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Two-part extravaganzas have always been huge gambles for their creative teams. Hollywood is no stranger to shooting back-to-back sequels, from “The Matrix” to “The Hobbit” to Netflix’s recent “Rebel Moon” saga, and Asian cinema has followed a similar path. John Woo split his expansive Han Dynasty battle epic “Red Cliff” in two for much of its worldwide distribution, while Bollywood’s “Gangs of Wasseypur“(with its initial 319 minute runtime) has seen many iterations, first as two films, then as eight much shorter episodes for its Netflix distribution. In all of these cases, there is a gravitas that comes with the filmmaker’s vision, bursting with ideas and flourishes that cannot be contained in the average one-off cinema experience. Yet with that comes a crucial hope for the goodwill of the audience, that they’re willing to come back, buy another ticket and sit back down to see the conclusion of the story.

Lee Myung-hoon‘s debut feature “Mission: Cross” has had a bit of a rocky road to its release. Firstly confirmed for a theatrical release in January of this year, it had to be postponed indefinitely to give grieving time to actress Jeon Hye-jin, who features in a prominent role here, following the untimely passing of her husband Lee Sun-kyun. For whatever reason, that led to the cancellation of its theatrical release and Netflix picked it up for itself, premiering it worldwide on their platform.

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Kang Mi-seon is an ace detective, very good at her job and respected by her colleagues. Her husband Park Kang-moo is a meek, fully domesticated househusband, who needs to pinch money out of his successful wife’s wallet. So good is he around the house that Mi-seon’s colleagues, including team leader Lee, call him Wifey Kang.

The heinous Kim Guk-ho, a serial murderer and rapist, is released after 13 years behind bars. Upon his release, a streamer known as Masked Man proposes a murder game with a 20 billion won bounty for Kim Guk-ho's life. Chaos erupts as threats surround Kim Guk-ho. Meanwhile, conflicts arise between those trying to protect him and exploit him. [Source: Disney+]

Directed by Choi Kook-hee (known for his movies Life is Beautiful and Default) and scripted by Lee Su-jin (who also wrote the movie The Devil's Deal), this 8 episode series features a star-studded cast of veterans Cho Jin-woong, Yoo Jae-myung, Yum Jung-ah supported by Kim Moo-yeol, Lee Kwang-soo, Sung Yoo-bin, Kim Sung-cheol as well as Taiwanese actor Greg Hsu Kuang-han. No Way Out: The Roulette is currently streaming on Disney+ globally and on Hulu for the US.

Kang-mu, a former agent living as a homemaker, has been hiding his past from his wife, Mi-seon, one of Seoul’s most skilled detectives. As they become entangled in a high-stakes investigation, Mi-seon’s misunderstanding about her husband’s secret threatens to break up their relationship — that is, if their mission doesn’t break them first. Written and directed by Lee Myung-hoon, the action-comedy film Mission: Crossstars Hwang Jung-min and Yum Jung-ah.

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A veteran officer in Seoul’s major crimes unit, Mi-seon (Yum) is known for being one of the best in her field — while her stay-at-home husband, Kang-mu (Hwang Jung-min), busies his days with meal-prepping for his wife and keeping the house in order. But Mi-seon has no idea Kang-mu is a former agent who’s been concealing his espionage past. So when he comes to the...

Mission: Cross, the Korean thriller now on Netflix, blends suspense and humor in a way that’s sure to hook you. What really sets it apart is its vibrant cast and its engaging character backgrounds. Let’s dive into the cast and character guide to explore what makes each individual stand out in the movie directed by Lee Myung Hoon.

Spoilers Ahead

Park Kang-moo

Park Kang-moo, portrayed by Hwang Jung-min, is a complex character whose journey reveals deep layers of devotion, sacrifice, and redemption. As a husband, Park Kang-moo comes across as incredibly dedicated and loving. He takes on traditional roles at home with genuine care—cooking, cleaning, and all sorts of chores. He takes care of Kang Mi-seon, who is a major detective. His actions show his unwavering support and commitment, even if it means stepping into a less glamorous role as a school van driver to contribute to their household.

Directed by Lee Myung Hoon and starring Hwang Jung-min and Yum Jung-ah, Mission: Cross is an action comedy-drama centered around a former special agent and his detective wife. Even though the premise is similar to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the twists are interesting, the action sequences are well executed, and the comic relief works. Kang-mu was a dedicated stay-at-home husband who looked after his wife’s every need. Mi-seon was a cop who had previously won a silver medal for shooting in the Asian Games. While her husband managed the household chores, Mi-seon focused on putting the bad boys behind bars. Their opposite personalities complemented each other, and even though Mi-seon pretended not to care much about Kang-moo, deep down she loved him.

