Another consummate revenge film from Korea, you say?
April 20, 2021 8:57 AM Subscribe
Night in Paradise is recent to Netflix, and if you like your revenge flicks served in the Korean style this one is pretty great. I am definitely in the shallow end of the pool when it comes to Korean cinema, but so much of what I have seen has been so great.. "Space Sweepers" would have been a groaner if produced in Hollywood, but somehow it was just darn entertaining.. and put Kang-Ho Song in any film and it cannot be a bad film.. Exhibit A: The Drug King. I imagine some of you have additional recommendations? Please share. And no, I am not a Netflix shill but what is up with their Korean content? I am not complaining!
Many thanks, forbiddencabinet! I think my introduction to the Korean revenge film was "I Saw the Devil" and I had to keep picking my jaw up off the floor. I also credit "The Host" for providing me with some lasting memories, there was a period where a lot of the stand-out films for me were all Korean.. "Thirst" introduced me to Kang-Ho Song and turned out to be one of the very good vampire films I've seen.. I am sure to follow up on your suggestions, again: thanks!!
posted by elkevelvet at 9:55 AM on April 20, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by elkevelvet at 9:55 AM on April 20, 2021 [2 favorites]
Space Sweepers is so great! It was pitched to me as "like Firefly/Serenity but not made by a white dude, and also the bad guy is basically Elon Musk" and when I watched it I thought it definitely delivered :)
posted by rivenwanderer at 10:54 AM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by rivenwanderer at 10:54 AM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
I second forbiddencabinet's recommendation for filmographies. Those are great directors.
Also on Netflix: Snowpiercer is very good. Weird but good; it's highly allegorical SF, so if you expect hard SF you'll be sad. No, the train doesn't make sense.
Hm, looks like Netflix has lost a few of the really good modern ones this year. You might also check out Kanopy, since it's free with most library cards -- they have Save the Green Planet (weird conspiracy comedy, very good), Lady Vengeance, and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (both those two from Park Chan-wook's Vengeance trilogy, somewhat rough to watch but well made).
posted by Bryant at 11:29 AM on April 20, 2021 [2 favorites]
Also on Netflix: Snowpiercer is very good. Weird but good; it's highly allegorical SF, so if you expect hard SF you'll be sad. No, the train doesn't make sense.
Hm, looks like Netflix has lost a few of the really good modern ones this year. You might also check out Kanopy, since it's free with most library cards -- they have Save the Green Planet (weird conspiracy comedy, very good), Lady Vengeance, and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (both those two from Park Chan-wook's Vengeance trilogy, somewhat rough to watch but well made).
posted by Bryant at 11:29 AM on April 20, 2021 [2 favorites]
Kanopy also has some really good Korean action although my memory for film titles is poor. Some are just too violent for my taste but I have been very impressed.
posted by charlesminus at 11:45 AM on April 20, 2021
posted by charlesminus at 11:45 AM on April 20, 2021
> I'd also hazard a guess that Korean content is cheaper for Netflix to license...
Netflix has vastly increased its investment in South Korean productions (from an average of $140M per year to $500M per year) in 2021, and might have less to do with whether South Korean content is cheap and more with trying to strengthen Netflix's catalogs in Asian markets.
posted by ardgedee at 11:47 AM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
Netflix has vastly increased its investment in South Korean productions (from an average of $140M per year to $500M per year) in 2021, and might have less to do with whether South Korean content is cheap and more with trying to strengthen Netflix's catalogs in Asian markets.
posted by ardgedee at 11:47 AM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
On Netflix --- their best point is they are almost everywhere. This means they produce content in a ton of countries/languages [you can find Netflix originals filmed in so many countries], and also support subtitles/audio for most languages. Basically all other streaming services are terrible at this (as someone in a mixed language household, when we watch TV together Netflix is pretty much the only option).
Combine that with Korean licensing and marketing and you seem to get a ton of Korean shows and movies on Netflix (compare to Japan, which has some non-animated content but is MUCH more restrictive about licensing in general and it shows). And of course Korean drama and music has been having a really good time the past 10+ years --- while the US popularity has risen, it's nothing compared to the popularity of Korean media in other East and Southeast Asian countries.
posted by thefoxgod at 11:51 AM on April 20, 2021 [2 favorites]
Combine that with Korean licensing and marketing and you seem to get a ton of Korean shows and movies on Netflix (compare to Japan, which has some non-animated content but is MUCH more restrictive about licensing in general and it shows). And of course Korean drama and music has been having a really good time the past 10+ years --- while the US popularity has risen, it's nothing compared to the popularity of Korean media in other East and Southeast Asian countries.
posted by thefoxgod at 11:51 AM on April 20, 2021 [2 favorites]
Just FYI, Kanopy’s catalogue will differ depending on your university or library. It’s not the same for everyone.
posted by oulipian at 12:04 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by oulipian at 12:04 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
Space sweepers was fine and entertaining, but like maybe an hour too long. A good, ruthless edit would’ve made it much much better.
posted by furnace.heart at 12:35 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by furnace.heart at 12:35 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
There are also some great K-drama/comedy series on Netflix (some of them covered in Fanfare). The series with SF/supernatural material we've enjoyed include:
* Hi Bye Mama (aka "cry bye Mama", you'll find out why) - supernatural but generally not spooky
* Sisyphus / the Myth - time travel
* Mystic Pop-up Bar - supernatural, comedy
* Uncanny Counters - supernatural, violence
* Sweet Home (misleading title, we stumbled into this one) - monsters/apocalypse. Based on a manhwa, which seems to have better reviews than the show
* Nurse School Files - supernatural; good creature design
posted by kurumi at 12:35 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
* Hi Bye Mama (aka "cry bye Mama", you'll find out why) - supernatural but generally not spooky
* Sisyphus / the Myth - time travel
* Mystic Pop-up Bar - supernatural, comedy
* Uncanny Counters - supernatural, violence
* Sweet Home (misleading title, we stumbled into this one) - monsters/apocalypse. Based on a manhwa, which seems to have better reviews than the show
* Nurse School Files - supernatural; good creature design
posted by kurumi at 12:35 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
The first season of The Kingdom was interesting.
