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If you love movies, then there is a certain action sub-genre that is immensely beloved, and if you read the title, you already know we are talking about martial arts films. The joy of watching a well-choreographed and well-acted martial arts hand-to-hand action sequence is immeasurable for any action fan, and that’s why we decided to compile a list of the best martial arts movies you can watch on Netflix right now, because this way, at least your Netflix subscription will come in some use.

Blood and Bone Credit – Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Blood and Bone is a martial arts film directed by Ben Ramsey from a screenplay by Michael Andrews. The 2009 film follows Isaiah Bone, a former convict and ex-marine, as he moves to Los Angeles and begins fighting in street fights, but things go wrong...

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Good Boy is a South Korean police procedural action comedy-drama series written by Lee Dae-il. The Jtbc series revolves around four former elite athletes who form a special police team to fight against violent crimes by using their mastered skills. Good Boy stars Park Bo-gum, Kim So-hyun, Oh Jung-se, Lee Sang-yi, Heo Sung-tae, and Tae Won-seok. So, if you loved the brutal action, thrilling mysteries, and compelling characters in Good Boy, here are some similar KDramas you should check out next.

Bloodhounds (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Bloodhounds is a South Korean action drama series written by Jack Park Sayean. Based on the Naver webtoon of the same name by Jeong Chan, the Netflix series revolves around two young boxers who work with a wealthy man to fight against ruthless loan sharks who are exploiting the financially struggling people. Bloodhounds stars Woo Do-hwan,...

Netflix is staying firmly in the action movie game for the foreseeable future, with the streaming giant having now confirmed that a spin-off to one of its best action thrillers is in the works and set to land in 2025. The platform and studio has delivered several acclaimed action movies this year, including the likes of Rebel Ridge and The Shadow Strays, and no doubt hope to continue that same success with whats to come next year.

The action thriller Mantis, details of which come via Deadline, hails from Korea and spins off from last years acclaimed action outing Kill Boksoon. The first movie follows a single mother and hired killer who struggles to balance her violent work life with her personal life. The spin-off will be set in the same world of contract killers, following an assassin who returns after vacation. Directed by Lee Tae-sung, written by Byun Sung-hyun and Lee Tae-sung,...

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John Wick is one of those film that changed the film industry in a very visible way, which is also one of the million reasons to love the Keanu Reeves‘ action films. After John Wick came out there were many films that tried to replicate its action, simple story-telling, and thrilling entertainment and for all the Netflix subscribers we made a list of the best action movies like John Wick that are available on Netflix right now.

Extraction Credit – Netflix

Extraction is an action thriller film directed by Sam Hargrave from a screenplay by Joe Russo. The 2020 film follows Tyler, a ruthless mercenary with a tragic past as he accepts the job of rescuing an Indian crime lord’s teenage son from Bangladesh. But when he gets there he finds himself in an ambush and has to fight his way through.

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Vigilante is a South Korean action crime thriller drama series created by Moon Yoo-seok. Based on the Naver webtoon of the same name by Kim Gyu-sam, the Disney+ series follows Kim Ji-yong, a student at the police academy whose mother was killed by a criminal in his childhood. Now he secretly goes out at night as a vigilante to kill criminals. Vigilante stars Nam Joo-hyuk, Yoo Ji-tae, Lee Joon-hyuk, and Kim So-jin. So, if you loved the bloody action, intensely thrilling story, and compelling characters in Vigilante here are some similar shows you should check out next.

The Killing Vote (Prime Video) Credit – Sbs

The Killing Vote is a South Korean legal crime drama series directed by Park Shin-woo from a screenplay by Jo Yoon-young. Based on Kakao Webtoon National Death Penalty Vote by Uhm Se-yoon and Jung Yi-pum,...

Love Next Door sees Jung So-min return to the genre that made her famous and gives the perfect opportunity for fans to revisit another of her best rom-com K-dramas. In Love Next Door, Jung So-min flexes her comedy muscles as Bae Seok-ryu, who suddenly returns to South Korea after unexpectedly quitting her job abroad. While Love Next Door's confirmation of a Bae Seok-ryu theory sees the series take a more dramatic route, it the same healing route that is beloved by another of her best K-dramas.

Jung So-min rose to fame in 2010 in the rom-com Playful Kiss, an adaptation of the manga series "Itazura na Kiss". Since then, Jung So-min has continued to thrive in rom-coms, with The Sound of Your Heart and My Father is Strange being some of the funniest K-dramas of her career. Her rom-com return in Love Next Door has been well-received, as Jung So-min's...

