“Wonka” (US) Opened Jan. 31 Fantasy Directed by Paul King Willy Wonka (Timothee Chalamet), who dreams of becoming the world’s best chocolatier, encounters a “chocolate cartel” and a plot to kick him out of town as its business is threatened. But next to him are four trustworthy supporters whom he meets at Mrs. Scrubitt’s launderette. “Citizen of a Kind” (South Korea) Opened Jan. 24 Drama Directed by Park Young-ju Duk-hee (Ra Mi-ran), who lives an

Five Korean films will be screened at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, which kicked off Thursday for a 10-day run in Berlin. One of the top three film festivals around the world, along with the Cannes Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival, this year’s Berlin Film Festival opened with Belgian director Tim Mielants’ “Small Things Like These.” South Korean director Heo Myeong-haeng, who debuted recently with Netflix's original film “Badland Hunter

Director Kang Je-gyu’s 2004 war action film “Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War” follows a simple storyline that revolves around two brothers – Jin-tae (Jang Dong-gun) and Jin-seok (Won Bin) -- who are drafted to the South Korean Army to fight in the Korean War that broke out on June 25, 1950. The brutal and inhumane conditions on the battlefield leave little room for thinking about the implications of the war. Jin-tae, the eldest son in the family, is the breadwinner and r

An unusually long queue formed in the basement floor of The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido last month. Shim Young-mi, 37, was one of the people who waited in line to try the New York-based Luke’s Lobster. She said she didn’t mind the long wait and the relatively high price for a palm-sized lobster roll that costs 21,500 won ($16.50). The price varies depending on how much lobster meat is in the roll -- a lobster roll with 100 grams of lobster meat sells for 29,500 won. “I wanted to t

“Wonka” (US) Opened Jan. 31 Fantasy Directed by Paul King Willy Wonka (Timothee Chalamet), who dreams of becoming the world’s best chocolatier, encounters a “chocolate cartel” and a plot to kick him out of town as its business is threatened. But next to him are four trustworthy supporters whom he meets at Mrs. Scrubitt’s launderette. “Citizen of a Kind” (South Korea) Opened Jan. 24 Drama Directed by Park Young-ju Duk-hee (Ra Mi-ran), who lives an

After nearly five years of research into the world of "baji sajang," people who make money lending their names as figureheads to underground or illegal businesses, Hah Joon-won’s directorial debut film, “Dead Man, opened in local theaters on Feb. 7. “As I was doing research for a story about baji sajang and their nefarious businesses, I met with some people who were on the run. One day, (I met with) this man (who gave me his) business card (which said he was a CEO), a

Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Koreeda said he wishes to collaborate with Korean actors again, mentioning the names of new rising stars here during an interview with Korean media in Seoul on Monday. Koreeda, 61, was in Seoul over the weekend to meet with the local audience and talk about his latest film “Monster.” “Monster,” which opened in November, attracted 500,000 moviegoers here, the second-highest number for a Japanese non-animated film after 20002's “Even I

South Korea’s veteran actor Namkoong Won passed away at age 90 in Seoul on Monday, years after he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Born on Aug. 1, 1934, he debuted as an actor with director No Pil’s “Bring Back the Night Once More.” Since then, he came to represent the Korean film industry from the 1960s to the 1980s, starring in more than 300 films including director Lee Man-hee’s “Six Shadows,” director Shin Sang-ok’s “War and Humanity,&rd

The Culture Ministry’s plan to mandate a grace period of possibly up to six months before films that received government funding are released on streaming platforms like Netflix is being met with mixed reactions by the local entertainment industry, including film distributors and streaming platform operators. In November, the ministry temporarily instituted a “holdback” period for films with a production cost of over 3 billion won which received state funding, requiring the dis

After a trio of “Kingsman” movies, director Matthew Vaughn decided on a change of pace, playfully approaching a spy caper with less violence in “Argylle.” It even stars a cute kitten who appears more often than the protagonist. Yet, the movie is just another pastiche of spy action with whimsical action and little else. “Argylle” follows Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard), a reclusive author and a cat lady who writes bestselling espionage novels in which the nam

