1 Win · Large Family · Harbin December Release
Comedy · Sports · Historical Genres and More 'Diverse Lineup'
The year-end cinema lineup for Korean films has been finalized. Movies that were shelved during the COVID-19 pandemic will be released one after another in November and December. The genres are diverse, including comedy, occult, and historical films. Some works that are expected to generate word-of-mouth buzz also stand out.
'A Bountiful December' Featuring Star Actors and Directors
The opening salvo is the occult film Saheul (director Hyun Moon-seop). It depicts events that unfold during a three-day funeral, where an exorcism ritual is performed to prevent something awakening from the heart of a deceased daughter. Filmed in 2020 and then shelved, this movie will be released on the 14th of this month, meeting audiences after four years. Actor Park Shin-yang, who was rumored to have retired, stars in the lead role, with Lee Min-ki among the cast. Distributor Showbox, having achieved ten million viewers this year with Pamyo, is actively bringing out the long-shelved Saheul.
Distributor NEW will release Hidden Face on the 20th of this month, reuniting director Kim Dae-woo and actor Song Seung-heon, who previously worked together on Human Addiction (2015). The story unfolds when Miju, a junior of the missing fianc?e Su-yeon, appears before Seong-jin, who has been searching for her whereabouts. The film is billed as a 'unique locked-room thriller' and portrays a secretive story in a striking manner.
On the 4th of next month, the volleyball film 1 Win (director Shin Yeon-sik) and Firefighter (director Kwak Kyung-taek), adapted from the Hongje-dong fire incident, will be released simultaneously. 1 Win is the first film to focus on volleyball, telling the story of a professional women's volleyball team with a coach who has never won, an owner who has no intention to win, and players who don't know how to win, all challenging themselves to achieve their first victory. Actor Song Kang-ho plays the volleyball coach, and Park Jung-min plays the team owner. Volleyball player Kim Yeon-koung makes a surprise appearance.
Firefighter is a film adapted from the story of firefighters who lost their lives while rushing into flames to save residents during the March 2001 Hongje-dong fire in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Although the release was uncertain due to lead actor Kwak Do-won's controversies involving drunk driving and staff assault, the film has finally reached audiences. However, public sentiment toward the film is cold. Director Kwak stated at the film's production presentation, "I find Kwak Do-won very hateful and resentful," adding, "He must take responsibility for his actions." The originally planned distributor withdrew from the project, and another company took over distribution. Actors Joo Won and Lee Joon-hyuk also appear.
The new film Big Family by director Yang Woo-seok, known for the ten-million viewer hit The Attorney (2013), will be released on the 11th of next month. Actor Kim Yoon-seok stars as a master dumpling maker with 38 years of experience. This family comedy depicts a dumpling restaurant owner (Kim Yoon-seok), whose legacy was broken due to his son becoming a monk (Lee Seung-gi), living together with adorable grandchildren who have never been seen before.
CJ ENM, which had a poor performance this year, will release Harbin next month. Actor Hyun Bin plays independence activist Ahn Jung-geun. The spy thriller depicts the pursuit and suspicion between those heading to Harbin in 1909 for a single purpose and those chasing them. The film is directed by Woo Min-ho, known for Inside Men (2015) and Secret Zoo (2020).
Korean Films Flooding Year-End... What About Next Year?
There are two main reasons why distributors release films at the end of the year. The primary goal is to capture the winter market, which coincides with winter vacation and holiday seasons. On the other hand, films that have received poor internal feedback may be released within the year to avoid affecting annual sales performance.
The atmosphere in theaters next year may change. Once major distributors finish releasing films that were shot before the pandemic, a winter period for cinemas is likely to begin. This is a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic freezing the cinema market and shrinking investments. As a result, there have been almost no new productions from major investment distributors over the past two to three years, leading to fewer releases starting next year. Most of the winter period in theaters is expected to be dominated by foreign films.
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