1
Korean Mad Max
Badland Hunters (or in my language Lovci u pustoši) is a spectacular post apocalyptic action movie. I still haven't seen "Concrete Utopia" nor did i read a Webtoon on which this movie is based of, but that wasn't a problem because this movie works great on its own.The movie starts with a little bit of comedy to attract interest but very quickly continues with brutal and intense action. Fans of action and fighting won't be disappointed. In fact this movie has the best fighting scenes i saw in a while, mostly thanks to, of course, non else then Ma Dong Seok who is playing the main hunter Nam San and reminds me of Mad Max. Actually, while still being quite different, there are many other things here that reminds me of Mad Max movie and I would wish to see more from this world and characters.
The story is also strong and makes us think about the meaning of life in the world without dignity and hope. Goodness and humanity are more important than just surviving.
Was this review helpful to you?
Go is Life, Life is Go
I know the basic rules of game Go, but it was always too intimidating to me to really start playing. Life is similar, there are basic rules of surviving but to win in life, you need to navigate through complex challenges. I believe this is why this movie was so captivating for me. The producers really did a great job depicting how the main characters live with the game. As you play and learn the game, you also learn to live. The characters had to find answers when there are none, fight against themselves and learn to respect the game. I was deeply moved by the inspirational story of this movie.What amazes me also is that this is all true story and as far as I understands it is as true as possibile. Two Go players, a famous Cho Hun-hyun and his student Lee Chang-ho become rivals and the simple but strong drama between them is more gripping than fictional story could ever be. There is a real honesty about this movie that make it a representative for sports drama. The actors also seem to represent authentically the characters and emotions of the real people.
My conclusion: If you watch this movie you will learn a lot about Go, but even more about life.
Was this review helpful to you?
Fun but forgettable
Not gonna lie. I had fun watching this movie but ultimately this seems like one of those average Netflix movies. I guess what bothers me the most is that the movie resembles Hollywood action comedies a little too much and I wouldn't want Korean movies going that direction.In terms of comedy and action, the film provides enough material. I didn't find some jokes funny at all, but others made me laugh out loud. Also, the production is at a high level so we have some very good action scenes. The plot is interesting, but forced. Many events happen without any logic, but so that the story can take the desired course. This is an ideal movie for those who want to refresh a boring evening, but it is not a movie that will be on any top lists.
Was this review helpful to you?
Exorcism for me and you
I came to this movie after watching the "Exuma" and I can say that between these two movies there are many similarities in both the atmosphere and the structure of the movie. Although this is a short movie, it is divided into chapters whose names are written over the screen in English, Korean and Chinese language. The difference is that here it is about demonic possession, and in "Exhuma" it is about the dead who have not found their peace. Also, similarly, the center of the action is on the characters, so here the deacon who participates in the exorcism is even more important then the act of exorcism itself.I really liked the movie. It is quite intense and scary, but also comforting in a way. I personally participated in two exorcisms, and I never wanted to do them again because, to be honest, I am afraid of darkness and evil. That's why this movie has a good message. We all have bad experiences and dark areas of our life, but if we want to live in the light, we cannot run away from the darkness, we must face it and overcome it. Therefore, we all need some kind of exorcism, some sort of cleansing and liberation.
PS. If you want to know the whole story of this short movie watch "The Priests" (2015).
Was this review helpful to you?
So harsh
Drama Special is a great format, sometimes too short, but sometimes just right. This episode is the later, short but impactful. The main lead is a competent good man but his fate seems to turn everything against him and he is falling deeper and deeper. This is the premise and it is best, not to know more but to just relax and watch it. In fact this is not a relaxing story because the story is so real and while watching i couldn't help but sympathize with people whose jobs are so stressful and complicated.If you had time to read this review, please find an hour of your life to watch this drama. It has an important message and is very well made.
Was this review helpful to you?
A Birth of a Priest
For a long time I was searching for this movie, and finally I saw it and I must give it a 10/10 because I am so happy that it was made. This is not a typically entertainment movie but a historical biographical drama about the "adventures" of Andrew Kim Dae Geon, first Korean Priest.The film is very long, but I watched it over four days with great excitement and interest, and that's why I wasn't bored at any point. I enjoyed every scene. The cinematography of the film is excellent. Every scene is detailed and beautiful as a photography. The actors are also very good. The flow of the plot is a bit fragmented as it covers a lot of topics and events, but that is understandable for this type of film. I think that those who are already familiar with the life of Andrew Kim will enjoy the film more because they will be able to recognize future saints in some of the characters along with the main character who is the trademark name of Korean saints.
