[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Midnight Runners
(Korea)
Opened Aug. 9
Action. Directed by Kim Joo-hwan

Ki-joon (Park Seo-joon) is a police academy cade who is bursting with energy and eager to go catch the bad guys. What he lacks in thought he makes up for with action. Contrasting him is Hee-yeol (Kang Ha-neul), a fellow cadet who is timid and well-versed in theory but less savvy when it comes to the practical things. One day, the two witness a kidnapping and decides to take action. 

A Taxi Driver 
(Korea)
Opened Aug. 2
Drama. Directed by Jang Hoon

It is 1980. German journalist Peter (Thomas Kretschmann) needs a taxi to get to Gwangju, Korea’s southwestern city swept up in a turbulent struggle between government and citizen. Unassuming taxi driver Man-seob (Song Kang-ho) does not know what is in store for him, and is only intent on receiving the hefty fare from Seoul to Gwangju to pay his back rent. The two realize how grave the situation is upon reaching the city, and Peter, with the help of Man-seob, university student Jae-sik (Ryu Joon-yeol) and driver Hwang (Yoo Hae-jin) begins to document the happenings there.

The Battleship Island
(Korea)
Opened July 26
Drama, action. Directed by Ryoo Seung-wan

Deep in the dark, damp underground tunnels of Hashima Island, hundreds of Korean laborers are forced to mine for coal in deadly conditions by the Japanese. A motley crew of Koreans find themselves on the island -- including band leader Kang-ok (Hwang Jung-min) and his daughter So-hee (Kim Soo-ahn), gang leader Chil-sung (So Ji-sub) and Malnyeon (Lee Jung-hyun), who has been sold as a sex slave. Elite agent Park Moo-young (Song Joong-ki) infiltrates the island on a mission to rescue a prominent independence fighter.

Dunkirk
(US)
Opened July 20
Drama, thriller. Directed by Christopher Nolan


In May 1940 during World War II, Germany advances into France and traps the Allied troops on the beaches of Dunkirk. A slow, methodical plan to evacuate the British and French troops began to be put into motion, using every naval and civilian ship that could be reached, but the German air assault is relentless.