As 2025 approaches, Cineplay reporters have spotlighted the Korean films generating the most excitement for the year ahead.
The Journey to Gyeongju
Lee Jung Eun and Gong Hyo Jin reunite as mother and daughter. The Journey to Gyeongju is a “murder travelogue” about a mother and her three daughters. They take a trip to Gyeongju to seek revenge after learning that the man who killed the youngest daughter, Gyeongju, has been released from prison. It seamlessly blends crime, thriller, and dark comedy. Lee Jung Eun plays the mother, while Gong Hyo Jin, Park So Dam and Lee Yeon portray the three sisters.
The Journey to Gyeongju is written and directed by Kim Mi Jo, who previously won the Grand Prize in the Korean Competition at the Jeonju International Film Festival and the Best New Director award at the Wildflower Film Awards for Gull. In 2021, the script for The Journey to Gyeongju won third place in the Korean Film Council’s Screenplay Contest. The judging panel described the film as “deeply moving, with poignant emotions and a relatable portrayal of an ordinary family’s final outcry.”
Love Untangled
Director Namkoong Sun, known for Ten Months and Time to Be Strong, takes an unexpected step into Netflix with her new film about young love. What will teenage love and friendship look like through Namkoong Sun’s lens?
The Match
The film depicts the legendary rivalry between Go masters Cho Hun Hyun and Lee Chang Ho. This intense duel is expected to be vividly brought to life by Lee Byung Hun as Cho Hun Hyun and Yoo Ah In as Lee Chang Ho. Although it remains uncertain when The Match will hit the big screen, there is still a glimmer of hope for fans to witness the passionate performances of these actors whose work nearly went unseen.
Pavane
Park Min Gyu’s distinctive literary style, a society different from the one back then and a story too heavy to be called a romance—how will all these challenges be tackled in the film adaptation?
The Old Woman With the Knife
Based on the novel of the same name by Gu Byeong Mo, The Old Woman With the Knife tells the story of Jo Gak, a 65-year-old retired assassin who crosses paths with Tu Woo, the son of a man she once killed and now a highly skilled assassin himself. The novel was originally published in Korean in 2018 and translated into English in 2022. Earning international acclaim, The New York Times even compared it to Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite (2019) and Hwang Dong Hyuk’s Squid Game (2021).
Recent Korean films have seen a rise in strong female assassin characters, such as Kim Ok Vin in The Villainess (2017) and Jeon Do Yeon in Kill Boksoon (2023). However, this marks the first time a woman in her 60s takes the lead as a killer in Korean cinema. This adds to the excitement of casting Lee Hye Young, one of Korea’s most iconic and charismatic actresses, in the role of Jo Gak. Kim Sung Cheol stars as the mysterious assassin Tu Woo, while Kim Mu Yeol plays Jo Gak’s former mentor, Ryu. Directed by Min Kyu Dong (Herstory, Horror Stories series), the film wrapped shooting in August and is now gearing up for its release.
Blizzard
Hong Eui Jeong, the director who surprised us with Voice of Silence, is back. Set in a train station isolated by a blizzard, we can anticipate a fierce psychological battle unfolding within this confined space.
Pretty Crazy
Pretty Crazy is the second film from Exit director Lee Sang Geun and his second collaboration with YoonA. This romantic comedy, set at 2 AM when the world is fast asleep, follows a woman with an unimaginable secret in the downstairs apartment and a young man from upstairs who finds himself on a bizarre date with her. YoonA stars as Seon Ji, a woman who turns into a demon every dawn, while Ahn Bo Hyun plays Gil Gu, an unemployed young man who gets caught up in her strange world. Sung Dong Il takes on the role of Seon Ji’s doting father, with Jo Hyun Young playing her cousin. Anticipation is high for Lee Sang Geun’s latest film, which uniquely blends romantic comedy with horror.
Dark Nuns
Will occult themes continue to dominate in 2025? And can Song Hye Kyo‘s return create box office magic?
>> Song Hye Kyo and Jeon Yeo Been’s ‘Dark Nuns’ Drops Chilling Teaser and Poster
No Other Choice
Park Chan Wook has spent nearly 15 years developing a film adaptation of Donald Westlake’s novel The Ax following Thirst (2009). The film, titled No Other Choice, is set for release in 2025. Originally titled The Ax, the story was first adapted into a film by Costa-Gavras in 2005. Park Chan Wook described adapting this novel as his “life’s project” during the 2019 Busan International Film Festival. In a later interview, he explained his delay, stating, “You can’t make a film that needs 10 million won with just 5 million,” and emphasized the need for the right budget and conditions to secure a theatrical release.
Park Chan Wook’s films often revolve around the theme of “the protagonist hiding a secret” while delving into the moral dilemma of “how great a sin it is to deceive those who trust you.” The Ax continues this exploration. The story follows Yoo Man Su (played by Lee Byung Hun), a company employee who is abruptly laid off. To support his wife, Mi Ri (Son Ye Jin), and their children, he creates a fake job ad and eliminates competitors who appear more qualified than him. This fake ad becomes his last resort in securing reemployment. After 15 years in development, No Other Choice will finally premiere in 2025, potentially marking the first film to showcase Park Chan Wook’s entirely new creative scope.
Hope
It’s Na Hong Jin’s film, starring Hwang Jung Min from his previous work The Wailing (2016), along with Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander. What more needs to be said?
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