Busan 2024: The buzz titles from South Korea

Festival

Fragment

Dir Kim Sung-yoon
The son of a murderer and the son of his victims find their lives intertwined at high school. The feature directing debut of Kim stars Oh Ja-hun of 2023 Bifan award-winner Iron Mask, Moon Seong Hyun of TV series Queen Of Tears and Kim Gyuna. In post, Fragment is produced by Contents G, the outfit behind hit genre feature Project Wolf Hunting.
Contact: Finecut

A Girl With Closed Eyes

Dir Chun Sunyoung
Minha Kim of Apple TV+ series Pachinko leads this thriller, which premieres at BIFF in the Korean Cinema Today section. She plays a woman who admits to the murder of a bestselling author and demands to see a detective, played by Moon Choi (Deliver Us From Evil), who was a childhood friend. Doubts emerge in the case as truths are uncovered. The film marks the feature debut of director Chun, whose short Good Night played in Critics’ Week at Cannes 2002. Mind2mind Pictures produces with investment from Solaire Partners (Parasite, 12.12: The Day).
Contact: Finecut

Method Acting

Dir Lee Ki-hyuk
Lee Dong-hwi, known for his roles in The Roundup: Punishment and Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Cannes Competition title Broker, plays a version of himself in this satirical comedy about a washed-up comic actor who has a chance to reinvent himself as a serious performer. But despite landing the role of a king in a historical drama, unexpected challenges lead to comical results. The cast includes Kang Chan-hee of idol group SF9, Yoon Gyeong-ho of The Desperate Chase and Park Ji-hwan from The Roundup franchise. Director Lee adapts his own 2020 short Method Acting for the feature, which premieres in BIFF’s Korean Cinema Today section. Produced by Runup Company, a local release is expected in 2025.
Contact: Hive Filmworks 

Market

The Beast (working title)

Dir Kim Min-jae
This suspense thriller revolves around the murder of a child and the detective assigned to the case who is haunted by the killing of his own daughter. The investigator is later asked by a famous actress to find her missing sister, which leads to the discovery of disturbing connections with the child’s murder. The film marks the feature directing debut of Kim and has a cast led by Kim Sang-kyung of Bong Joon Ho’s Memories Of Murder, Lee Yo-won from drama series Green Mothers’ Club and Sung Dong-il of Toronto 2022 thriller Project Wolf Hunting. Now in post-­production, a release is planned in 2025.
Contact: K-Movie Entertainment

Devils Stay

Dir Hyun Moon-seop
In this mystery horror, a heart specialist and his wife summon a priest to perform an exorcism on their daughter, who dies in the process. But the doctor believes her heart is still beating while the priest insists it is an evil spirit, giving them the three days of her funeral to uncover the truth. Marking the feature directing debut of Hyun, it stars Park Shin-yang of My Lawyer, Mr Joe, Lee Min-ki of drama series Crash and Lee Re of Berlinale 2024 Crystal Bear winner It’s Okay! and Peninsula. A release is planned for later this year.
Contact: Showbox

Dreams Of You

Dir Kim Sung-hoon
This romantic comedy follows a top Korean actor on a commercial shoot in Vietnam who unwittingly finds himself stranded and penniless. He meets a local woman who helps him experience a world entirely different from the one he’s known. The cast is led by Lee Kwang-soo, known for Disney+ series No Way Out: The Roulette, and Vietnam’s Hoang Ha. Director Kim’s credits include 2017 thriller Confidential Assignment and recent TV series Chief Detective 1958. Now in post-production with a release planned for the first half of 2025, Dreams Of You is produced by Jerrygood Company and Rear Window Company and co-produced by CCM Factory and Westworld.
Contact: Acemaker movieworks

Gory: A Horror Tale

Dir Hong Won-ki
This chilling anthology feature follows a number of characters whose seemingly unrelated experiences are eerily similar within their intertwined relationships. They include an old man’s attempt to harm a village’s mystical guardian tree and a mother who strikes deals with ghosts to get her daughter into medical school. The cast includes Yoo Jae-Myung of this year’s Toronto title Harbin. Director Hong’s credits include 2020 series Goedam and its spin-off feature Urban Myths from 2022. Now in post-production, Gory: A Horror Tale is produced by Jerrygood Company and Zanybros and co‑produced by CCM Factory and Westworld Co.
Contact: Acemaker movieworks

