Hong Sang-soo wins Berlin Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize with 'A Traveler's Needs'

South Korean director Hong Sang-soo clinched the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize with his new film "A Traveler's Needs" at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival on Saturday. The jury announced the award at the ceremony held at the Berlinale Palast. The Silver Bear is the festival's second-highest prize after the Golden Bear. It is Hong's second Grand Jury Prize, following his win for "The Novelist's Film" in 2022. "I’d like to thank the jury.

Feb. 25, 2024

Occult thriller 'Exhuma' reaches 1m ticket sales in record time

"Exhuma," a supernatural mystery thriller, surpassed 1 million in attendance Saturday, becoming the fastest film released this year to reach the milestone, the film's local distributor said. The thriller, also known as "Pamyo" in Korean, has set the record on the third day of its release, Showbox said. Starring Choi Min-sik, the film revolves around mysterious events affecting a geomancer, an undertaker and a young shaman duo after they exhume the grave of an ancestor fr

Feb. 24, 2024

‘Picnic’ surpasses breakeven point, in first such feat by indie film in 5 years

“Picnic,” a low-budget independent film from director Kim Yong-gyun, had recorded 281,000 tickets sold as of Friday, becoming the first Korean indie film to surpass its breakeven point in five years. “Picnic” also became the first film this year to surpass to get over the hump. With a production cost of just some 1.2 billion won ($900,000), the movie’s breakeven point came at 270,000 admissions. Since the movie’s opening on Feb. 7, “Picnic” has dom

Feb. 23, 2024

[Herald Review] ‘Dune: Part Two’ an Imax-ready masterpiece of messiah and sandworms

Following the box office success of director Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” (2021) at a time when global cinema was humbled by the pandemic, the second half of the director's adaptation of the 1965 epic science fiction novel of the same title by Frank Herbert has finally been revealed. “Dune: Part Two,” which hits local theaters Wednesday, is an Imax-ready blockbuster with a dense, nigh impenetrable storyline that follows the recently outcast heir to the throne of H

Feb. 23, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“The Birth of Korea” (South Korea) Opened Feb. 1 Documentary Directed by Kim Deok-young The film covers the first generation of South Korean politicians and Rhee Syng-man, the country's first president, delving into their efforts to protect the nation. The film looks back on the last 70 years of Korea's history, with a focus on some of Rhee's major achievements like farmland reform. “Wonka” (US) Opened Jan. 31 Fantasy Directed by Paul King "Wonka&quo

Feb. 23, 2024

[Herald Review] 'Exhuma' brings horror with shamanism, but fails to connect stories

Director Jang Jae-hyun, also known here as a "K-occult master" thanks to his hit films "The Priest" and "Svaha: The Sixth Finger," returned with a horror flick that portrays terrifying practices of Korean shamanism, imbued with fine acting of veteran actors such as Choi Min-sik and Kim Go-eun. "Exhuma" follows the events that unfold for a group of exorcists, an undertaker and a feng shui specialist, who take on the job of relocating a tomb of a wealthy fam

Feb. 22, 2024

Timothee Chalamet thankful for Korean fans, promotes ‘Dune: Part Two’ in Seoul

Actor Timothee Chalamet said he is thankful for Korean fans of the "Dune" series during a press conference held to promote his new film, “Dune: Part Two,” in Seoul on Wednesday. Chalamet, director Denis Villeneuve and other cast members including Zendaya, Austin Butler and Stellan Skarsgard were present at the event. Pronouncing the term in Korean carefully, “Dune-chin-ja" -- short for "Dune-e-michin-ja" or one who‘s crazy for ”Dune" in

Feb. 21, 2024

'Exhuma' digs up traumas of Korean land

Director Jang Jae-hyun said he wanted to dig up the traumatic past of Korea through the symbolic act of exhumation in his latest occult mystery film "Exhuma." Starring veteran actors such as Choi Min-sik, Kim Go-eun, Yoo Hae-jin and Lee Do-hyun, "Exhuma" follows the series of mysterious events that occur as a group of exorcists, an undertaker and a feng-shui specialist take on the task of relocating the tomb of a wealthy family. The movie is largely separated into two parts.

Feb. 21, 2024

'The Birth of Korea' sweeps local box office, rarity as documentary

“The Birth of Korea” by Kim Deok-young, a documentary film covering South Korea's first president Syngman Rhee and the country’s first-generation politicians and their efforts to protect the country, is sweeping the local box office, a rarity for a documentary screened in theaters. Looking back on a 70-year history, “The Birth of Korea” reinterprets some of Rhee's major achievements like farmland reform. According to the film distributor Docu Story, the fi

Feb. 21, 2024

Timothee Chalamet to shoot local shows in Seoul to promote ‘Dune: Part Two’

French American actor Timothee Chalamet, who arrived in Seoul Monday evening to kick off his Seoul tour for the promotion of his latest film, “Dune: Part Two,” will appear in local TV shows and meet with Korean TV personalities, according to the industry on Tuesday. Industry sources said that Chalamet will shoot a program with Pengsoo during his stay in Seoul. Pengsoo is a penguin character from the YouTube channel Giant Peng TV, a show run by Korea's Educational Broadcasting Sy

