Inspired by a story told in the first part, the second half is captured in color and is about a romance between a Korean woman and a local man.Īctor and director Park Jung-bum utilizes his talents behind and in front of the camera to deliver a second compelling feature about those struggling to survive in a society riddled with inequality. Split into two parts, the first half is shot in black and white and follows a Korean director scouting for locations in a Japanese rural town. Reminiscent of Richard Linklater's "Before Sunrise," Jang Kun-jae's "A Midsummer's Fantasia" might be a little protracted for some, but the realist aesthetic and enigmatic documentary-like structure captures something rather alluring and profound. Im's superb sophomore feature intelligently deconstructs the so-called "Miracle on the Han River" as it unveils the plight of female workers past and present through interviews, stills and other footage. Premiering in Busan in 2014, "Factory Complex" directed by Im Heung-soon went on to screen at festivals around the world and was awarded the Silver Lion at the 56th Venice Biennale in May. One of the most exciting areas of Korean film over the past two years is in the realm of documentaries. Kwon So-hyun in her first role in a film delivers a captivating performance as Madonna - a young woman who is abused by the men around her. Dealing with prostitution and misogyny, Shin's approach is courageous and thought- provoking.
It's perhaps too punishing for some viewers but Shin Su-won's ("Pluto") third feature is a layered and absorbing drama about some of the difficulties a woman marginalized by society faces. Quintessentially Hong, but it's also the sterling leading performances by Jung and Kim Min-hee that resonate. Again playing with narrative structure and repetition, Hong devises an enchanting story about an encounter between a director and a painter but tells it twice with slight variations.
Renowned auteur Hong Sang-soo can divide opinion but his latest film "Right Now, Wrong Then" has deservedly received wide critical acclaim as illustrated by the Golden Leopard the film won at the 68th Locarno Film Festival together with Best Actor for Jung Jae-young. Superbly acted by the electric Hwang Jung-min and Yoo Ah-in, Ryoo does what he does best and delivers an action-packed film that also tackles the issues of justice, corruption, and the chaebol (conglomerates) as it follows a detective who pursues a young and obnoxious heir of a powerful conglomerate. "Veteran" is all of these, yet it's richly entertaining through Ryoo Seung-wan's witty screenplay, making it one of the most enjoyable viewing experiences of the year. Korean films can often be dark, gritty and violent. November, a traditionally quiet month saw two further unexpected hits: "The Priests" and "Inside Men."Ĭritically, established filmmakers have made their mark such as Ryoo Seung-wan ("Veteran") and Hong Sang-soo ("Right Now, Wrong Then"), but there's only one debut filmmaker in my top ten below reflecting a weak year for new filmmakers.Īll the films below were released in Korean cinemas this year.
Since then, local films have remained popular at the box office. This year was no exception as seen with "Assassination" (12.7 million admissions) and "Veteran" (13.4 million).
#Best south korean movies full#
Typically, it's the latter six months, especially in the months of July and August when the local industry gets into full swing. Admissions for local films surpassed 100 million for the fourth consecutive year with the local market share for the year expected to be at approximately 50 percent or perhaps a little higher. At the box office, despite a slow start, Korean films continued to perform well in 2015.