Kickback

Dir Hwang Kyung-sung
A K-pop star returns to her hometown after her father’s death and discovers his Taekwondo studio is populated by misfits who are chasing dreams of success in a national tournament. The romantic drama stars Jo Soo-min of series Royal Secret Agent and The Forbidden Marriage, and Kim Dong-han of boy band WEi. Director Hwang previously made supernatural romance My Chilling Roommate and web drama series Dalgona. Produced by Contact Media, the project is in post-­production with a 2025 local release.
Contact: Contents Panda

The Last Woman On Earth

Dirs Yeum Moon-kyoung, Lee Jong-min
Billed as a comedy with a B-movie sensibility, The Last Woman On Earth marks the feature directing debut of actors Yeum and Lee, who also star in the film. The story follows Han-ah, a young woman who has written a screenplay that is full of anger toward men and teams with an aspiring director to get it made. The directors use a range of styles to show the film-within-the-film. Produced by Big Cats Lab, the feature is due for release in Q3 of 2025.
Contact: M-Line Distribution

Lobby

Dir Ha Jung-woo
A strong ensemble of Korean acting talent star in this comedy drama about two business rivals who hit the golf course in a bid to win a massive contract. It marks the third feature directed by Ha, better known as an award-winning actor from The Yellow Sea and The Handmaiden. He also stars in the film alongside Park Hae-soo (Squid Game), Lee Dong-hwi (Broker), Kim Eui-sung (12.12: The Day), Cha Joo-young (The Glory) and Kang Hae-rim (BIFF selection Somebody). Produced by Walkhouse Company and Film Momentum, a release is planned in 2025.
Contact: Hive Filmworks

 

The Old Woman With The Knife

Dir Min Kyu-dong
Based on Gu Byeong-mo’s novel of the same name, this action noir centres on Hornclaw, a legendary female assassin in her 60s who encounters a young killer named Bullfight, whose father she murdered 25 years ago. Starring Lee Hye-young of Hong Sangsoo’s Cannes 2021 title In Front Of Your Face and Kim Sung-cheol from Troll Factory, the film is in post-production ahead of a planned release in early 2025. Director Min is known for features including 2012 comedy romance All About My Wife and acclaimed 2018 drama Herstory. It is produced by Soo Film, which has handled many of Min’s previous features.
Contact: M-Line Distribution

The Priests 2: Dark Nuns

Dir Kwon Hyeok-jae
This supernatural thriller is the sequel to 2015 sleeper hit The Priests. While the original was written and directed by Jang Jae-hyan of blockbuster Exhuma, the sequel is directed by Kwon (Count). The story revolves around two nuns who fight to save a boy who has been possessed by an evil spirit. It stars Song Hye-kyo, marking her return to Korean cinema after venturing into Chinese productions such as John Woo’s The Crossing and Netflix series The Glory. The cast also includes Jeon Yeo-been (Harbin) and Lee Jin-uk. Produced by Zip Cinema, a release is planned in 2025.
Contact: Contents Panda

Streaming

Dir Cho Jang-ho
Kang Ha-neul, next seen in season two of Squid Game, stars in this mystery thriller as a top live-streamer who specialises in criminal profiling and covering mystery crime cases. One day, he features an unsolved serial murder case and ends up unveiling truths in real time. Marking the debut feature of director Cho, it is produced by Very Good Studio and backed and distributed by Lotte Entertainment. A local release is planned for later this year.
Contact: Lotte Entertainment

The Ugly

Dir Yeon Sang-ho
Filmmaker Yeon returns with a mystery thriller, based on his own 2018 graphic novel of the same name. The story follows the son of a seal engraving artisan who sets out to uncover the truth when his mother, thought to have been missing for 40 years, is found dead. The cast is led by Park Jeong-min, known for Yeon’s Netflix series Hellbound and BIFF opening film Uprising, and Kwon Hae-hyo (A Traveler’s Needs). Yeon has been a regular at Cannes with titles including Train To Busan, which took $140m at the global box office, follow-up Peninsula and animation The King Of Pigs. Produced by WOW Point, The Ugly is in post-production ahead of a planned release in 2025.
Contact: Plus M Entertainment

• Busan 2024: The buzz titles from Hong Kong