No Gain No Love is a South Korean romantic comedy-drama series written by Kim Hye-young. The tvN series follows the story of Son Hae-yeong, an ambitious young woman trying to convince her neighborhood convenience store employee, Kim Ji Uk to marry her so that she doesn’t miss out on a promotion. No Gain No Love stars Shin Min-a (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha) and Kim Young-dae (Shooting Stars) in the lead roles with Han Ji-hyun, Lee Sang-yi, Jeon Hye-won, and Lee Yoo-jin starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the cute romance, hilarious comedy, and likable characters in No Gain No Love here are some similar South Korean shows you should check out next.

Marriage Contract Credit – Mbc TV

Marriage Contract is a South Korean romantic drama series written by Jung Yoo-kyung. The Mbc TV series follows the story of Kang Hye-soo, a single mother who agrees to marry a Chaebol...

Stars: Lee Je Hoon, Hong Xa Bin, Koo Kyo-Hwan, Esom, Song Kang | Written by Kwon Sung Hui | Directed by Lee Jong-Pil

The Dmz is a lethal no man’s land that divides the Korean Peninsula. For South Korea, it’s a first line of defence against an invasion from the North. For North Korea, it’s a last measure to stop its citizens who try to escape from the country. Sergeant Lim Kyu Nam is stationed on the north side of it, but not for much longer. His ten-year enlistment is almost up. But he isn’t going home, he’s planned out an escape to the South, where he at least has a chance to live the life he dreams of.

Unfortunately, Dong-hyuk discovers his plans and tries to make his own escape. When he tries to stop him, they both get caught and accused of desertion. The only...

It's been four years since Lee Jong-pil earned earned praise for his feature “Samjin Company English Class”. The actor/director has, through the course of his career behind the camera continued to reinvent himself, following his dramedy debut “Born to Sing” with the historical “The Sound of a Flower' before making the 1995 set “Samjin Company English Class”, a female-ensemble led feature. He now continues to do the same with his latest “Escape”, an action thriller about North Korean soldiers.

Synopsis

Im Kyu-nam is a North Korean soldier. He dreams of starting a new life in South Korea. To accomplish his dream, he must flee his home country and cross the Dmz. Meanwhile, Officer Ri Hyun-sang of the State Security Department of North Korea chases after Im Kyu-nam.

If he opted for younger generation actresses like Esom, Go Ah-sung and Park Hye-soo in “Samjin Company English Class”, he does the same...

The charismatic leading duo of Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won are finally here with their much-awaited romantic comedy-drama series Queen of Tears. Written by Park Ji-eun, the Tvn series follows the story of a high-profile married couple on the brink of divorce. While, for some time the love between them has faded, a piece of shocking news begins to bring them closer. Queen of Tears also stars Park Sung-hoon, Kwak Dong-yeon, and Lee Joo-bin. So, if you enjoyed the comedy and romance in Queen of Tears, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Go Back Couple (Viki & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – KBS2

Go Back Couple (also known as Couple on the Backtrack or Confession Couple) is a Korean comedy-drama series written by Kwon Hye-joo. Based on a Naver webtoon titled Do It One More Time by Hong Seung-pyo and Kim Hye-yeon, the series follows the story of...

A scene from the Korean thriller Dr. Cheon And The Lost Talisman. Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment

The subtitled Korean export, Dr. Cheon And Lost Tallisman, is an action fantasy that’s long on special effects and short on character development. Dr. Cheon (Gang Dong-Won) is descended from a line of shamans, but uses his roots and secular education to provide fake exorcisms. For a fee, of course. His sidekick in the grift, Beom-choen (Huh Joon-ho), handles the tech simulations of supernatural activity to convince the suckers they’re actually getting the benefits of an occult remedy. Things change radically when a young woman, Yoo-gyeong, (Esom), hires them for their first real demonic possession – her kid sister. Some things happen that aren’t part of their act, opening new possibilities for their vocation.

Gradually we learn bits and pieces of their backstories, while the staged ritual they expected turns...

Black Knight season 2 is not confirmed yet, as Netflix has not announced its renewal or cancellation. The first season had a satisfying ending, so there might not be much interest in a new entry. There is no release date for season 2, but if it gets greenlit, it will most likely be released between the end of 2024 and 2025. The CGI visuals took a lot of time and effort to create, so a similar amount of time will be needed for filming and completion. If season 2 is produced, the main cast, including Kim Woo-bin, Esom, and Kang You-seok, would likely return. There is a possibility that Song Seung-heon, despite being caught in an explosion, could also return due to his character's mutant abilities.

