Tag Archives: South Korean Film

Humint (2026) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A slick but bland genre product

Posted on February 12, 2026 by kaist455

South Korean filmmaker Ryoo Seung-wan’s latest film “Humint” is a slick but deficient genre product. While there are a number of well-executed scenes to entertain us, the movie also feels a bit too trite and bland in terms of storytelling … Continue reading →

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The King’s Warden (2026) ☆☆(2/4): A king comes to his village…

Posted on February 7, 2026 by kaist455

South Korean film “The King’s Warden” often tries too hard for laughs and then tears, and I do not like that much. Based on the real-life relationship between one plain common man and a tragically deposed king of the Joseon … Continue reading →

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The Square (2025) ☆☆☆(3/4): A star-crossed romance in North Korea

Posted on January 15, 2026 by kaist455

South Korean independent animation film “The Square” is an earnest melodrama about two very different people who cannot help but love each other despite an oppressive society surrounding them. While it is another typical tale of star-crossed lovers, the film … Continue reading →

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SAVE (2025) ☆☆☆(3/4): Meeting her lifesaver again

Posted on December 22, 2025 by kaist455

South Korean film “SAVE” follows the relationship between two women who cannot possibly be different from each other. Right from the beginning, we can clearly see where their story is heading, but the movie did a solid job of bringing … Continue reading →

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Between the Two of Us (2024) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Disability and pregnancy

Posted on December 21, 2025 by kaist455

South Korean film “Between the Two of Us” is a sincere but flawed drama about one young pregnant woman with a disability. While it is fairly engaging to observe how much she is anxious and pressured due to her increasingly … Continue reading →

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Hallan (2025) ☆☆☆(3/4): A young mother and her little daughter in the Jeju Uprising

Posted on November 30, 2025 by kaist455

South Korean film “Hallan” turns out to be a lot more haunting than I expected at first. Closely following the harrowing survival drama of a young mother and her little daughter in the middle of the Jeju Uprising (1948 ~ … Continue reading →

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Sprout (2013) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A little early work by Yoon Ga-eun

Posted on November 14, 2025 by kaist455

Yoon Ga-eun’s 2013 short film “Sprout”, which happens to be released in selected theaters in South Korean on this Wednesday, is still remarkable in many aspects. This simple but precious piece of work shows that Yoon was already quite a … Continue reading →

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1980 Sabuk (2025) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): It’s still painful for them…

Posted on November 11, 2025 by kaist455

South Korean documentary film “1980 Sabuk” is about one large-scale labor uprising which happened in one little rural coal mine town in April 1980. Although the incident is almost forgotten at present, there are still many people who remember well … Continue reading →

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Isle of Snakes (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): On a strange and beautiful isle

Posted on November 9, 2025 by kaist455

South Korean independent film “Isle of Snakes”, which was released in local theaters a few years after it was premiered at the 2023 Busan International Film Festival, alternatively baffled and intrigued me. While simply starting with three broad characters stuck … Continue reading →

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404 Still Remain (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): As they share their favorite Japanese pop songs

Posted on November 9, 2025 by kaist455

South Korean independent film “404 Still Remain” made me feel a bit nostalgic for good reasons. Set in early 2000s, this little coming-of-age drama movie is filled with the period details to notice here and there, and I can tell … Continue reading →

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