Feb. 20, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Wonka” (US) Opened Jan. 31 Fantasy Directed by Paul King Willy Wonka (Timothee Chalamet), who dreams of becoming the world’s best chocolatier, encounters a “chocolate cartel” and a plot to kick him out of town as its business is threatened. But next to him are four trustworthy supporters whom he meets at Mrs. Scrubitt’s launderette. “Citizen of a Kind” (South Korea) Opened Jan. 24 Drama Directed by Park Young-ju Duk-hee (Ra Mi-ran), who lives an

Feb. 16, 2024

Five Korean films to be shown at 74th Berlin Film Festival

Five Korean films will be screened at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, which kicked off Thursday for a 10-day run in Berlin. One of the top three film festivals around the world, along with the Cannes Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival, this year’s Berlin Film Festival opened with Belgian director Tim Mielants’ “Small Things Like These.” South Korean director Heo Myeong-haeng, who debuted recently with Netflix's original film “Badland Hunter

Feb. 15, 2024

[History through films] ‘Taegukgi,’ a tearful story of two brothers in battle that divided Korea

Director Kang Je-gyu’s 2004 war action film “Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War” follows a simple storyline that revolves around two brothers – Jin-tae (Jang Dong-gun) and Jin-seok (Won Bin) -- who are drafted to the South Korean Army to fight in the Korean War that broke out on June 25, 1950. The brutal and inhumane conditions on the battlefield leave little room for thinking about the implications of the war. Jin-tae, the eldest son in the family, is the breadwinner and r

Feb. 14, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Wonka” (US) Opened Jan. 31 Fantasy Directed by Paul King Willy Wonka (Timothee Chalamet), who dreams of becoming the world’s best chocolatier, encounters a “chocolate cartel” and a plot to kick him out of town as its business is threatened. But next to him are four trustworthy supporters whom he meets at Mrs. Scrubitt’s launderette. “Citizen of a Kind” (South Korea) Opened Jan. 24 Drama Directed by Park Young-ju Duk-hee (Ra Mi-ran), who lives an

Feb. 9, 2024

[New on the Scene] Director Hah Joon-won explores dangerous world of 'baji sajang'

After nearly five years of research into the world of "baji sajang," people who make money lending their names as figureheads to underground or illegal businesses, Hah Joon-won’s directorial debut film, “Dead Man, opened in local theaters on Feb. 7. “As I was doing research for a story about baji sajang and their nefarious businesses, I met with some people who were on the run. One day, (I met with) this man (who gave me his) business card (which said he was a CEO), a

Feb. 8, 2024

Netflix announces major Korean originals for 2024

Netflix on Tuesday unveiled a lineup of South Korean series and films that are scheduled to be released on Netflix in 2024. Among the Korean drama series that will hit the platform in the first half of this year is "A Killer Paradox," a webtoon-based thriller series that stars Choi Woo-shik and Son Suk-ku. The first episode of "A Killer Paradox" will stream on Netflix Friday. "Chicken Nugget," which follows the story of a father whose daughter turns into a chicken n

Feb. 6, 2024

[Herald Interview] Director Hirokazu Koreeda hopes to work again with Korean actors

Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Koreeda said he wishes to collaborate with Korean actors again, mentioning the names of new rising stars here during an interview with Korean media in Seoul on Monday. Koreeda, 61, was in Seoul over the weekend to meet with the local audience and talk about his latest film “Monster.” “Monster,” which opened in November, attracted 500,000 moviegoers here, the second-highest number for a Japanese non-animated film after 20002's “Even I

Feb. 6, 2024

Veteran actor Namkoong Won dies at 90

South Korea’s veteran actor Namkoong Won passed away at age 90 in Seoul on Monday, years after he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Born on Aug. 1, 1934, he debuted as an actor with director No Pil’s “Bring Back the Night Once More.” Since then, he came to represent the Korean film industry from the 1960s to the 1980s, starring in more than 300 films including director Lee Man-hee’s “Six Shadows,” director Shin Sang-ok’s “War and Humanity,&rd

Feb. 5, 2024

Entertainment industry split over plan to mandate holdback period for state-funded films

The Culture Ministry’s plan to mandate a grace period of possibly up to six months before films that received government funding are released on streaming platforms like Netflix is being met with mixed reactions by the local entertainment industry, including film distributors and streaming platform operators. In November, the ministry temporarily instituted a “holdback” period for films with a production cost of over 3 billion won which received state funding, requiring the dis

Feb. 5, 2024

[Herald Review] Even scene-stealing kitty cannot rescue 'Argylle'

After a trio of “Kingsman” movies, director Matthew Vaughn decided on a change of pace, playfully approaching a spy caper with less violence in “Argylle.” It even stars a cute kitten who appears more often than the protagonist. Yet, the movie is just another pastiche of spy action with whimsical action and little else. “Argylle” follows Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard), a reclusive author and a cat lady who writes bestselling espionage novels in which the nam

Feb. 4, 2024