Handsome Guys directed by Nam Dong-hyeop has attracted critical buzz in Korea for its mixing of genres, bringing together elements of the slasher, horror, and comedy genres. Although its box office sales are not massively huge as the industry attempts to stage a post-pandemic recovery, it has sold more than one million tickets since its release on June 26.

The film is a remake of the Canadian film Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil (2010), which follows two men played by Lee Sung-min and Lee Hee-joon who move into their new house in the country but are the subject of a surveillance operation and are mistaken to be kidnappers when they try to save a college student (Gong Seung-yeon).  

Well-versed in genre cinema, Korean directors are deft at blending genres, subverting them, and turning them upside down. Kim Jee-woon’s The Quiet Family (1998) is part horror, thriller and comedy that is all the remarkable give how this was his first time on a set. Bong Joon Ho has constantly sought to break the rules making viewers laugh even when it’s uncomfortable.

The industry has a long history with directors working in multiple genres and this is a major draw for audiences overseas, and also locally. The success of Exhuma (2024) demonstrates the appeal of combing different genres with its characteristics of horror, and the occult subgenre. It’s also immensely engaging and entertaining.

This week, given the strong reception Handsome Guys is receiving, we will profile a number of horror comedy films, looking first at the Young-guwa daengchili series (1989-1991). We will then delve into other features including Chaw, (2009), Ghost Sweepers (2012) and The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale (2018).

Young-guwa daengchili

Consisting of a total of four films beginning with Nam Ki-nam’s Young-guwa daengchili (1989), it follows the titular character, Young-gu (Shim Hyung-rae) who teams up with his friends to fight Frankenstein’s monster, a Werewolf and Dracula along with other creatures including a traditional virgin ghost.

Starring Shim Hyung-rae who would later direct some of Korea’s first English-language feature films, Yonggary (1999) and D-War (2007), the film – along with a number of a series in the 1980s and 1990s - targeted children.  It was successful drawing in 64,000 admissions in Seoul leading to three sequels that collectively pulled in more than 100,000 viewers in the capital. Shim also frequently collaborated with Shim Hyung-rae.

Shim’s character with his animated gestures and theatrics is at the forefront of the films appeal, entertaining younger viewers giving them plenty to laugh at but also providing enough light scares to further keep audiences engaged.

To Catch a Virgin Ghost 

Shin Jung-won’s goofy comedy To Catch a Virgin Ghost (2004) reflects the slapstick humor that is evident in many of Korea’s comedies as it follows a young gangster, Seok-tae (Kwon Oh-jung) who runs away to a quaint village with diamonds that he inadvertently drops in a bathroom. Seeing his stolen fortune heading towards a drain, he ends up almost suffocating to death. The villagers thinking he is dead, decide to bury him. Meanwhile another man, Yang-I (Im Chang-jung) searching for the diamonds attempts to hunt down Seok-tae.  The villagers, though, are a deadly bunch armed with sickles and axes. Denying they have ever seen Seok-tae, it leads to a confrontation between the villagers and Yang-I.

The film sold close to two million tickets after it hit screens in August 2004, the summer season being a popular time to release horror fare in the early 2000s. While this is very much a comical affair, it brings together hilarious moments along with a dose of eccentric horror making it one of the iconic examples of the subgenre in the earlier days of contemporary Korean cinema.

Chaw 

Also directed by Shin Jung-won is Chaw (2009). He was renowned for his horror-comedies in the 2000s and 2010s but he suddenly passed away at the age of 46 in 2021.

Starring Uhm Tae-woong, Jung Yu-mi, Jang Hang-sun and Yoon Jae-moon, it’s set in a secluded town close to Mount Jiri that hasn’t experienced much trouble. But a wild boar changes that with a mounting body count forcing the villagers to hunt it down led by a man whose granddaughter was killed by the animal. He is joined by two policemen, a biologist, and a hunter.

