From car-chase to hide-and-seek scenes, zombie thriller goes to another level

Better Days (China) Opened July 9 Drama, Crime Directed by Kwok Cheung Tsang Nian (Dongyu Zhou) finds her life at a standstill when faced by relentless bullying from her peers as she prepares for her college entrance exam. Fate brings her together with small-time criminal Bei (Jackson Yee), but before they can retreat into a world of their own, both are dragged into the middle of a murder investigation that will change their lives forever.  Fanfare (Korea) Opened July 9 Thriller, Crime

Korean actress Choi Hee-seo will star in Japanese director Yuya Ishii’s upcoming film tentatively titled “Asian Angels.” The film, which has recently finished shooting in Korea, is set to premiere in Seoul in the first half of next year, according to an announcement released Thursday. “Asian Angels” is a human drama revolving around two families, one from Japan and the other from Korea, who have been hurt by others and have come to Seoul in search of shelter. Al

8-episode sci-fi blockbuster to stream on OTT, TV platforms

Korea’s biggest genre film fest teams up with streaming platform Watcha

The Singer (Korea) Opened July 1 Drama, Musical Directed by Cho Jung-lae In 1734 , a talented pansori singer -- sorikkun -- Shim Hak-gyu (Lee Bong-geun) sets on a journey to find his wife Gan-nan (Lee Yu-ri) who was kidnapped by a notorious group of human traffickers. Hak-gyu and his daughter Cheong is joined by drummer Dae-bong (Park Chul-min), an impoverished aristocrat (Kim Dong-wan) and a few more supporters, and the band travels around the country, moving from village to village as Hak-gy

Director takes more realistic approach to inter-Korean conflict in second film

Documentary sheds new light of ‘Gwangju Video’

Choi Sung-jae, known for her eloquent interpretation for director Bong Joon-ho of the Oscar-winning film "Parasite," received an annual diplomacy award in Seoul on Wednesday for her role in enhancing South Korea's national image, foreign ministry officials said. Choi, better known as Sharon Choi, won this year's YoungSan Diplomat Award that the nonprofit Seoul Forum for International Affairs gives to a public official and a civilian each year for their contribution to improving Kore

The cast and lead crew of director Bong Joon-ho's Oscar-winning "Parasite" were invited to join the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, according to the Hollywood film trade organization on Tuesday (local time). The academy announced on its website that it extended invitations to 819 artists and executives "who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures." Choi Woo-shik, Jang Hye-jin, Jo Yeo-jeong, Lee Jung-eun and Park S

With “Train to Busan” having scored as a major global success in 2016, the film’s sequel “Peninsula” has already been sold to 185 countries ahead of its official release in Seoul set for July 15. Film distributor Next Entertainment World on Tuesday announced it has secured distribution deals for zombie flick “Peninsula” in 185 countries, including North and South American territories, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Russia. In Taiwan and Ho

Small cinemas to offer discount coupons starting July 1

The new zombie thriller "#Alive" posted the highest weekend box office total in five months since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic, data showed Monday. According to the data by the Korean Film Council, "#Alive" attracted 702,000 moviegoers over the Friday Sunday period, far outnumbering runner-up "Innocence" with 98,000 and No. 3 "Onward" with 87,000. It is the highest box office recorded by a single flick during a weekend since the drama

Will summer tentpole films become a breakthrough for recovery?

Alive (Korea) Opened June 24 Thriller, Drama Directed by Cho Il-hyung An unexplainable disease spreads in the city, turning infected people into zombie-like creatures, and Jun-woo (Yoo Ah-in), a YouTuber and gamer, is stranded inside his house alone. What food he had left is soon finished, and in a matter of days, electricity and water are cut off. The creatures roam around the apartment complex, sometimes making their way inside houses. Just as Jun-woo starts to lose hope, another survivor on