movie Reviews »

Sector 7 (2011) Movie Review

Sector 7 (2011) Movie Review

Todd Rigney October 31, 2011

After spending so much time covering director Kim Ji-hoon’s deep sea monster movie “Sector 7″, you’d think that my lofty expectations would completely ruin the experience for me. And, truthfully, I’d be lying if...

Read More »
Moby Dick (2010) Movie Review

Moby Dick (2010) Movie Review

James Mudge October 14, 2011

Although “Moby Dick” isn’t an adaptation of the Herman Melville classic, but a Korean conspiracy thriller, the film does share a few themes with the whale chasing novel, primarily the all consuming pursuit of...

Read More »
White: Melody of Death (aka The Melody of the Curse, 2011) Movie Review

White: Melody of Death (aka The Melody of the Curse, 2011) Movie Review

James Mudge October 13, 2011

“White: Melody of Death” (aka “White: The Melody of the Curse”) was one of the first big Korean horror releases of Summer 2011, directed by twin brother directing duo Kim Gok and Kim Sun....

Read More »
In Love and The War (2010) Movie Review

In Love and The War (2010) Movie Review

James Mudge October 13, 2011

“In Love and the War” (aka “Sleeping with the Enemy”) sees director Park Geon Yong following up his uplifting sports drama “Lifting King Kong” by tackling the always difficult subject of the Korean War....

Read More »
Officer of the Year (2011) Movie Review

Officer of the Year (2011) Movie Review

James Mudge September 21, 2011

Top Korean star Park Joong Hoon returns to the genre which first helped propel him to mega stardom with buddy cop action comedy “Officer of the Year” (aka “The Apprehenders”). Written and directed by...

Read More »
Sin of a Family (2010) Movie Review

Sin of a Family (2010) Movie Review

James Mudge September 18, 2011

The first release from popular Korean actor Shin Hyun Jun’s new production company, “Sin of a Family” is a dark detective mystery revolving around the tragic death of a child and the possible involvement...

Read More »
Mother Is a Whore (2009) Movie Review

Mother Is a Whore (2009) Movie Review

James Mudge September 18, 2011

“My Mother is a Whore” is a dark piece of Korean independent cinema from the multi talented Lee Sang Woo, who wrote, produced, directed and even takes the lead role in the exceptionally grim...

Read More »
Romantic Heaven (2011) Movie Review

Romantic Heaven (2011) Movie Review

James Mudge August 16, 2011

Jang Jin, director of wonderfully offbeat films like “Guns and Talks”, “Murder, Take One”, and more recently “The Quiz Show Scandal”, returns with another equally hard to pigeonhole offering in “Romantic Heaven”. Although its...

Read More »
Hanji (2010) Movie Review

Hanji (2010) Movie Review

James Mudge August 15, 2011

Legendary Korean director Im Kwon Taek returns with his 101st feature in “Hanji”, which also happens to be his first filmed in HD. As he did previously with the folk music tradition of Pansori,...

Read More »
Shotgun Love (2011) Movie Review

Shotgun Love (2011) Movie Review

James Mudge August 10, 2011

Popular Korean actor Lim Chang Jung, probably still best known for his hilariously undignified role in “Sex is Zero”, returns with more comedy in the form of “Shotgun Love”. As its title suggests, the...

Read More »
Bleak Night (2010) Movie Review

Bleak Night (2010) Movie Review

James Mudge August 9, 2011

As its title suggests, “Bleak Night” is a grim slice of Korean indie drama, which marks the debut of writer director Yoon Sung Hyun. Remarkably, the film was actually Yoon’s graduation project from the...

Read More »
Children… (2011) Movie Review

Children… (2011) Movie Review

James Mudge July 19, 2011

“Children…” is another of the true life crime dramas which Korean cinema seems to do so consistently well, this time revolving around the shocking unsolved murder of five young boys in the rural Daegu...

Read More »
Come Rain, Come Shine (2011) Movie Review

Come Rain, Come Shine (2011) Movie Review

James Mudge July 18, 2011

“Come Rain, Some Shine” is a Korean indie drama which charts the final day of a soon to split married couple, played by actor Hyun Bin (“Late Autumn”) and actress Lim Soo Jung (“Jeon...

Read More »
Heartbeat (2010) Movie Review

Heartbeat (2010) Movie Review

James Mudge July 14, 2011

Another Korean organ transplant themed thriller arrives in the form of “Heartbeat”, marking the debut of “Hello Schoolgirl” and “My New Partner” scriptwriter Yoon Jae Keun. Pitting popular stars Kim Yoon Jin (from cult...

Read More »
Death Bell 2: Bloody Camp (2010) Movie Review

Death Bell 2: Bloody Camp (2010) Movie Review

James Mudge July 12, 2011

Given that original Korean horror “Death Bell” was somewhat of a sleeper box office hit back in 2008, a sequel was always going to be inevitable, and so it shouldn’t come as too much...

Read More »
Battlefield Heroes (2011) Movie Review

Battlefield Heroes (2011) Movie Review

James Mudge June 16, 2011

Acclaimed “The King and the Clown” director Lee Joon Ik returns with “Battlefield Heroes”, the follow up to his hit 2003 debut “Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield”. The film serves up more...

Read More »
The Unjust (2010) Movie Review

The Unjust (2010) Movie Review

James Mudge June 11, 2011

With hits like “Crying Fist” and “The City of Violence” under his belt, Korean director Ryoo Seung Wan has made a name for himself as one of the country’s top purveyors of hard-boiled action....

Read More »
GLove (2011) Movie Review

GLove (2011) Movie Review

James Mudge June 8, 2011

Award winning Korean director Kang Woo Suk, known for hard hitting, top quality blockbusters such as “Public Enemy”, “Silmido” and most recently “The Moss”, returns with a change of pace in inspirational baseball drama...

Read More »
Be My Guest (2009) Movie review

Be My Guest (2009) Movie review

James Mudge June 8, 2011

“Be my Guest” (a.k.a. “Excuse Me”) is an indie Korean outing perhaps best described as a slasher comedy, a wild and wacky slice of gory slapstick and demented family values which premiered at the...

Read More »
The Bridge at Nogunri (2009) Movie Review

The Bridge at Nogunri (2009) Movie Review

James Mudge June 3, 2011

“The Bridge at Nogunri”, which also played international festivals as “A Little Pond” is a 2009 Korean film charting the events of the No Gun Ri Massacre, one of the most tragic incidents in...

Read More »