Money, Corruption, and Soju: Big Deal (2025) Review

 Director: Choi Yoon-jin

Notable Cast: Yoo Hae-jin, Lee Je-hoon, Son Hyun-joo, Byron Mann, Choi Young-jun, Kim Ki-hae

In 1997, a continent-wide financial crisis struck throughout Asia, eventually cutting deep into South Korea. Everyone was struggling to stay afloat, and even a company like Gukbo, the leading producer of Soju in the country, was quickly falling to the wayside. South Korea is one of the biggest consumers of alcohol in the world, so to see a company that is sort of at the heart of the average Korean adult's life taking a plummet... well money grubbers in the form of a global investment firm, step in to "help" the company out. The CFO and Financial Director at Gukbo is played by the great Yoo Hae-jin, one of the best cases of a character actor turned leading man in recent history, and the one pulling the strings at the investment company is played by the young and equally talented Lee Je-hoon. The two form a bond, and the complications of this last hurrah for Gukbo has dire consequences, and a rippling effect of money hungry individuals cause a great rift between the two parties involved, on a large scale, and down to a very personal, philosophical level.

Get Stitches - Yadang: The Snitch (2025) Review

Director: Hwang Byeng-gug

Notable Cast: Kang Ha-neul, Yoo Hai-jin, Park Hae-jun, Ryu Kyung-soo, Chase Won-been, You Seong-joo, Kim Keum-soon, Lim Sung-kyun

 

Although South Korea continues to dominate the market for phenomenally great crime capers, that doesn’t mean that every film that makes it to the US will be a gut-punch of entertainment. 

 

On paper, Yadang: The Snitch sounds like it will rank right up there with some of the best crime caper blockbusters. It features a relatively stacked cast, slick action sequences, and one of those “keep ‘em guessing” narratives I thoroughly enjoy. To a certain degree, Yadang does have those aspects, and for many viewers, that’s enough to warrant a viewing and thorough enjoyment. Yet, the film is also bogged down by an unwieldy plot, tonal inconsistencies, and issues in some of its themes that undermine its overall experience. Take it for its charms and it’s a great time. Try to start digging a bit more, and the entire scheme tends to crumble a bit. 

 

Directors in Focus: Kim Sung-soo | Musa: The Warrior (2001)

 Director: Kim Sung-soo

Notable Cast: Jung Woo-sung, Zhang Ziyi, Ahn Sung-ki, Ju Jin-mo, Park Yong-woo, Park Jeong-hak, Jeong Seok-yong, Lee Du-il, Han Yeong-mok, Er Cha Huo, Yoo Hai-jin, Yu Rongguang, Song Jae-ho

Only those on journeys will see the dim roads that lead the way home.

After having crafted two of the most successful films in the '90s about the hot-blooded youth of Korean men, Kim took a surprise turn in the entering the 00s with something quite a bit different: A sprawling period of epic co-production between South Korea and China. In doing so, he created one of the most iconic sword-centric films of the era with the massively successful Musa: The Warrior (2001). He brought his muse Jung Woo-sung back on board to play Yeo-sol, the hero of the picture but also added Korean talents such as Ahn Sung-ki, Ju Jin-mo, and Yoo Hai-jin in one of his first iconic roles. In addition to the local talent, he casts Chinese screen giants Zhang Ziyi and even Yu Rongguang (of Iron Monkey fame). Needless to say, this film had a lot of attention on it from the moment it came out and it ended up gaining the hearts of many fans the world over. I remember seeing this in video stores when it came out when I was heavily into martial arts and wu xia films. Still, my passion for Korean cinema hadn't begun yet, and in fact, I don't believe I even realized its country of origin at that age, but I digress. The point is that this film was rising among hits such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon , and the two Zhang Yimou films that would follow this: Hero and House of Flying Daggers. I know these films are all Chinese productions and follow more traditional wu xia sensibilities. Musa was more grounded and would inspire local productions, such as Sword of the Moon , and set a trend with more realistic war-centered period pieces.

Grave Calling: Exhuma (2024) Review

 Director: Jang Jae-hyun

Notable Cast: Choi Min-sik, Kim Go-eun, Yoo Hai-jin, Lee Do-hyun, Kim Jae-chul, Kim Min-jun, Kim Byung-oh

"And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken" - Ecclesiastes 4:12

Horror films that deal with religious aspects have been around for decades, and I know titles are flooding to mind as you read this, so no need to name-drop anything. Faith and spirituality are truly remarkable and beautiful ways of life for many humans. Regardless of what you may or may not believe in, what awaits beyond death's door, with our understanding of this life, good or bad, can be exciting or terrifying. Since this is a spooky piece of cinema, as you can imagine, the supernatural forces that be aren't the friendliest lot around, and that is the very basis for Exhuma, the newest outing by acclaimed horror director Jang Jae-hyun, who previously won audiences over with his works Priests (2015) and Svaha: The Sixth Finger (2019). He continues his religion-themed horror here, this time delving into shamanism, among many other things, and what awaits the viewer embarking on this chilly and bloody adventure is a lot of thrills and a whole lot of pissed-off evil spirits.