Season 1 of Black Knight, the Netflix South Korean dystopian drama, released in May 2023, but will there be a season 2? Based on Lee Yun-kyun's webtoon series of the same name,...

On the heels of star-making roles in films like “Jeon Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard” and “Secret Reunion,” Gang Dong-won has been one of the most prominent star actors in South Korean cinema which is the case with his turn in the role of Dr. Cheon in director Kim Seong-sik’s latest effort. Based on Fresh and Kim Hong-tae’s popular webtoon “Possessed” and serving as the opening chapter for its franchise, WellGo USA releases the new genre effort in theaters October 6.

Arriving in a small village, Dr. Cheon (Gang Dong-won) and his technical assistant Inbae (Lee Dong-hwi) are approached by Yoo-kyung (Esom), a young woman asking him to use his fabled Shamanistic powers to help her family. While initially turned off by her serious nature, the monetary payment brings them together to check out the requested case looking at the supposed possession of her younger sister where they live inside their house.

"Things like these can't be destroyed by ordinary means." Cj Entertainment in Korea has debuted two new official trailers for a horror comedy action thriller called Dr. Cheon and Lost Talisman, also known as Dr. Cheon's Exorcism Lab: The Secret of Seolgyeong. The film is a supernatural satire based on a webcomic known as "Possession" originally published in 2014. It tells the story of Dr. Cheon, a fake exorcist who can't hear or see ghosts but solves all types of cases with his ghostly insight. He receives a contract for a powerful possession case that turns out to be a real encounter with a malevolent spirit. This isn't just a supernatural flick, there's tons of action and comedy as well. The film stars Gang Dong-won as Dr. Cheon, with Huh Joon-ho, Esom, Lee Dong-hwi, Kim Jong-soo, and Park Soi. This looks like it leans heavily on VFX, akin to something like...

"A 'fake' exorcist who doesn't believe in spirits... encounters a real event – that will shake his world!" Cj Entertainment in Korea has unveiled a first look teaser trailer for a new horror comedy thriller titled Dr. Cheon and Lost Talisman, also known as Dr. Cheon's Exorcism Lab: The Secret of Seolgyeong. The film is a supernatural satire based on a webcomic known as "Possession" originally published in 2014. It tells the story of Dr. Cheon, a fake exorcist who can't hear or see ghosts but solves all types of cases with his ghostly insight. He receives a contract for a powerful possession case he's never seen before. Cj introduces it as: "A fake exorcist who doesn't believe in ghosts and a client who can see ghosts! The case is about to unfold..." The film stars Gang Dong-won as Dr. Cheon, with Huh Joon-ho, Esom, Lee Dong-hwi, Kim Jong-soo, and Park Soi.

The Busan International Film Festival has unveiled its selections for the popular Korean Cinema Today – Special Premiere and On Screen strands.

The On Screen section, introduced in 2021, showcases series and this year boasts six world premieres – five from Korea and one from Indonesia.

Tving show “I Am a Running Mate,” about an ordinary student trying to become student president marks the directorial debut of Han Jin-won, winner of best original screenplay as a co-writer for Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite.” The series merges the coming-of-age genre with elements of a political drama, and stars Yoon Hyun-soo, Lee Jung-sic, Choi Woo-sung, Hong Hwa-yeon and Lee Bong-jun. Three of the nine episodes will screen at the festival.

“The Deal,” a Waave original series, is a tale of criminal intrigue in which two young men kidnap their friend and demand KRW10 billion ($7.5 million) as ransom. The cast features Yoo Seung-ho’s streaming debut alongside Kim Dong-hwi,...

My opinion regarding K-dramas has always been quite negative. Essentially I considered them glorified soap operas, more of a means to create an exportable star system than to produce content of quality. “Squid Game” however, and its unprecedented success as much as its quality in all aspects had me questioning my previous opinion, and thus “forcing” me to check more K-dramas to see if anything has changed. “Black Night”, with its big budget, impressive cast and the combination of sci-fi, dystopia and action seemed like an excellent option. Alas, it turned out to be another title where impression has taken the place of substance. Let us take things from the beginning though.

Click on the image below to follow our Tribute to Netflix

Based on the webcomic “Taekbaegisa” by Lee Yoon-Kyun the story takes place in 2071, where, after a comet destroyed most of the world, the rest of the planet...