Spoiler Alert

Why did Kang-mu decide to help Hee-ju?

Kang-mu used to spend his mornings driving a school bus and the rest of his day managing his household chores.

I suppose it is the year of PG action comedies, with the likes of The Fall Guy making huge box office numbers for sheer giddy fun. If you read the script of the South Korean action-comedy Mission: Cross, you’d think it was yet another American spy film that would probably star an actor who should be retiring the action roles and playing dads instead, alongside a young and attractive female lead, who could probably be his daughter. I’m obviously joking, but there’s a certain pattern we’ve all observed, and it’s hard not to deny that Mission: Cross is very run-of-the-mill in that way, but it isn’t American, and that’s what makes all the difference. Before you come at me, I’m not a hater, maybe just a little bit biased.

Mission: Cross follows the thrilling journey of Kang-Moo, a former secret...

“Mission Cross” is a Korean comedy thriller starring Hwang Jung-min and Yum Jung-ah. It is directed by Lee Myeong-hoon.

Combining elements of comedy and thriller, “Mission Cross” turns the mundane life of a married couple upside down in a style reminiscent of the iconic “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” (2005). This film manages to inject new life into the typical boring marriage trope, transforming it into an action-packed thriller with role reversals that are both amusing and captivating.

While it may not break new ground, the film’s greatest strength lies in its humor, which elicited genuine laughter from me through clever lines and engaging dialogue. This particular brand of humor is a staple of the Korean film industry, and although the production values may not be top-tier, the entertainment quotient is undeniably high.

Plot Overview

Meet Mi-sun, a formidable police officer who excels at taking down the most dangerous criminals in Seoul.

Two women’s lives transform when their diving careers move from harvesting shellfish to high stakes smuggling in Ryoo Seung-n’s ‘70s set comedic action thriller, Smugglers. After a healthy theatrical run in South Korea and a North American premiere at TIFF, Ryoo’s latest actioner made American landfall at SXSW Film last week to rapturous audiences, and with good reason. It’s great. Choon-ja (Kim Hye-soo) and Jin-sook (Yum Jung-ah) are haenyeo, female divers who hunt for shellfish off the coast of their small town. When new factories poison the water and threaten their livelihood, the pair and their team reluctantly take on a job bringing up booty from the sea floor left by smuggling ships to make ends meet. As the take gets bigger and the smuggling...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Two-part extravaganzas have always been huge gambles for their creative teams. Hollywood is no stranger to shooting back-to-back sequels, from “The Matrix” to “The Hobbit” to Netflix's recent “Rebel Moon” saga, and Asian cinema has followed a similar path. John Woo split his expansive Han Dynasty battle epic “Red Cliff” in two for much of its worldwide distribution, while Bollywood's “Gangs of Wasseypur”(with its initial 319 minute runtime) has seen many iterations, first as two films, then as eight much shorter episodes for its Netflix distribution. In all of these cases, there is a gravitas that comes with the filmmaker's vision, bursting with ideas and flourishes that cannot be contained in the average one-off cinema experience. Yet with that comes a crucial hope for the goodwill of the audience, that they're willing to come back, buy another ticket and sit back down to see the conclusion of the story.

Hwang Jung-min. Yum Jung-ah. Both together for the first time in careers spanning over three decades. Need I say more to entice you about Lee Myung-hoon's debut feature “Mission Cross”?

Synopsis

A man leaving his past behind and living as a househusband is chased by his wife for his secret life!

A hardworking househusband and a former special forces officer Kang-moo is hiding his past from his wife Mi-seon who is a violent crime detective. One day, a mysterious woman, Hee-joo appears to Kang-moo and Mi-seon assumes that his husband is having an affair. Mi-seon is after Kang-moo and Kang-moo is after something else. It eventually leads both of them to unexpected situations!

Kang-moo can no longer be a peaceful househusband after all…!

Hwang Jung-min plays Kang-moo whereas Yum Jung-ah takes on the role of Mi-seon. They are joined by Jeon Hye-jin, who plays Hee-joo. Additionally, everybody's favourite Jung Man-sik...

