The Good, the Bad, and the Weird
The Good, the Bad, and the Weird is an action western film directed by Kim Jee-Woon and, as the name suggests, inspired by Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The film premiered in 2008 at Cannes Film Festival and instantly received positive feedback from the critics praised the action, the cinematography, and direction. The film also received screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival, Hawaii International Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, and the London Film Festival. It is regarded as one of the most influential South Korean films.
New World
The New World is a crime drama written and directed by Park Hoon-Jung. It is the first film in the planned trilogy. The film was first released in 2013 and shows the conflict between the police and the mob from the perspective of an undercover police officer. The movie was appreciated by many critics. Film Business Asia praised it as “the best played and most gripping Korean gangster movie since Yoo Ha’s A Dirty Carnival. It not only showcases three of South Korea’s best actors at the top of their game but also manages to sustain its 2 and a half-hour running time on sheer character drama rather than action or violence”.
Poetry
Poetry is a drama written and directed by Lee Chang-dong, a big name in Korean arthouse cinema. The film was released in 2010 and selected for 2010 Cannes Film Festival main competition where it won the Best Screenplay Award. The film tells a story of a woman in her 60s who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and who suddenly takes the interest in poetry. The movie has won many other awards besides Cannes Film Festivals, for instance, it won the Blue Dragon Film Awards for Best Actress and received Award for Best Actress from Los Angeles Film Critics Association. The main role is played by 70 years old Yoon Jeong-hee for whom it is the first film to star in since 1994.
Moebius
Moebius was first screened out of competition at the 70th Venice International Film Festival in 2013. It is a drama film written and directed by Kim Ki-duk. Initially, it was banned in South Korea before the Korea Media Rating Board changed their opinion and lowered the rating. Moebius is a modern Korean adaptation of Psycho. It is an extremely brutal, yet controversial film. Moebius is a fascinating exploration in the bordering psychotic link between mother and son. Andrew Chan of the Film Critics Circle of Australia writes, “To call Moebius daring is actually an understatement, as it is more than that, it is a film that will haunt you, lingers with you and perhaps disturb you till you never think about it again”.
The Vengeance Trilogy
The Vengeance Trilogy is a three film series directed by Park Chan-wook. The first film in the series is Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, it was released in 2002. The second film of the trilogy is Oldboy that was released in 2003 and recently had a remake. The third film in the series is Sympathy for Lady Vengeance that was released in 2005. Each film deals with a theme of revenge, violence and salvation. Plot of the films is not connected nor are the narratives, yet the films were dubbed a trilogy by international critics because of their thematic links.