Another Strong Year for Korean Films

The Cannes Film Festival wrapped up a few weeks ago, and once again this was the place to be if you wanted to take the pulse of today’s Korean film industry. Genre flicks, debut films and the latest titles from some Cannes regulars showcased the diverse talents and innovative storytelling of Korean filmmakers on the global stage. Even though they make still take a little while before they land at a theater near you, now is as good a time as any to revisit these movies and see the kind of reaction they elicited at La Croisette.  

​Project Silence 

The guilty pleasure for night owls: Project Silence by Kim Tae-gon

Pitting survivors of a collapsed bridge against genetically augmented killer dogs let loose due to the accident, this disaster movie was right at home in the Midnight Screening section. A stark departure from what we might have expected from one of the founding members of the indie film collective KwangHwaMoon Cinema, the film sure found its audience as the theater was still packed when the ending credits started rolling at around 2.30am, and the audience didn’t mind delaying their bedtime by an additional five minutes to offer a standing ovation.

The edge-of-the-seat thriller: Sleep, by Jason Yu

With its story of a newlywed woman expecting her first child as she becomes increasingly concerned by her husband’s weird form of somnambulism, Jason Yu’s Sleep left a profound impact upon its presentation at one of Cannes’ sidebars, the Critics’ Week. Bong Joon-ho himself called it "the most unique horror film and smartest debut film I have seen in the past 10 years”, but for full disclosure’s sake it’s worth noting that Yu was one of his assistants on Okja. Screen International however seems to agree, calling it “a mischievous genre exercise”, while the Hollywood Reporter commended a “film of subtle personal intention” that “bears the traces” of Bong and Lee Chang-dong.

 ​Cobweb

The love letter to films: Cobweb, by Kim Jee-woon

This farce, about a film director struggling to reshoot the end of his movie just days before the deadline all the while he negotiates the 1970s film industry and its infamous censorship, was part of the Un Certain Regard slate. Lead actor Song Kang-ho, a regular of the festival who gained worldwide acclaim thanks to his role in Parasite, inspired cheers as soon as his face appeared on screen, while the audience graced Kim Jee-woon’s latest with a 10-minute-long standing ovation.

 Hopeless

The crowd-pleaser: Hopeless, by Kim Chang-hoon

Also presented in the Un Certain Regard section, this debut film still managed to draw crowds to both sides of the red carpet, as fans hoped to catch a glimpse of its stars, actor Song Joong-ki, best known for TV series Reborn Rich (2022) and Vincenzo (2021), and Bibi, an up-and-coming R&B singer who recently signed with the US music label 88rising. Cheers and applause erupted as soon as the last shot ended and didn’t stop until after the lights were back on. This made a strong impression on Bibi, who stated she had never experienced something like this. South China Morning Post called it “a competently made and acted drama that is moodily shot.”

The regular Cannes event: In Our Day by Hong Sang-soo

In Our Day by acclaimed director Hong Sang-soo, his 12th movie presented in Cannes, maybe doesn’t have the same mainstream appeal as the other films in this list, but it would be wrong to assume that the director’s signature storytelling style doesn’t have its fans who are always eager to discover his latest. This one, which was shown as the closing film of the parallel section Directors' Fortnight, “demonstrates a new level of mastery of his art”, according to Variety. Screen Anarchy lauded the director for “his rare skill to make a film of such extraordinary modesty, and with such humble means, and render it so deeply engrossing and compelling”.