Originally titled Milsu, Seung-Wan Ryu’s 2023 Korean film, Smugglers, sheds light on the lives of haenyeos, who turned to illegal means to earn their livelihood. The film chronicled the lives of two female haenyeos, Choon-Ja (Kim Hye-su) and Jin-Sook (Yum Jung-ah), who earned their daily bread by scouring the deep sea for seafood and selling it on the open market. Most of the time, their luck delivered, and they earned enough to get by, but there were also days when they didn’t earn even a single penny. However, lately, luck hasn’t been on their side, as a nearby chemical factory is directly threatening their livelihoods.

Spoilers Ahead

Why Did The Haenyeos Start Smuggling Illegal Goods?

The factory dumped its chemical waste directly into the sea, resulting in dead fauna. The sight of dead fish, with their bellies facing up, had become commonplace. Thus, left with no choice, the...

Choi Dong-hoon unleashed his vision for the future last year with “Alienoid”, a sci-fi time-jumping epic that was his dream project, told in both the present time and the Joseon era. Though the multi-starrer large-scale production, starring Kim Tae-ri, Ryu Jun-yeol and Kim Woo-bin, failed to light up the box-office, Choi did manage to set up his expansive world with the first part of a tale that he shot simultaneously as a two-parter and the second part, now titled “Alienoid: The Return to the Future” is gearing up for release.

Synopsis

Ean and Thunder have become trapped in the distant past while trying to prevent the escape of alien prisoners who are locked up in the human brains. She eventually locates the Divine Blade. which can open a door through time. Meanwhile Moo-reuk who helps Ean escape is unnerved when he begins sensing the presence of a strange being in his body.

Back in the 1970s, when Korea was closed to the outside world, locals relied on black market dealers to get their hands on everything from American cigarettes to Ritz crackers. Though this illicit import racket was run mostly by men, it wouldn’t have been possible without half a dozen uniquely talented women — skilled divers known as haenyeo who fished the loot from the sea. At least, that’s the fresh girl-power premise floated by action maven Ryoo Seung-wan (“The Battleship Island”) in his snappy, retro-styled crime saga, “Smugglers.”

Featuring a funky Lalo Schifrin-esque score (from composer Chang Ki-ha) and more wide-collared polyester pantsuits than a “Charlie’s Angels” costume contest, the movie presents itself as a lost relic of less enlightened times, but boasts gender dynamics that are very much of this moment. In early scenes, the divers earn their living fetching oysters off the ocean floor — or at...

When a chemical factory is built in the peaceful seaside town of Guncheon, the women lose their jobs overnight. While looking for a way to make ends meet, Jo Choon-Ja (Kim Hye-Soo) learns that you can make money simply by picking up the objects thrown into the sea, and makes an enticing proposal to Eom Jin-Sook (Yum Jung-Ah), the leader of the Haenyeos (women divers who are able to dive without equipment). And so Jin-Sook got involved in a smuggling operation that grew in earnest when she met Master Sergeant Kwon (Zo In-Sung), a smuggling king in the national district. One day, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a fortune arrives, and the loyalties of the group are about to be severely tested…...

“Hit-and-Run-Squad” is a 2019 police procedural film which managed to generate a huge buzz before its release due to a stellar cast of popular actors.

“Hit-and-Run Squad” is available from Echelon Studios

Released back in January, 2019 in South Korea, the movie tells the story of a police officer, Eun Shi-Yeon (Gong Hyo-jin), who is transferred to a hit-and-run team after a failed investigation involving police corruption. Eun Shi-Yeon joins forces with officer Seo Min-Jae (Ryu Jun-yeol) and team-leader Woo Sun-Young (Jeon Hye-jin) in order to catch Jung Jae-Cheol (Jo Jung-suk), a racing maniac who also happens to be a business tycoon. However, catching the culprit proves to be an arduous undertaking.

Even though the title of the film clearly implies car action, you have to be aware that the it is primarily a crime thriller with racing elements rather than the other way round. All in all, not everything car-related has...

Ryoo Seung-wan likes to keep busy. Even as his film “Escape from Mogadishu” was still ruling the box office in 2021, he was already busy shooting his next, “Smugglers”. His third period film in a row, “Smugglers” is a change of sorts for him. Where all his films are sometimes labelled as too macho, with female characters and actresses serving a secondary, almost throwaway part, “Smugglers” is the first time a Ryoo Seung-wan production is centred around female characters.

Synopsis

In 1970s, at Guncheon (a small village near sea), there were Haenyeos (women divers who are able to dive w/o equipments), including two best friends Chun-ja and Jin-sook, Jin-sook`s brother and Jangdori. They always collected seafood under water for living. But, as few factories started to be built near beach, Haenyeos started to have trouble with what they were doing for living. Without any choice, the ship crews decided...