Many elements from the film I already knew before, I have been to many places in Korea that are shown here, even on the small boat Rafael on Jeju Island. As a priest, I had a very emotional experience watching the challenges faced by the first Christians, accused of collaborating with foreign enemies and disrespecting the king, and especially the situation with priests who had to be ready for martyrdom and death.
That is the message of this movie. This is not about the birth of one man, but about the birth of a priest, the birth of a new Korea that will be open to the gospel, and a spiritual birth through baptism and martyr's blood, because what is death if not a new birth? Listen to the last words of the main character of this movie, priest Andrew Kim Dae geon: "I have held communication with foreigners only for my religion and my God. It is for Him that I die. My immortal life is now on the point of birth."
Was this review helpful to you?
hard life of high school girl
The movie is better then i though. I was expecting a B level movie made just for the message or the practice of some new talents, but i found the message of the movie very compelling and the final production was not bad at all. The actors were decent (even though the extras were funny entering and exiting the scene to try to make it more believable), the story had more dimensions with side characters and there were some very emotional moments, especially the last scene where ... oh, no spoilers.The movie is a high-school drama and a tragic death mystery. The mystery elements serve the story well, slowly revealing more information and so increasing the interest until the end. I was especially attentive since i saw it without english subtitles and had to concentrate to understand some dialogue but certainly i missed few things due to not being able to understand everything. so if you'll give this movie a try, stick with it until the end.
Was this review helpful to you?
Beware how you use a gun
First of all, I had no expectations about the movie and I didn’t know what kind of movie this is before watching it. It turns out to be a psychological thriller drama so if that is what you are ready for, this is a gem. But if you expect some intense action, twists and turns, shocks and thrills, you might be disappointed.Before watching the movie it came to my mind that Kim Ki-duk was making a movie about a gun, so if anything I was interested in the role of a revolver for this movie. Silently I hoped to see a little bit of Kim Ki-duk genre and I would say that I got it. Director Oh Seung-uk is exploring the human psychology in a unique way by showing us a few distinct characters and their clashing with one another. Revolver is still here to push them a little further than they would normally go. The story is simple but is developing in an intriguing way, actors are superb, the production and visuals truly excellent.
I remember the movie “Shameless” from the same director with a similar casting and a similar tone. And I saw other projects he worked on, but they are too few. I see here that all of them have a score around 7 but for me they are all 9 or 10/10. That means I am a fan.
Was this review helpful to you?
Alien acting
A veteran Korean actor, Lee Dong-hwi, plays a version of himself with the same name Lee Dong-hwi. Interestingly, I recently watched a similar movie about another actor, Jung Woo, and the acting world. This film is a self-reflective comedy about the life of an actor. It shows the main actor’s vulnerability and honesty.I love Korean movies, but I often struggle with Korean comedies. They usually carry a good message, and this movie is no exception. However, the jokes often didn’t land well for me. I only laughed twice — once at a fart joke and once at a sandwich scene. The rest of the time, it felt overly silly, with too much yelling that was uncomfortably loud on my speakers rather than funny or entertaining. Oh, and I also laughed at the post-credit scene at the end.
The movie uses the analogy of acting as an alien character to represent feeling alien to your own life. It explores what happens when acting becomes your life and your life becomes acting. We all play certain roles in life, and we need the wisdom to stay true to ourselves.
Was this review helpful to you?
Agents have feelings too
Very nice spy action thriller. The highlights of the movie are the action sequences at the beginning and at the end. The rest of the film is a tense battle of wits, which is perfectly suitable for this kind of movie. I’m glad that the film doesn’t rely on action as its main focus, yet it still delivers the satisfying feel of a proper action movie.The drama is even better than the action. One reviewer here gave this movie a 1/10, describing it as a generic “brain-off” movie, which I strongly disagree with. Yes, the plot is somewhat straightforward, but that’s actually a strength — it keeps the movie from losing balance. I agree that the action follows a somewhat clichéd development, but the true strength of this film lies in the suppressed emotions of the agents. The actors were excellent at portraying the inner struggle between professional duty and personal feelings, and at trying to balance the two. In that sense, the beginning and the final scenes are superb. Not many people understand what it really takes to be an intelligence agent. For action movie lovers, Humint is a must-watch.
♫ Even if we part ways, don’t forget the days we loved... ♫
Was this review helpful to you?