There’s nothing drab about Netflix’s Korean action series Black Knight, which released all six Season 1 episodes on Friday. Although set in a dystopia, the show doesn’t feel like a hopeless slug — at least in the first episode — thanks its charismatic leads, who bring much-welcomed humor to the dark story.

The backstory: 40 years prior to the events of Episode 1, a comet struck the earth and sent most continents plunging into the sea. Only one percent of the population survived, and the Korean Peninsula turned into a desert.

More from TVLineLockwood & Co. Cancelled at NetflixKeri Russell's 'Horrifying' Tumble...

Yet another Korean dystopian drama graces our screens, but this time there are no zombies involved. The post-apocalyptic K-drama titled Black Knight or Deliveryman, as it is known in Korean, makes the peninsula a desert land with no oxygen to breathe. There are many red flags right there, but the show goes as far as to create an underground world with sectors that are divided by cast, essentially like the Hunger Games or, if you want to make random ties, the Netflix film The Platform. This time the classes go underground, and the lower you go, the richer they are. In theory, Black Knight sounds wonderful, but in practice, the show doesn’t translate very well specifically because there is so much to cover in much less time.

It is 2071, and around forty years ago, there was a comet that hit the earth and destroyed 99% of the world’s population.

Netflix is diving into dystopian futures once more with the latest gem from Korea, Black Knight. Starring Kim Woo-bin (The Heirs) and Esom (Kill Boksoon), the 6-episode series is a high-octane thriller that envisions a world with air pollution so severe that the remaining 1% of the population left alive relies on special "delivery men" to for their vital necessities. This post-apocalyptic version of Korea is run by the mighty Cheonmyeong Group, but one delivery man known as 5-8 (Woo-bin) sees them for the vultures they truly are.

Though Black Knight is based on a popular webtoon, director Cho Ui-seok's vision for the series has taken a different turn from its source material. One such instance is the young protagonist Sa-wol (played by Start Up's Kang Yoo-seok), a refugee who was secretly taken in by Defense Intelligence Command officer Seol-ah (Esom). After a tragedy strikes close to home, he decides...

Black Knight is a dystopian Korean drama based on the Delivery Knight webtoon by Lee Yoon-gyun, but it also serves as a long overdue reunion for stars Kim Woo-bin and Esom. The two actors previously appeared together in the KB2 drama special series White Christmas in 2011, a psychological thriller whose bleak premise might rival their current Netflix project. In Black Knight, they are joined by the younger actor Kang Yoo-seok (Start-Up), whose character Sa-wol has much to learn from each of them.

The story of Black Knight opens in 2071, after a cataclysmic change in air pollution has made Earth nearly uninhabitable. Only 1% of the population survives, and the Korean peninsula relies on heroic deliverymen, known as Black Knights, to bring them daily necessities. Woo-bin plays 5-8, a mysterious delivery man who reluctantly takes the young Sa-wol under his wing. Esom plays Sa-wol's guardian Seol-ah, whose investigation into mysterious deaths intertwines...

Netflix's upcoming Korean drama Black Knight may be based on a webtoon, but those familiar with the original story will find that the series offers a very different experience. To begin with, the protagonist Sa-wol (played by Start Up's Kang Yoo-seok) is a boy instead of a girl, though his admiration of 5-8 (The Heirs star Kim Woo-bin) and the deliveryman program remains the same. The series was written and directed by Choi Ui-seok, who previously teamed up with Woo-bin on the 2016 hit Master.

The filmmaker and star's familiarity with each other strengthens the unfamiliar world of Black Knight, especially as it provides the opportunity to dig into the psyche of a character as stoic as 5-8 tends to be. The world of futuristic science fiction is relatively new to Woo-bin, who dipped his toe in it last year with Alienoid, and he shared his research process with Screen Rant...

As proven by hit titles like The Uncanny Counter, All of Us Are Dead, Squid Game, and many others, Netflix has a stellar reputation for creating Korean dramas based on famous webtoons. Black Knight, starring Kim Woo Bin from The Heirs and Esom from Taxi Driver, is yet another incredible webtoon adaptation from Netflix. According to reports, the series will only have six episodes, making it a relatively short Korean drama, but if the first season is well received, there may be sequels.

