Movies with an all-star cast are normally guaranteed hits, as fans flock to the theater to see their favorite actors. However, the talented cast of director Kim Tae-yong’s fantasy romance “Wonderland” couldn’t save it from its shortcomings. The film portrays people reuniting through AI in a simulated virtual world called Wonderland. South Korean heartthrobs Suzy and Park Bo-gum star as a couple, while Chinese actor Tang Wei boasts good chemistry with Gong Yoo. Jung Yu-mi

Film July 2, 2024

While most burger joints in Seoul pride themselves on high-quality beef patties and homemade buns, Le Freak takes a different approach as an unprecedented gourmet burger. Le Freak, which opened its first branch in Seongsu in 2019, specializes in chicken burgers. Its signature Nashville Hot Chicken Burger is a simple chicken burger filled with red cabbage coleslaw and a crispy hot-fried chicken thigh sprinkled with spicy powder -- you can choose from three different levels of spiciness. But Le Fr

Food June 30, 2024

As the country enters the monsoon season which typically lasts from late June to early August, watching feel-good, relaxing films at a cinema while there is heavy rain outside makes for a perfect weekend activity. According to the weather forecast, the rains will start his weekend and continue throughout next week and the following three movies currently playing or soon to be released at the cinema will keep you dry and put you in a tender state of mind. “Dauren’s Wedding”

Film June 29, 2024

Grand Bell Film Awards, the country’s oldest and once most prestigious film awards, announced its return to normalcy this year. According to the head of the Motion Pictures Association of Korea, the agency that hosts the awards, the 60th Grand Bell Film Awards will take place in December. Once regarded as the country’s top awards in cinema, the Grand Bell Film Awards has struggled to recover from a string of controversies, including over unfair selection of winners and poor event org

Film June 28, 2024

“Hijacking 1971” (South Korea) Opened June 21 Crime Directed by Kim Sung-han Former fighter jet pilot Tae-in (Ha Jung-woo) co-pilots a passenger plane bound for Seoul's Gimpo International Airport from Sokcho, Gangwon Province. But soon after takeoff, an in-flight emergency breaks out as the plane is hijacked. “Inside Out 2” (US) Opened June 12 Animation Directed by Kelsey Mann A now-teenaged Riley sees her mind headquarters undergo sudden renovations to make room

Film June 28, 2024

Actor Jo Jung-suk, who led the 2019 action comedy “Exit” has returned with comedy flick “Pilot.” In the upcoming movie, appears as Han Jang-mi, a female pilot. The trailer showing Jo dressed up as a female pilot and wearing colorful makeup quickly went viral upon its release Monday. In the film, Jo plays Jung-woo, a retired pilot who disguises himself as a woman – Jang-mi – to get re-employed. The 43-year-old actor said he referenced Robin Williams’ 1993

Film June 26, 2024

Despite the success of blockbuster films “Exhuma” and “The Roundup: Punishment” in the first half of this year, the majority of Korean films have struggled, with only six managing to surpass 1 million in admissions. According to Korean Film Council data, six films -- "Exhuma,” “The Roundup: Punishment,” “The Birth of Korea,” “Citizen of a Kind,” “Following” and “Alienoid: Return to the Future” -- had a

Film June 25, 2024

When it comes to films based on true events, whether a politically charged event or life of a heroic citizen, the biggest disappointment for the audience often comes in teary moments or an overly dramatic ending. Director Kim Sung-han’s crime action film “Hijacking 1971” follows a simple plotline centering on a good-hearted pilot Tae-in (played by Ha Jung-woo) over its 100-minute-long running time. Ha’s portrayal of a former fighter jet pilot Tae-in, who was dismissed fro

Film June 24, 2024

South Korean actor Ha Jung-woo, the youngest actor here to have accumulated over 100 million ticket sales through 25 films he has appeared in since debuting in 2005, becomes the character he plays. From a serial killer, to a top prime-time news anchor to a taxi driver struggling to make ends meet, Ha has never shown dull acting. His acting is always full of realism, energy and wit, consistently entertaining audiences over the past two decades. In his recent action drama flick, “Hijacking

Film June 24, 2024

“Inside Out 2” (US) Opened June 12 Animation Directed by Kelsey Mann A now-teenaged Riley sees her “mind headquarters” undergo a sudden demolition to make room for new emotions that emerge during puberty, with the addition of four new feelings to the mix: anxiety, envy, ennui and embarrassment. “Handsome Guys” (South Korea) Opened June 26 Comedy Directed by Nam Dong-hyub Jae-pil (Lee Sung-min) and his friend Sang-gu (Lee Hee-jun), two well-meaning carpenters

Film June 21, 2024

Pixar animated film “Inside Out 2” is leading the local box office after its release this week, according to Korean Film Council data on Friday. “Inside Out 2,” the sequel to the 2015 charming and intelligent journey through the emotions of adolescence, opened Wednesday. On Thursday, the movie attracted 135,782 moviegoers, bringing its accumulated admissions to 332,286 for two days. “Inside Out 2” centers on a now-teenaged Riley as her “mind headquarters

Film June 14, 2024

Rethinking gemstones Precious stones are valued for their beauty, which comes from the intricate patterns and translucency they possess. These gem-quality crystals require an almost infinite amount of time to develop. “Cartier, Crystallization of Time,” an exhibition at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, is a search for the origin of such timeless beauty, visualized with jewel collections from the French jewelry house and private individuals. The roughly 300 pieces on view are themati

weekender June 14, 2024

“Wonderland” (South Korea) Opened June 5 Sci-fi/Drama Directed by Kim Tae-yong Wonderland, an artificial intelligence service that allows people to communicate with departed loved ones through simulated video calls, causes mixed emotions for Jeong-in (Suzy) as her comatose boyfriend Tae-joo (Park Bo-gum) wakes up. “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (US) Opened May 22 Action/Sci-fi Directed by George Miller A young Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy), left with only fury after her mother i

Film June 14, 2024

“Project Silence,” an action thriller by director Kim Tae-gon, confirmed its theatrical release on July 12, according to the movie’s distributor CJ ENM. The film revolves around a national security officer Jung-won (the late Lee Sun-kyun), who is stranded on a collapsed bridge shrouded in thick fog on his way to send off his daughter at the airport. Ju Ji-hoon appears as a tow truck driver Jo-bak, who appears on the scene to clear crashed cars from the bridge. Veteran actor Kim

Film June 13, 2024

South Korean actor Son Suk-ku’s upcoming film, “Night Fishing,” is a sci-fi thriller short with a running time of 12 minutes and 59 seconds. The number of cameras used for this short film is seven, all of which are built-in cameras integrated into an electric car. The movie, which unfolds a story from the car’s point of view, revolves around an anonymous agent (Son) who is on a mission to track down an unidentified creature flying in the sky. As the sun sets, he lies in w

Film June 12, 2024