A scene from "Handsome Guys," starring Lee Sung-min (NEW)
South Korean comedy occult flick "Handsome Guys," starring veteran actors Lee Hee-jun and Lee Sung-min, will set itself apart from recent occult box office hit "Exhuma" by incorporating a Hollywood occult vibe, alongside a narrative rife with comedic scenes, said the director, Monday.
"Handsome Guys" tells the story of Jae-pil (played by Lee Sung-min) and Sang-gu (played by Lee Hee-jun), two friends who decide to move to a new house in a rural area. In there, they discover an evil spirit sealed in the basement.
The plot of "Handsome Guys," which involves the awakening of an evil spirit, is reminiscent of the plot of recent box office megahit "Exhuma," where a spirit sealed in a coffin is released through exhumation. Addressing this comparison, "Handsome Guys" director Nam Dong-hyup noted that his movie sets itself apart from "Exhuma" by conveying the atmosphere of an American occult film.
"Recently, 'Exhuma' has been a hot topic here. If 'Exhuma' had a strong K-occult feel, 'Handsome Guys' has an American Hollywood occult vibe. We aimed to capture the tone and atmosphere of American comedies from the '80s and '90s in 'Handsome Guys,'" said Nam said during a press conference held in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Monday. After working as an assistant director for a number of commercial movies such as "Penny pinchers" (2011) and "High Society," (2018) "Handsome Guys" marks Nam's debut as a film director.
A scene from "Handsome Guys," starring Lee Hee-jun (NEW)
According to the director of the film, "Handsome Guys" isn't just a comedy film -- the movie also combines multiple genres to offer the audience a diverse and entertaining experience.
"In 'Handsome Guys,' you can experience how Lee Sung-min conveys a human drama and thriller, Lee Hee-jun's melodrama and Gong Seung-yeon's portrayal of a horror queen. Additionally, there's Park Ji-hwan, known for playing criminals, taking on a detective story," said Nam. Park Ji-hwan, who plays the role of a police officer that gets mired in Jae-pil's and Sang-gu's story, previously played popular character Jang Yi-soo in the recent box office hit “The Roundup: Punishment." In the “The Roundup: Punishment," Jang is a former criminal who aspires to be a police officer.
"I also found the mix of various genres to be very refreshing," added Lee Sung-min.
"A new and second part of the movie begins when the evil spirit is unsealed. In the second part, an entirely different movie emerges," he said.
"Handsome Guys" will hit local theaters on June 26.
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