"A World without order. A Knight without law." Netflix has debuted the main official trailer for a new sci-fi series from Korea called Black Knight, adapted from the comic book series known as Delivery Knight. This will be available for streaming in May - and it looks legit. Black Knight is set in the year 2071, when it is impossible to live without a respirator due to extreme air pollution. The Korean peninsula is a wasteland, and delivery drivers play a crucial role in maintaining humanity. The legendary delivery man who goes by the name "5-8" with extraordinary fighting skills meets a refugee who dreams of becoming a delivery driver, the only hope of refugees. "In a world without air, a rebel knight delivers hope. The one hope to overturn the world." Starring Kim Woo-bin as 5-8, Kang Yoo-seok as Sa-wol, Esom, Song Seung-heon, Kim Eui-sung, Jin Kyung, Lee Hyuk-joo, and Lee Sang-hee.

"Deliverymen must be tough." Netflix has revealed a teaser trailer for another large-scale sci-fi series from Korea, this one titled Black Knight, based on the comic series known as Delivery Knight. This will debut for streaming in May. Netflix has been developing tons of Korean films and series, specifically lots of sci-fi, including JUNG_E, Space Sweepers, and The Silent Sea. Black Knight is set in the year 2071, when it is impossible to live without a respirator due to extreme air pollution. The Korean peninsula is a wasteland, so delivery drivers play a crucial role in the survival of its inhabitants. The legendary delivery man who goes by the name "5-8" with extraordinary fighting skills meets a refugee who dreams of becoming a delivery driver, the only hope of refugees. "In a world without air, a rebel knight delivers hope. The one hope to overturn the world." Starring Kim Woo-bin as 5-8, Kang Yoo-seok as Sa-wol,...

South Korea’s answer to “John Wick” is a female assassin faced with the dilemma of choosing between mothering a teenager or continuing to be the A-grade contract killer that she is. Starring Jeon Do-Yeon, Esom, and Sol Kyung-Gu in the lead roles and a supporting role by Koo Gyu-Hwan. There’s also a special cameo for K-drama fans by actor Lee Jae-Wook (Alchemy of the Soul). “Kill Boksoon” is bloody, violent, and dark, giving the viewer fantastical action sequences that top each previous one with cooler camera movements and cinematography. Read our full review here.

Spoilers Ahead

Plot Synopsis: What Happens In ‘Kill Boksoon’?

In a world where contract killing is the norm, and companies are competing to be the top killing agency, Gil Boksoon is a single mother to a rebellious teenage daughter and the top assassin at the leading Mk enterprise. The enterprise works on a ranking system,...

It’s only March, and the action in 2023 has already been amplified to level 100. Marvel has been dominating the genre for the latter half of the last decade, but recently a lot of new players have entered the game with new franchises, top-quality choreography, and interesting storylines that have driven audiences to theaters. Of course, the best example is the “John Wick” franchise, which has surpassed expectations and brought a new generation delight for hand-to-hand combat and bulletproof tailor-made couture suits. In the last three months alone, we have seen large-scale action movies from Bollywood (Pathaan), Vietnam (Furies), Hollywood with chapter 4 of the aforementioned John Wick, and now South Korea has joined with the highly anticipated “Kill Boksoon.” Notably, this one comes closest to “John Wick” in style, plot, and even the couture suits (which are a perfect reason to watch this film). As a fan of Hallyu entertainment, I...

Kill Bok-soon (キル・ボクスン) is a South Korean film directed by Byun Sung-hyun starring Jeon Do-yeon and Sol Kyung-gu.

Funny from the start, with its hilarious one-liners and stylish main character, but the movie wins us over in the action scenes, shot with a lot of punch in a movie that definitely knows when to strike.

Kill Bok-soon (2023) Movie Review Kill Bok-soon (2023)

Funny, ironic and, with all its brutal violence, highly entertaining and destined to stand out on account of its funny, intelligent irony and for its many moral lessons:

-Drinking may be fun, but smoking is not.

After that, the good mother devotes herself to murdering people, while at the same time, combining that activity with meetings with the mothers of students.

Very good on the aesthetic level, very curated in the photography, it knows how to maintain the pace of the story through the elaborate editing, particularly in the special scenes,...

Netflix’s Black Knight is headed your way soon.

The streamer announced Tuesday that the dystopian action series starring Kim Woo-bin will premiere Friday, May 12. Netflix also released the official poster, which you can check out below.

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Adapted from Lee Yoon-gyun’s popular webtoon series Delivery Knight, the show tells the story of the Black Knights, the...