Adult Talk
Hm, is this really a Korean movie? It was definitely something different from what we usually get from Korean cinema. The entire film takes place in one apartment and has a lot of dialogue. Almost all the characters do is talk. At the center of the story is a quite ordinary couple who invite their neighbors over for dinner. Since they have a Blessed Virgin Mary statue on the shelf, I assume they are Catholic. It’s just a minor detail, but it carries some meaning given how the conversation heads in a direction that would be completely off-limits for most Catholics.Let’s just say the movie touches on very adult subjects. Even without any nudity and with almost no profanity, this is definitely an 18+ film. It will probably be appreciated most by married couples with some life experience. The genre is adult drama with a bit of dark and absurd comedy. One particular scene involving food preparation was especially spicy.
There’s also a clear message: sometimes we are more honest with strangers than with the people we live with, and we often search for what we desire outside, forgetting that we already have it at home. Even though I had some objections to the movie, I liked that it also showed the ingredients for a healthy marriage. And it’s always nice to see Gong Hyo-jin on screen.
Was this review helpful to you?
Search for Paradise
Stylish but strange. I liked the characters—I mean, they look good, and the producer made sure every shot looks visually appealing—but there is a lot lacking, both in character development and especially in world-building. The movie depicts a fictional, dystopian, broken society that should have been explained better. We just see people without purpose, partying as if there is no tomorrow. What bothered me the most is the lack of sustainability: everyone is simply contributing to the further destruction of the community. It feels somewhat like CHAZ, the self-proclaimed Autonomous Zone, where people occupied a park but soon realized they couldn’t survive on their own, so they returned home and back to normal society.The movie does well in showing subtle emotions. The dialogue is weak, but the unspoken communication is effective and well done. The two main characters are brothers, and the tension between them is what keeps the movie together.
I can make a comparison to another movie released just one week apart from this one, and that is Project Y. Both movies serve as metaphors for today’s youth, and both show desperate people in a corrupt environment searching for a better life. Project Y is female-centric, focusing on two best friends, while Boy is male-centric, focusing on two brothers. Both try to portray a specific Korean feeling of hopelessness, and I like this one just a little bit more.
Was this review helpful to you?
Minji is in Love
Ordinary but cute. A very lovely friend of mine is called Min-ji, and after watching this short high school drama comedy, I now know three more people with the same name. When you share a name with someone else, you need something other than your name to distinguish yourself from others. There are nicknames, and there are also different personalities that help people recognize us.Similar to other episodes of the great "Love: Track" series, this one explores the topic of love, but also of one’s identity. Even more than the story of finding and expressing love, what touched me here is the main character’s search for identity. The valuable lesson is that we develop our identity in relationship with others, and it was refreshing to see a positive depiction of high school life (in comparison to the many heavy topics often shown in Korean cinema). Well worth the watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes
Just finished the movie, and I’m wondering about the title: Project Y. If “Y” stands for “Youth,” then this movie presents a very bleak portrayal of today’s youth. Unfortunately, there is some truth in that. The younger generation, like the two female protagonists here, often destroys their lives through partying, drinking, gambling, prostitution — all of what we could call nightlife.I felt conflicted while watching this movie because I couldn’t really care about the girls, as they never showed any kind of sympathy or morality. By the end of the movie, maybe something changed, but for me that was the biggest disappointment — the good guys are basically the same as the bad guys.
There are many elements in the movie, and I also found it confusing at times, especially as a non-native Korean speaker trying to understand what was going on. The subplot about illegal betting on fixed matches was interesting, and there are some really gritty scenes that place this movie in the noir-thriller genre. It is rare to see a female-led crime thriller of this kind in Korean cinema. The girls reminded me of Mel Gibson in his darkest roles, but overall, the plot was uneven and the movie felt messy.
Was this review helpful to you?
True Hero
As I see from other reviews, fans of the webtoon are not happy with this adaptation because it isn’t true to the source material. But for me, who never read this specific webtoon, the movie was a great introduction to the story, and now I want to read the comic as well—in fact, I just read the first episode. So fans can be glad that this movie will introduce more people to the original ongoing story in the webtoon.If nothing else, this movie certainly satisfied my fantasy appetite. The director didn’t waste too much time on drama or deep storytelling and instead focused on epic action and fantasy. It is pure fantasy, and I’m happy about that. A movie critic could easily point out all the flaws in the story’s coherence and the somewhat AI-like CGI, but for me, a humble viewer, this was as entertaining as it could be. I felt the adrenaline, the rush, and the suspense, and I witnessed the birth of a new hero that the world needs amidst the chaos caused by the “constellations.”
I also liked the moral questions about human nature and the fight for survival that are implied in the story. All in all, Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy is a movie that fans of the fantasy genre will appreciate. We still exist.
P.S. It's a long way until the scenario 99.
Was this review helpful to you?