Koreans might not be able to match the US in their love of beef patties, but burgers are one of the most popular options here to grab on the go. At Patties, a new homemade burger restaurant that opened in December near Euljiro 4-ga Station, you don’t want to finish your palm-sized burger in a few bites. Here, the burger is something to appreciate, enjoying every bite in a creative way, such as dipping it in a thick cream soup. Patties’ burgers come in five varieties -- basic, cheese,

“Citizen of a Kind” (South Korea) Opened Jan. 24 Drama Directed by Park Young-ju Duk-hee (Ra Mi-ran), who usually lives an ordinary life, travels to Qingdao, China, to capture the boss of a criminal organization after she falls victim to a voice phishing scam. She decides to travel to the country after the person who scammed her, Son Jae-min (Gong Myung), calls her from Qingdao asking for help. “Wish” (US) Opened Jan. 3 Animation Directed by Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasuntho

The post-apocalyptic action film "Badland Hunters," which topped the Netflix global chart immediately after its release on Jan. 26, is a work by director Heo Myeong-haeng and his longtime partner, actor Don Lee, also known as Ma Dong-seok. “We were looking for something to do together and because he (Lee) works often on new scenarios, he discovered this story and suggested we do it together,” Heo told The Korea Herald in an interview in Seoul on Tuesday. Having spent more

In recent years, the Hollywood debuts of Don Lee and Park Seo-joon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Blackpink's Jennie starring in the HBO drama “The Idol,” were feted as huge feats in Korea, never mind that their appearances lasted just minutes. Recent wins at major film festivals by creators and actors of Korean descent -- Korean Canadian director Celine Song of “Past Lives” and Korean American director Lee Seong-jin and actor Steven Yeun of “Beef”

For a popcorn flick this weekend, Netflix original film “Badland Hunters,” Don Lee’s first project with the global streaming platform, might be the ideal answer. Set in a post-earthquake Seoul where society has collapsed, fearless hunter Nam-san (Lee, better known in Korea as Ma Dong-seok) goes out to rescue Soo-na (Roh Jeong-eui), a teenager who has been kidnapped by Yang Gi-soo (Lee Hee-joon), a crazy doctor. “D.P” and “Mask Girl” star villain Lee Jun-

South Korean director Jason Yu’s mystery thriller “Sleep” won the top Grand Prix award at the 31st Gerardmer Fantastic Film Festival in Gerardmer, France. Yu’s win marks the first for a Korean film in 20 years, after Kim Jee-woon’s “A Tale of Two Sisters” won the prize in 2004. “Sleep,” which opened in domestic theaters in September last year, is Yu's feature-length directorial debut. The late actor Lee Sun-kyun and Jung Yu-mi star as ne

The Korean Film Archive said Friday that it recovered 16 Korean movies from the 1960s and 70s that were previously unavailable for viewing due to lost sound and deleted scenes. These movies are meaningful as they are from the Korean film industry’s so-called “first renaissance,” KOFA explained. “Recovering Korean films produced in the 1960s and 70s is a remarkable feat considering that it was when renowned filmmakers like Kim Ki-young and Shin Sang-ok actively produced mo

“Wish” (US) Opened Jan. 3 Animation Directed by Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn Seventeen-year-old Asha interviews for an apprentice job to King Magnifico in the Kingdom of Rosas on the day of her grandfather Sabino's 100th birthday. The interview goes well until Magnifico declines Asha's request for Sabino's wish to be granted, seeing the wish as a potential threat to his power. “Alienoid Part 2” (South Korea) Opened Jan. 10 Action Directed by Choi Dong

Timothee Chalamet piles on the charm in “Wonka” to provide a mesmerizing back story of one of Roald Dahl's most famous characters. Throughout the 116-minute runtime, it’s hard to take your eyes away from the fantasy-like journey Wonka (Chalamet) takes to open a chocolate shop and become the world-renowned chocolatier, a promise that he made his mother. The movie begins with Wonka pompously stepping into a town in Europe with 12 sovereign coins in his pocket and an old hat.

Korean Canadian director and playwright Celine Song’s directorial debut “Past Lives” has been nominated in two categories -- best picture and original screenplay -- at this year’s Academy Awards slated to take place on March 10. At the 96th edition of the world’s top film festival, also known as the Oscars, eyes are on whether “Past Lives” could repeat the success of Lee Isaac Chung's heartwarming family drama “Minari," which was nominate