Both upcoming films are by first-time feature directors produced by South Korean powerhouse Sanai Pictures.

South Korea’s Plus M is launching sales on action comedy Cross (working title), starring Hwang Jung-min of Netflix’s Narco-Saints, and noir drama Hwa-ran (working title) at the American Film Market (AFM).

Both upcoming films are from first-time feature directors and produced by Sanai Pictures, the Seoul-based company behind Cannes titles such as Lee Jung-jae’s Hunt and Yoon Jong-bin’s The Spy Gone North as well as the local box office hit A Violent Prosecutor, which took more than 9.7 million admissions and 54.5m in 2016.

Directed by Lee Myeong-hoon,...

Premiering in the City to City: Seoul sidebar of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, before it screened in Busan and Hawaii, “Cart” takes a rather thorough, if a bit melodramatic look at the lives of supermarket workers. I also have to admit that, since I had this type of job for almost 7 years, the movie hit a personal cord by highlighting the hardships these kinds of workers have to face.

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One thing that has always been the case in this line of business is that, despite the difficulties it presents, particularly since it frequently involves heavy-lifting, it is being done mostly by women, particularly since the rule wants women to man the cashiers, while working the selves on the side. Furthermore, the managerial positions, particularly on the secondary, office level, are almost always taken up by men, creating an...

"The great Controller is locked inside you. Ready to break free?" One last look! Well Go USA has revealed a final official US trailer for the Korean epic action sci-fi movie Alienoid, opening in US theaters this week (starting August 26th). We already posted three other trailers for this movie before, but they keep hyping it up with more more more. A tale of two eras, Alienoid follows two Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) gurus seeking a legendary, time-bending blade as they unexpectedly cross paths with modern-era people hunting down a dangerous alien concealed inside a human's body. This sounds and looks awesome. The sci-fi action fantasy features a cast including Ryu Jun-yeol as the master swordsman, Kim Tae-ri as "a woman who shoots thunder", Kim Woo-bin, So Ji-seob, Yum Jung-ah, Kim Eui-eung, Lee Ha-nee, and Jo Woo-jin. I totally want to bring everyone I know to the theater to watch this when it plays this week.

Alienoid International Trailer 2 — Well Go USA Entertainment has released the second movie trailer for Alienoid / Oegye+in 1bu (2022). View here the first Alienoid international movie trailer. Cast and crew Choi Dong-hoon‘s Alienoid stars Ryu Jun-yeol, Kim Tae-ri, Kim Woo-bin, So Ji-seob, Yum Jung-ah, Kim Eui-eung, Lee Ha-nee, and Jo Woo-jin. Choi Dong-hoon [...]

Continue reading: Alienoid (2022) International Movie Trailer 2: Aliens Place Prisoners in Human Bodies in Choi Dong-hoon’s Sci-Fi Film...

"That blade can wake up prisoners, and it can move you through time." Sounds like one powerful blade! Korea's Cj Entertainment has revealed another official trailer for the epic sci-fi Alienoid, which is finally set for a US release. Well Go USA will drop this one in US theaters at the end of August. We already posted two other trailers for this movie before, but there's always more footage to see. During the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), Taoists try to take a mysterious holy sword. Meanwhile in present day (in 2022), aliens appear on Earth. A time door soon connects the late Goryeo period and the present day. The two parties cross paths when a time-traveling portal opens, causing chaos and confusion. The science fiction action fantasy features a cast including Ryu Jun-yeol as the master swordsman, Kim Tae-ri as "a woman who shoots thunder", Kim Woo-bin, So Ji-seob, Yum Jung-ah, Kim Eui-eung,...

"For many years, aliens have kept their prisoners locked inside human bodies." Cj Entertainment in Korea has debuted another new "teaser" trailer for an epic sci-fi movie titled Alienoid. We posted a trailer for this a few weeks ago, but this teaser has even better footage. During the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), Taoists try to take a mysterious holy sword. Meanwhile in present day (in 2022), aliens appear on Earth. A time door soon connects the late Goryeo period and the present day. The two parties cross paths when a time-traveling portal opens, causing chaos and confusion. The science fiction action fantasy features a cast including Ryu Jun-yeol as a master swordsman, Kim Tae-ri as "a woman who shoots thunder", Kim Woo-bin, So Ji-seob, Yum Jung-ah, Kim Eui-eung, Lee Ha-nee, and Jo Woo-jin. It was shot all together but will be released in two sequential parts, instead of one big movie, which...