Wild boars do appear in Korean films from time to time with Welcome to Dongmakgol (2005) a famous example. But this is the first time one takes center stage for the whole narrative and in such visually arresting fashion.  It is though never taken too seriously with Shin’s appetite for humor never too far away – even as this wild boar runs riot.

Ghost Sweepers

Shin’s next film was Ghost Sweepers (2012) that featured many of his characteristics of humor and comedy – along with its village setting - when a young journalist named Chan-young (Kang Ye-won) is assigned to cover a story a grand exorcism. Rumors are circulating of a dark evil spirit that has come consume the village. Many of the shamans, however, are prevented from entering and only five of the best together with Chan-young can penetrate the village and prepare a battle against the evil forces.

Night of the Undead

Shin’s final feature was his 2019 film Night of the Undead that screened at the Udine Far East Film Festival in 2021. It also includes elements of science fiction underscoring his appetite for B films and follows a married couple played by Lee Jung-hyun and Kim Sung-ho. Something seems off with the husband who doesn’t appear to act human, so his wife has someone follow him and discovers that he is actually quite dangerous with former wives being found dead.  

With his usual combination of humor and comedy together with an interesting mix of sci-fi, it’s eccentric and entertaining. While some directors have attempted to tackle new genres and styles, Shin is unique for working primarily within the same sub-genre but finding new ways to infuse his style and storytelling taking audiences in different directions.

The film, which also stars Seo Young-hee, Yang Dong-geun and Lee Mi-do sold 104,000 tickets in 2020 making it his least successful feature.

Ghost House

Released in September 2004, just a month after To Catch a Virgin Ghost (2004), Ghost House too was a box office hit drawing in 2.8 million admissions making it the fourth most successful film of that year.

Directed by Kim Sang-jin whose comedies Attack the Gas Station (1999) and Kick the Moon (2001) had struck a chord with audiences. Infused with copious amounts of energy, his films bring together plenty of laughs and compelling characters.

Ghost House (Cha Seung-won) centers on a man who moves into a new home, but a poltergeist (Jang Seo-hee) is residing in the premises and claims to have lived there for years. It attempts to frighten him, hurtling knives and using a flock of chickens. There is a twist when he is struck by lighting and is able to see the ghost. When he is approached to sell the house, the poltergeist is the one who is now afraid as she tries to convince him not to sell.

Emblematic of Kim Sang-jin’s comedic execution, it’s got plenty of humor to keep viewers entertained.

Spellbound

The fact that many of these films have connected with audiences upon release demonstrates the continued appetite for them among cinemagoers. This is also true of Hwang In-ho’s Spellbound (2011) that was also a hit with three million spectators.

While the popularity of horror films has dissipated since the early 2000s, the effect that comedy continues to have has not, which goes some way to explain the popularity of these films. Spellbound too, with its wackiness and humor puts viewers under its spell pulling them into the narrative that sees a magician (Lee Min-ki) who helps a woman (Son Ye-jin) who can interact with ghosts.

Packed with a visual flair and committed performances that capture the film’s eccentric tone, it’s a film that has left a mark with audiences. It also recently screened at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) as part of a retrospective showcasing the work of actress Son Ye-jin.

The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale

Also leaving a lasting impression was Lee Min-jae’s The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale (2018) that was praised by local and international critics. It was also invited to more than a dozen film festivals; from SITGES in Spain to the New York Asian Film Festival.

Starring Jung Jae-young, Kim Nam-gil, Park In-hwan, and Uhm Ji-won who play members of the same family who run a service station targeting customers and charging them large sums of money to fix repairs they have caused. When the father (Park In-hwan) is bitten by a zombie that was created when a pharmaceutical company conducts experiments on humans, they seek to profit from it.

The K-zombie subgenre has undoubtedly made inroads into overseas markets led by Yeon Sang-ho’s Train to Busan (2016) and the Netflix series Kingdom (2018). While less successful commercially than its K-zombie counterparts, The Odd Family stands out for its quirky narrative and execution.

Edited by Shim Eunha

Written by Jason Bechervaise