Despite the widespread popularity of watching films on streaming platforms like Netflix, slightly more Koreans still prefer watching the latest movies in theaters, according to market data. According to the survey conducted by consumer research institution Consumer Insight of 1,064 Korean moviegoers aged between 20 and 64, 37 percent said they prefer watching new films in theaters, whereas 33 percent said they only watch new films when they are uploaded on streaming services. Another 10 percent

“The Roundup: Punishment,” the fourth installment of the crime film franchise featuring South Korean action star Don Lee – known as Ma Dong-seok here – will meet audiences in 164 countries for a global release. The number of countries this installment will be released in is the most of the four films. The second installment, “The Roundup,” was sold to 132 countries in 2022 and the third installment, “The Roundup: No Way Out,” was sold to 158 coun

“The Last 10 Years” (Japan) Opened April 3 Drama Directed by Michihito Fujii Twenty-year-old Matsuri Takabayashi learns that she only has 10 years to live due to an incurable disease. She decides not to dwell on her life and not to fall in love, but then she meets Kazuto Manabe at a school reunion.   “The First Omen” (US) Opened April 3 Horror Directed by Arkasha Stevenson Young American woman Margaret (Nell Tiger Free) heads to Rome to devote her life to serving the

Ryoo Seung-wan, the director behind 2015 action blockbuster “Veteran,” has been invited to the 77th Cannes Film Festival with the film's sequel, “I, the Executioner,” the festival announced Thursday. The Cannes Film Festival unveiled its lineup in a press conference held in Paris on Thursday. The 77th edition runs May 15-25. Ryoo’s “I, the Executioner,” also referred to as “Veteran 2” here, was listed in the midnight screening category,

South Korean period thriller “The Night Owl” by director Ahn Tae-jin will be remade in China, the movie’s Korean distributor NEW said Tuesday. According to NEW, a copyright deal for a Chinese remake of “The Night Owl” was clinched at a “record-high” price. A Chinese entertainment firm preparing for the local production of the film is behind the deal. NEW didn’t release the name of the Chinese company. Given that previous remakes of Korean films in

Eight Korean films of diverse genres are competing at the 42nd Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival which kicked off Tuesday. Known as the world’s largest fantastic film festival dedicated to experimental genre films from thriller, sci-fi, cult and horror to animation and underground, the BIFFF invited Korean directors Jang Jae-hyun’s supernatural thriller “Exhuma” and director Han Dong-seok’s mystery fantasy “The Sin” to its international co

A series of successive installments to hit Hollywood flicks are poised to grace the silver screens of local theaters soon, starting in May. "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga," a prequel to Australian post-apocalyptic action film "Mad Max: Fury Road," opens in local theaters next month. Coming out nine years since the release of "Mad Max: Fury Road," the prequel explores the backstory of one of the Mad Max series' central protagonists, Imperator Furiosa, a fierce combata

The proliferation of documentaries often makes it difficult to choose which ones to watch. The three selected here take a fresh look at the life of a father who has lost a daughter, a gripping competition among cyclists and life-humbling moments at a hospital. “Sewol: Years in the Wind” (2024) This month marks the 10th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster which claimed more than 300 lives, most of them high school students on the school trip. A father who lost a daughter in the

Despite having never attended a "hagwon" or private cram school herself, director Kim Da-min's debut film, "FAQ," confronts the topic of South Korea's obsession with private education, centering on the story of Dong-chun, an 11-year-old girl. The film's English title doesn’t fully convey its creative and witty yet powerful spirit as well as its Korean title does: “Makgeolli will let you know” (direct translation). Makgeolli is Korean tradition

“The Beekeeper” (US) Opened April 3 Action Directed by David Ayer Adam Clay (Jason Statham), a former agent from a powerful organization known as Beekeepers, sets out on a quest for brutal vengeance by hunting down those responsible for the incident after someone very important to him is scammed and driven to harm.     “The First Omen” (US, Italy) Opened April 3 Horror Directed by Arkasha Stevenson A young American woman Margaret (Nell Tiger Free) heads to Rome

This year’s Jeonju International Film Festival, running May 1 to May 10, will showcase several films on the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster to mark the 10th anniversary of the tragedy that claimed almost 300 lives, most of them high school students on a field trip on April 16, 2014. “The year 2024 marks the 10th year since the Sewol tragedy. Although 10 years have passed, the scars of this disaster have not yet healed. Rather, we had to go through a similar tragedy that happened in Itaewon

Details, topics, ensemble, movie’s clear goal explain film's surprising performance

Kocowa, a streaming platform operated by Wavve Americas, which distributes Korean content to overseas audiences, said it has started offering its services in 39 countries in Europe and Oceania on Monday. Previously, Kocowa was available in some 30 countries in North and South America, including the US, Canada and Brazil. England, Ireland, Spain and Portugal, as well as Australia and New Zealand, are some of the countries where Kocowa became available Monday. In Europe and Oceania, Kocowa is only

It took director Ahn Gooc-jin nine years to return to the big screen after his award-winning “Alice In Earnestland.” Just like the previous film, Ahn's latest work, “Troll Factory,” criticizes aspects of modern-day Korea through satire. “Troll Factory,” a film adaptation of the eponymous 2015 novel by Chang Kang-myoung, reorganizes the story into a completely new structure. Unlike in the novel, the movie focuses on the character of Yim Sang-jin (Son Suk-k

Two co-deputy directors to lead 29th BIFF