Geo-rok-han: de-mun heon-teo-seu

Black Mass is an secret organization that is into devil worshipping and have taken over Seoul. There is an increase in the cases of demon possession and a powerful trio called Holy Night comprising of Ba Woo, Sharon and Kim Gun are the ones standing up against this cult. When Eun-son gets possessed by a mysterious demon, her elder sister Jung-won reaches out to the trio for help. How does the Holy Night perform the exorcism and expel the demon possessing the girl, forms rest of the story.

This was an unique film that tries to blend action with horror. Action is forced solely because Don Lee plays Ba Woo and to justify his big fist in action, he is given superhuman strength. Barring him, it is basically another exorcism story. Despite the short runtime, the director stunningly failed to sell this story which simply doesn't work as an action film nor as an horror film. The backstory involving the trio is severely half baked and their loyalty to each other is not firmly established. There was a mention of brotherly rift which isn't explored. Above that, the film remains confused on how it wants to use Don Lee and also make an exorcism film. The final act is all about the six stages of exorcism but watching Don Lee's Ba Woo expel demons with his punches, made me wonder what was the need for the exorcism itself?

Holy crap, who advised Don Lee to step into the world of demons and devils? Come and see Don Lee throwing his signature punches sending demons straight back to hell. Honestly, if not for the horrendous CGI-which looked straight out of Nollywood-I might have actually enjoyed this movie.

But like every other exorcism-themed horror flick, this was just recycled mess. Cheap, predictable, and nothing fresh. Don Lee didn't bring anything new to his well-known tough-guy persona either. At this point, it feels like the only role he knows how to play is punching his way through everything-doors, walls, and now demons. Without a worthy opponent or a fresh angle, it quickly becomes boring and repetitive.

If his team really wants to explore this demons/devil path, they need to get more creative with his character and invest in proper animators and writers. The concept itself isn't bad-it's the execution that killed it for me.

It's quite clear that Ma Dong Seok, known for his commanding screen presence and action-packed roles, was brought into this film to attract viewers. Unfortunately, this particular film doesn't make good use of his strengths. Almost any generic muscle-bound actor could've filled the part with the same result.

The film is essentially a possession story, and not a very original one at that. What makes this attempt especially disappointing is its identity crisis. The movie seems torn between being a horror film and an action thriller. To justify Ma Dong Seok's inclusion, several action scenes are thrown in, but they feel disjointed and out of place. They don't add depth or excitement; instead, they disrupt the pacing and tone, making the film feel uneven and confused about what it wants to be.

It lacks tension, suspense, or the kind of creeping dread that defines a good horror movie. At the same time, it doesn't deliver enough high-stakes action to satisfy fans of that genre either. Instead, it drifts somewhere in the middle - bland, forgettable, and uninspired. Even the visuals and sound design, which are usually reliable tools in horror, do little to elevate the experience. It's a film that plays it too safe on both fronts and ends up leaving no lasting impression.

If you're a fan of Ma Dong Seok, you're better off watching some of his earlier films like Train to Busan, The Outlaws, or The Roundup. Those roles played to his strengths and gave him much more to work with, both in terms of character and action.

Personally, I found it difficult to stay engaged. I actually fell asleep halfway through and only pushed myself to finish it for the sake of closure - and even then, the ending offered little payoff.

In the end, this film is a missed opportunity. It's not scary enough to satisfy horror fans and not exciting enough for action lovers. It tries to straddle both genres and ends up falling flat.

If you go into supernatural shenanigans like this, you could either go the serious route if you have the budget for it, obviously some comic relief not entirely excluded or like in this case you try to make up for that budget by going into a ..let's put this politely .. "lighter route", BUT then you better have either some tight action or some hillarious comedic moments, preferably both.

For once it has too little of either and what we get is neither really tight nor hillarious. It has some moments, but those are rather rare.

And the script makes it quite clear early on, that for this to be enjoyed you can not possibly question any of the events in this films or its relations to each other.

Look, i absolutely looooooove Ma Dong-seok, the "south-korean bud spencer". In fact him being in it was sufficient for me to watch this film, but even him can not save everything.

This film attempts to blend gritty supernatural action with a character-driven drama, but the result is a convoluted and ultimately unmemorable cinematic experience. The film suffers from a severe lack of narrative focus, meandering aimlessly between its demon-hunting premise and an underdeveloped personal tragedy without ever truly committing to either. The supposed "intense" interactions between the characters feel forced and contrived, lacking the genuine spark necessary to engage the audience.

The dialogue, often laden with clichéd pronouncements about faith and destiny, feels painfully artificial. It's as if the writers simply strung together a series of tired genre tropes without any regard for natural conversation. While the film boasts some stylish action sequences, they are too few and far between, and are ultimately undercut by a confusing plot and thin character development. "Holy Night: Demon Hunters" is a film that looks and sounds the part of a thrilling supernatural action movie, but its lack of originality and hollow emotional core prevent it from ever being a compelling journey.

Is it worth watching? No. It's a messy and forgettable film that promises a thrill but delivers a chore.