As we all know, there’s terrible pressure on the modern hitwoman to have it all: a head-of-the-table position at a prestigious assassin firm, a hunky younger lover, a rogues’ gallery of colorful assassin friends to slurp noodles with, a home greenhouse, a snappy wardrobe and a healthy relationship with a teenage daughter who is hesitantly coming out as gay. Writer-director Byun Sung-hyun probes these highly relatable issues with giddy verve, if not exactly originality. Netflix’s “Kill Boksoon,” which could be the Korean little sister to the “John Wick” franchise cross-fused with “The Long Kiss Goodnight,” is silly, splashy, CG-assisted nonsense — and at 2 hours 17 minutes, way too long. But it has flashes of surprising charm for a film whose philosophy runs no deeper than “You should have led a better life if you wanted to die of natural causes.”

This pearl of wisdom is dropped by Gil Boksoon, as...

"Black Knight" is a new episodic live-action TV series, written and directed by Cho Ui-seok, based on Lee Yoon-gyun's 'webtoon' "Delivery Knight", starring Kim Woo-bin, Esom and Kang Yoo-seok, streaming Summer 2023 on Netflix:

"...in the dystopian future of 2071, where air pollution has become serious, delivery drivers play a major role in society, when it is impossible to live without a respirator.

"The legendary delivery man '5-8' with extraordinary fighting skills meets 'Sa-wol', who also dreams of becoming a driver, the last hope for a refugee..."

Click the images to enlarge...

"Killing is simple compared to raising a kid." Netflix has debuted one final trailer for the Korean assassin action thriller Kill Boksoon, out for streaming on Netflix worldwide at the end of March. The film recently premiered at the 2023 Berlin Film Festival. A single mother who is a renowned hired killer finds it difficult to achieve a balance between her personal and work life. Jeon Do-yeon stars as Gil Boksoon in this action thriller from director Sung-hyun Byun. At work, she's a renowned assassin. At home, she's a single mom to a teenage daughter. Killing? That's easy. It's parenting that's the hard part. As she tries to find her way out of the company, she ends up confronting more assassins. The cast includes Sul Kyung-gu, Kim Si-a, Esom, & Koo Kyo-hwan. I caught this already during the festival - it's solid but isn't so clean, with a rather drawn out runtime.

„Kill Boksoon” opens with a tongue-in-cheek scene – a yakuza goon wakes up on a street wearing only underwear. He is about to be executed by the protagonist, Gil Boksoon (Jeon Do-yeon) a female gun for hire from South Korea. He is given a last chance to fight for his life, and duel with her. He gets a katana, she wields a hatchet. The odds are against her, the disproportionate strength works to the advantage of the Japanese. In a move being a clear riff on the famous scene from “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, she whips out a gun and quickly dispatches her foe. After establishing the ironic, over-the-top tone, the director does little to maintain it after. What follows is a fight- and slow-mo-ridden slog.

Kill Boksoon screened at Berlinale

As far as referencing other movies goes, the director Byun Sung-hyun does not stop at Indiana Jones, and doubles...

Most big Korean action movies are backloaded, wrapping up with three to five endings, but Byun Sung-hyun’s Kill Boksoon, which premiered as a Berlinale Special, has everything going on up front. So much so that it initially seems too much, to the extent that it sometimes feels as though there’s actually a mini-series in there bursting to get out. Surprisingly, that’s not such a crazy idea, since, once you get past the far-fetched premise—an underground network of professional contract killers, presided over the glossy conglomerate Mk Ent—there’s a lot of rich character work to supplement the superbly choregraphed violence that we’ve come to expect from the region.

The title might seem like an order, like Get Carter or (more likely) Kill Bill, but in actual fact it is the nickname given to Gil Boksoon (Jeon Do-yeon), a well-to-do single mother who poses as...

If John Wick were a middle-aged single mom whose teenage daughter was about to come out as a lesbian, than she would be something like Gil Boksoon, the bone-crushing, throat-slashing, but otherwise fragile heroine of Korean director Byun Sung-hyun’s new action thriller, which premiered out of competition at the Berlinale.

Cheekily titled Kill Boksoon, the Netflix original takes cues both from Tarantino and the Wick franchise, with highly kinetic fight scenes where computer-generated blood fills the air like raindrops, and a plot revolving around corporatized assassins who inevitably turn on each other until there’s only one man — or woman — left standing.

The film also has an emotional undercurrent, albeit a rather familiar and facile one, as Boksoon copes with her daughter’s growing pains while she slays, slays and slays. At well over two hours it’s way too long and heads more or less where you think it will,...