Alienoid Trailer — Choi Dong-hoon‘s Alienoid / Oegye+in 1bu (2022) international movie trailer has been released by Cj Entertainment and Media. The Alienoid trailer stars Ryu Jun-yeol, Kim Tae-ri, Kim Woo-bin, So Ji-seob, Yum Jung-ah, Kim Eui-eung, Lee Ha-nee, and Jo Woo-jin. Crew Choi Dong-hoon wrote the screenplay for Alienoid. Caper Film produced this film. Plot Synopsis Alienoid‘s [...]

Continue reading: Alienoid (2022) International Movie Trailer: Swordsmen vs. Space Aliens in Choi Dong-hoon’s Scifi Film...

"How long do we have to stay on Earth?" Cj Entertainment in Korea has revealed the first international trailer for an epic sci-fi movie called Alienoid. Actually it's two movies! This "Part 1" will be out in July in Korea, though no US date is set yet. During the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), Taoists try to take a mysterious holy sword. Meanwhile in present day (in 2022), aliens appear on Earth. A time door soon connects the late Goryeo period and the present day. The two parties cross paths when a time-traveling portal opens, causing chaos and confusion. The science fiction action fantasy features a cast including Ryu Jun-yeol as a master swordsman, Kim Tae-ri as "a woman who shoots thunder", Kim Woo-bin, So Ji-seob, Yum Jung-ah, Kim Eui-eung, Lee Ha-nee, and Jo Woo-jin. It was shot as one but will be released in two sequential parts; Ryu Jun-yeol & Kim Tae-ri star in...

The first teaser trailer for the Korean horror film The Mimic has just come out. The creature feature stars Yum Jung-ah (A Tale of Two Sisters), Park Hyuk-kwon and Shin Rin-ah, and is directed by Huh Jung (Hide and Seek).

The movie is about a family affected by the unknown titular creature that mimics human voice to enchant people. Yum Jung-ah plays Hee-yeon, a mother who has lost her child. She comes across a young girl in the forest, and takes her in. Soon, the girl starts to mimic Hee-yeon’s lost child, other strange things begin happening around them, and it looks like the film is creeping towards a potentially tragic finale.

(Source: Hancinema.net)

The story has been inspired by the South Korean urban legend of the Jangsan Tiger, or Jangsanbum, named for the Jangsan Mountain near Busan. The man-eating creature with sharp teeth and beautiful white fur...

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has unveiled its 2015 line-up which includes films representing 54 countries, 23 world premieres and 53 U.S. premieres. The U.S. premiere of Niki Caro’s McFarland USA will close out the 30th fest. Based on the 1987 true story and starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello, the film follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. The unlikely band of runners overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well.

The festival runs from January 27-February 7.

Below is the list of World and U.S. Premiere films followed by the list of titles by sidebar categories.

World Premieres

A Better You, USA

Directed by Matt Walsh

Cast: Brian Huskey,...

A self-acknowledged "showcase for Academy Award frontrunners," the Santa Barbara International Film Festival is often overlooked for the actual films that earn it festival status. An amalgamation of international discoveries and ’merica’s circuit highlights, the Sbiff curates a week of best-of-the-best to pair with their star-praising. The 2015 edition offers another expansive selection, bookended by two films that aren’t on any radars just yet. Sbiff will open with "Desert Dancer," producer Richard Raymond’s directorial debut. Starring Reece Ritchie and Frieda Pinto, the drama follows a group of friends who wave off the harsh political climate of Iran’s 2009 presidential election in favor of forming a dance team, picking up moves from Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev thanks to the magic of YouTube. The festival will close with "McFarland, USA," starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello. Telling the 1987 true story of a Latino high school’s underdog cross-country team,...

Special Mention: The Fake Trailers from Grindhouse (2007, USA): The four fake trailers featured in the otherwise disappointing Robert Rodriguez/Quentin Tarantino double-feature: Machete by Robert Rodriguez, Werewolf Women of the SS by Rob Zombie, Thanksgiving by Eli Roth and Don’t by Edgar Wright-are all very entertaining trips down horror/exploitation film memory lane and are easily the best part of the film.

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2) Other Notable Horror Films Of The 2000’s:

This list focuses on films that are partially successful and even touch on brilliance at times but ultimately don’t pull everything together to fully deliver on their promise.

Intacto (Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, 2001, Spain):

This film about a group of people blessed with supernatural good luck has a great premise, several great scenes-the revelation of the plane crash early in the film, the blindfolded race through the trees and the Russian roulette climax-plus the welcome presence of...