Feel like watching a good film, but not quite sure what to watch? These are some of my favourite Korean films that I have watched recently. I would recommend all of them, but I’ve still labelled them by genre, as not everyone likes the same kinds of films! I hope there’s something here that will interest you.
Thriller –‘Truck’ (2008)
Now, Thriller movies aren’t my usual genre of choice, but I stumbled upon this film a few months back and I mistakenly thought that it was some kind of dramatic-comedy. Oh, I was very wrong.
Korean cinema is World-famous for its incredible horror and thriller films, and ‘Truck’ lives up to all expectations. The film starts out a little light-hearted, as we are introduced to the protagonist, Chul Min, a doting father working hard to care for his sick daughter who makes a meagre living by driving his truck. He seems a fairly pitiable character who lives for his daughter, and always only just manages to scrape by.
With his daughter in desperate need of a life-saving operation, Chul Min lets his friend talk him into gambling what little money he has saved up to try and win the full amount of money needed. When his friend screws him over, he flies into a fit of rage and chases after him to try and get his money back, but he stumbles across something that he was never meant to see and it changes his life forever. This is the point when I realised that this was no comedy, as from this point onwards everything goes from bad to worse for him.
He is promised the money he needs for his daughter’s operation in return for him fulfilling one task, and his Truck is used for a purpose that it was never meant for. His situation gets more and more dire as he has no choice but to pick up a stranger not long into his task, and he struggles to keep himself together in the face of this nightmare.
This film is intriguing and compelling, and it has you rooting for the main character all the way through. I haven’t been so invested in the outcome of a movie in a very long time, and with so many twists and turns in the plot-line, you are kept interested and quite unsure of how everything will end. I was amazed at the quality of acting in this film, as the terrified anxiety and horror felt by Chul Min is practically palpable.
So, whether Thrillers are your cup of tea or not, I really would recommend that you watch this film; it will have you hooked after ten minutes, and despite being a very dark film, it is thoroughly enjoyable.
Comedy – ‘Mr Housewife’ (2005)
The title of the film pretty much gives away what this film is all about; a married man who stays at home and looks after his child while his wife goes out to work. This film has some laugh out loud moments, contrasted against the strains of marriage when one person is underappreciated.
The premise of ‘Mr Housewife’ is that the male lead, Jin Man, finds himself out of pocket when a bit of ‘private financing’ doesn’t work out for him as his neighbour leaves the country so she doesn’t have to pay him back any money that he leant him. As is typical in Korean films and dramas, this money that he leant to his neighbour was the money that the couple had saved and supposedly wisely invested which will now be used to pay for an operation her father needs.
In an attempt to recover his losses and replace the money before his wife can find out, Jin Man enters a television quiz show called ‘Quiz Queen’, which is designed for housewives. With a few serious scenes in the film that attempt to highlight the social stigma attached to ‘househusbands’ in Korea, there is a great contrast to the amusing scenes of the male lead taking part in activities that a mother and a housewife would normally do, such as; knowing the secret to getting stains out, cooking enviable dishes and even being part of an all-women’s running club. This film still manages to provide a sweet and amusing plot that is actually quite heart-warming from start to finish.
Romantic Comedy – ‘Castaway On The Moon’ (2009)
This film has made it into my top-five favourite films of all time. Not just Korean films, but all films. This is definitely an off-beat romantic comedy, and nothing about the events of the film or the characters is remotely regular. Most of us are fans of the cheesy rom-com, K-drama feel of boy-meets-girl, they fall in love, something bad happens but they are reunited in the end. This film is nothing like that; it is unique and an incredibly refreshing story.
The beginning of the film starts off with the male lead jumping off a bridge in an attempt to drown himself as he is in an enormous amount of debt, and he has no way to pay it back. His suicide attempt fails as he finds himself washed up on the shore of a deserted island just outside of Seoul. With a broken phone and unable to swim, he is unable to get himself back to the mainland that is directly in front of him.
The female lead is addicted to the internet, and has not left her apartment in over three years. She is afraid to go outside and dislikes being around anybody, and as such lives her entire life in her bedroom. One fateful day she is looking out at the streets of Seoul, and through her telescope she happens to catch sight of the male lead trapped on the island. She becomes intrigued by him and tries to overcome her fears so that she might be able to communicate with him.
The overall theme of this film is hope, and even though the characters seem at times to be living bleak and unfulfilling lives, their unlikely clandestine encounters brings new hope and happiness to their lives. Despite the characters being oddballs, they are extremely likeable, and you will find yourself laughing with them and cheering them along with their every small accomplishment.
This film is definitely for you if you like fairly light-hearted yet original comedies with a bonus of a hopeful love story weaving through it.
Action Comedy – ‘Going By The Book’ (2007)
This film is an absolute gem as it has a refreshing and funny story line that kept me amused throughout the whole film. It is a Police film about a demoted Detective, Do Man, who is incredibly serious and staid in everything that he does.
With the sudden increase in local bank robberies and the arrival of a new regional Chief Of Police who is eager to prove himself, the Police force are tasked with a new style of training; they will simulate a bank robbery to teach bank workers how to act in case of a real heist.
Do Man is hand-selected by the new Chief to play the part of a bank robber, and with great pride and seriousness he intensely researches about real life and fictional robberies in an attempt to make it as real to life as possible.
When the fake robbery is put into motion, the Chief realises very quickly that he did not factor in to account that Do Man was ordered to make this heist realistic, and that’s exactly what he does. As the hours tick by, the Chief’s stress rises and hilarity ensues as the national press start to take an interest in the police training.
I would recommend this film if you are after something just a little bit ridiculous yet completely endearing; despite Do Man seemingly taking thing too far at times, you can’t help but be impressed (and a little proud) at how much work and thought he has put into everything he does. He is an admirable character who is so sincere about everything he does, that it’s just pretty funny.
Any of these films sound interesting to you? What K-films would you recommend? Let us know!