"Your mom is great at what she does." Netflix has revealed a new trailer for a Korean action thriller titled Kill Boksoon launching in March for viewing. This is premiering first at the 2023 Berlin Film Festival this weekend, hence the new trailer dropping now. This seems to be a Korean riff on Kill Bill? Because it looks as badass as that. They will kill. To keep their secrets. A bloody killer-action with style. Jeon Do-yeon stars as Gil Boksoon in this action thriller from director Sung-hyun Byun. At work, she's a renowned assassin. At home, she's a single mom to a teenage daughter. Killing? That's easy. It's parenting that's the hard part. The cast also includes Sul Kyung-gu, Kim Si-a, Esom, & Koo Kyo-hwan. I'm already planning on catching this at Berlinale, but after this trailer, I'm even more excited to watch it on the big screen! This looks like it's...

2022 was finally the year that the Korean box office, after the pandemic, was defibrillated back to life. Producers and distributors were finally confident that the time was right for big budget, blockbuster projects, that had long been queueing up for a release, to start making their way to the theatres. After having to resort to Ott streaming and generally smaller scale films, the audience too was hungry to see high-value productions, entertainment and their favorite stars on the big screen and thronged to the theatres, lapping up these releases. So much so that 2022 saw four new films make their way into the 100 highest grossing Korean films of all tie at the domestic box-office, with Ma Dong-seok’s “The Roundup” even rolling comfortably into the top 10.

2023 too began strongly, with the long-in-production “The Point Men” starring Hwang Jung-min and Hyun Bin and the Sol Kyung-gu led ensemble spy thriller “Phantom” opening the year strong.

Netflix has unveiled a trailer for Berlin-bound action drama “Kill Boksoon,” with Jeon Do-yeon, previous winner of the best actress prize at Cannes, in the starring role.

The film sees Jeon as Gil, a single woman juggling the demanding and conflicting roles of professional killer and mother to a teenage daughter.

Despite her unblemished track record as an assassin, Gil hesitates about renewing her contract at the killing company where she is employed and decides to spend time finding out what is gnawing at her daughter. But complications are never far away, such as discovering her next target is at a parent-teacher meeting.

She also finds herself in competition with another hired gun (portrayed by “Peninsula” star Koo Kyo-hwan) and under pressure from her employers, portrayed Sul Kyung-gu and E Som (“Samjin English Company Class”).

The movie will have its world premiere in the Berlinale Special section, which acts as...

It would be fair conclusion to say that 2021 was a successful year for K-Dramas. The year, through many cable and national broadcasting networks, the country’s tv industry released many successful series. Streaming giant Netflix too came in strong, buying world-wide distribution rights to many popular titles, while also doubling down on their own original productions, investing heavily into content from the country and increasing output too, to the point of releasing a new K-Drama almost every month in the second half of last year. Of course, the success of a number of these shows is now well-known, but other streaming services like iQiyi, Viki etc. also played an important part in getting several Korean series out to the wider worldwide audience, resulting in a strong year for shows of various genres.

Without further ado, here is the list of the 20 best K-Dramas of 2021, in descending order.

20. Hospital Playlist: Season 2 (dir.

Miso works part-time as housekeeper but can barely make ends meet. She lives in a dingy little room with no heating. Her only solaces in life are her equally out-on-his-luck webtoon-artist boyfriend Han-sol, cigarettes and whisky. In fact, all her expenses are on meals, rent, whisky, cigarettes, tax and medicine for a condition that makes her hair turn grey if the medicine is not consumed at regular intervals. When her landlord increases her rent and the government imposes a ₩2,000 increase on cigarette prices, she knows decisions need to be made and some “luxuries” need to be cut. And so she does what any sane person would… and decides to cut out on her rent! From here on, Miso begins a reflective, often hilarious journey asking favours of old band-mates from her university days to spend a few days with them in their homes, while she helps out cleaning and cooking for them when she can.

Miso works part-time as housekeeper but can barely make ends meet. She lives in a dingy little room with no heating. Her only solaces in life are her equally out-on-his-luck webtoon-artist boyfriend Han-sol, cigarettes and whisky. In fact, all her expenses are on meals, rent, whisky, cigarettes, tax and medicine for a condition that makes hair turn grey if the medicine is not consumed at regular intervals. When her landlord increases her rent and the government imposes a ₩2,000 increase in cigarette prices, she knows decisions need to be made and some “luxuries” need to be cut. And so she does what any sane person would… and decides to cut out on her rent! From here on, Miso begins a reflective, often hilarious journey asking favours of old band-mates from her university days to spend a few days with them in their homes, while she helps out cleaning their homes and...

Toeic (Test Of English for International Communicationn) exams and corruption make an odd pair of themes to exist in the same film but that’s exactly what “The Sound of a Flower” director Lee Jong-pil is attempting in his new feature “Samjin Company English Class”.

Synopsis

In 1995, Lee Ja-young, Jung Yoo-na and Sim Bo-ram are friends and co-workers at Samjin Company. They have been working there for 8 years. They are good at their work, but, because of their high school only educational backgrounds, they are still at the bottom of the company.

One day, the company announces that any employee that attains a score of 600 or higher on the Toeic (Test of English for International Communication) exam will receive a promotion to assistant manager. Employees who rank at the bottom of the company attend a Samjin Co. English Class in hopes of receiving the promotion. They dream of doing real work,...

Close-Up is a feature that spotlights films now playing on Mubi. Jeon Go-woon's Microhabitat (2017), which is receiving an exclusive global online premiere on Mubi, is showing from March 22 – April 20, 2019 as a Special Discovery.In late 2014, taxation measures introduced by the Park presidency nearly doubled the price of cigarettes in South Korea, where they’ve become a demographic signifier of the young and financially insecure. Miso (Esom), the willowy protagonist of Jeon Go-woon’s debut feature, Microhabitat, realizes she can only keep smoking and drinking whiskey—her only two indulgences—if she stops paying rent. She lives alone in a windowless apartment without heat or furniture; the hearth of the home is an orange plastic suitcase upon which dining (a lone tomato on a steel plate; some free rice if she’s lucky) and weekly budgeting take place. A shock of grey streaks her thick black hair, the slow creep...

Back in 2007, after debuting with the star-studded dud “Antarctic Journal”, director Yim Pil-sung adapted the popular Brothers Grimm story “Hansel and Gretel” into an excellent atmospheric and moody horror film by the same name. The film is still considered among the finest that Korean horror cinema has to offer and things were looking rosy for the sophomore director. It wasn’t, however, until 7 years later, that he would get to direct another feature length film. The film had quite a buzz around it, not least because of the director but also for featuring the pairing of superstar Jung Woo-sung with up-and-coming actress Esom in her first leading role, a role that got her nominated for five different Best New Actress Awards, winning one.

“Scarlet Innocence” is screening at Florence Korea Film Fest

After a sexual harassment case, professor Shim Hak-kyu is forced to leave his depressed wife and daughter Chungee...

The 17th edition of the Florence Korea Film Fest is opening its doors to the public. The festival dedicate to the South-Korean cinematography will be held from March 21st to to the 28th at Cinema La Compagnia in Firenze, Italy.

As explained by the Festival organisers: “The aim of the Florence Korea Film Fest, is to promote the seductive Korean cultural universe through the magnifying glass of the big screen, art exhibitions and conferences”.

Unique in its kind throughout Italy, the Festival, offers premieres and contemporary classics, documentaries, short films, and extensive retrospectives of the leading directors of Korean cinema, often with the participation of the authors themselves.

The 17th edition of the Festival will present 45 titles, between shorts and feature films, most of them in Italian and European premieres.

Jung Woo Sung, one of most beloved performers in his country (and also in Japan) will be honored by a...

What do you need to survive? It’s a common question we all ask ourselves — one that goes beyond the basic tenets of food, water, shelter, and human interaction. I’m talking about the things we cherish enough to put them before everything else. It could be freedom, hobbies, love, or art. It could be a feeling achieved by one specific song sung in one specific place. These are what we cling to and wrestle with when confronted by change because losing them is a sacrifice not easily made. But that choice is often out of our hands because allowing something new into our lives generally means giving something up whether through a financially driven decision or a cultural one. Maybe a necessary compromise is made that we’ll ultimately regret.

For Mi-so (Esom) it’s cigarettes and whiskey. They’re what brought her joy in youth and therefore also...

Dreams, relationships and attachments are tried and tested in director Jeon Go-woon’s brilliant debut “Microhabitat”, which is having its North American premiere at the 17th New York Asian Film Festival.

Microhabitat is screening at the 17th New York Asian Film Festival

Miso works part-time as housekeeper but can barely make ends meet. She lives in a dingy little room with no heating. Her only solaces in life are her equally out-on-his-luck webtoon-artist boyfriend Han-sol, cigarettes and whisky. In fact, all her expenses are on meals, rent, whisky, cigarettes, tax and medicine for a condition that makes hair turn grey if the medicine is not consumed at regular intervals. When her landlord increases her rent and the government imposes a ₩2,000 increase in cigarette prices, she knows decisions need to be made and some “luxuries” need to be cut. And so she does what any sane person would… and decides to cut out on her rent!