posted by gottabefunky at 12:38 PM on April 20, 2021
posted by gottabefunky at 12:38 PM on April 20, 2021
Tons of amazing recommendations above. A Tale of Two Sisters is another excellent one.
posted by thebots at 12:53 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by thebots at 12:53 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
Night in Paradise was a bit too grim for me but I liked The Man from Nowhere and The Witch: Part I - The Subversion.
posted by juv3nal at 1:23 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by juv3nal at 1:23 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
+1 for Burning, it can be a tough watch at times but it's a really good slow-burn thriller.
And now, for something completely different: if you want a fun, Oceans Eleven-esque heist movie but with more backstabbing and in three different languages, might I recommend The Thieves?
posted by chrominance at 1:27 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
And now, for something completely different: if you want a fun, Oceans Eleven-esque heist movie but with more backstabbing and in three different languages, might I recommend The Thieves?
posted by chrominance at 1:27 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
My wife and I watched the first two episodes of Itaewon Class over the weekend and they were quite good. We can only watch a couple of episodes on the weekend so it'll take us some time to finish it but hey, there's no rush right?
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:49 PM on April 20, 2021
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:49 PM on April 20, 2021
Strangers from Hell (on Netflix) was deeply weird but fun.
posted by duoshao at 1:51 PM on April 20, 2021
posted by duoshao at 1:51 PM on April 20, 2021
Space Sweepers is so great! It was pitched to me as "like Firefly/Serenity"...
like the movie serenity, the korean title for space sweepers is the ship's name: victory.
also, i think that movie might be the first big-budget korean film to "obliquely" even reference transitioning.
posted by i used to be someone else at 2:26 PM on April 20, 2021
like the movie serenity, the korean title for space sweepers is the ship's name: victory.
also, i think that movie might be the first big-budget korean film to "obliquely" even reference transitioning.
posted by i used to be someone else at 2:26 PM on April 20, 2021
Criterion also has several Korean movies; Hulu is streaming BONG Joon-ho's The Host.
posted by i used to be someone else at 2:27 PM on April 20, 2021
posted by i used to be someone else at 2:27 PM on April 20, 2021
Only one I'm really familiar with is Oldboy but, man, is it good!
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:15 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:15 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
i always expect Cha Seung-won to break out in little giggles every time i see him, but that's probably just because i've watched too many of his dramas where he's the main lead.
posted by zsh2v1 at 3:28 PM on April 20, 2021
posted by zsh2v1 at 3:28 PM on April 20, 2021
Earlier today I was recommended a recent South Korean movie which starts off as a heist or similar crime, then gets strange. Does this ring any bells?
posted by doctornemo at 4:00 PM on April 20, 2021
posted by doctornemo at 4:00 PM on April 20, 2021
The Witch Part 1 is GREAT! Soooo fucking creepy. I immediately went on a rampage trying to find part 2, only to discover they were still shooting in 2020, so it'll be out this year sometime hopefully.
posted by soundguy99 at 4:10 PM on April 20, 2021
posted by soundguy99 at 4:10 PM on April 20, 2021
The Handmaiden.
Mother.
Count me as someone who was a little let down by Burning. It's good but nowhere as good as Parasite.
posted by storybored at 4:12 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
Mother.
Count me as someone who was a little let down by Burning. It's good but nowhere as good as Parasite.
posted by storybored at 4:12 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
Space Sweepers eats up tropes but wins with unforced enthusiasm. It's true, Hollywood would have bungled it.
Also on Netflix:
Start-up is a quirky series about young entrepreneurs in the tech industry.
Hello My Twenties is a series about roommates starting college that starts off breezy but gets more complex and serious as it goes on.
posted by ovvl at 5:07 PM on April 20, 2021
Also on Netflix:
Start-up is a quirky series about young entrepreneurs in the tech industry.
Hello My Twenties is a series about roommates starting college that starts off breezy but gets more complex and serious as it goes on.
posted by ovvl at 5:07 PM on April 20, 2021
I enjoyed watching Choi Kang-hee in the light-weight time travel drama "Hello, Me" on Netflix. She's captivating. Korean time travel dramas, of which there are many, are unique in that they virtually never deal with cause and effect, but are rather focused on how people from one time would interact with people from another time. I loved the time travel dramas Rooftop Prince and Queen In-hyun's Man too. But it seems like that golden era, which produced those shows, Secret Garden, etc. is now in the past.
posted by jabah at 5:30 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by jabah at 5:30 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
My wife and I watched the first two episodes of Itaewon Class over the weekend and they were quite good.
Oh man I adored that show. I was sad when it ended, and I thought it would be hard to find another show I enjoyed as much, but then I ended up watching My Mister and hooo boy I adored that one too. It's not easy to binge watch a show with such long episodes, but somehow I managed to sort of do it. Great soundtrack, too.
posted by bananana at 8:03 PM on April 20, 2021
Oh man I adored that show. I was sad when it ended, and I thought it would be hard to find another show I enjoyed as much, but then I ended up watching My Mister and hooo boy I adored that one too. It's not easy to binge watch a show with such long episodes, but somehow I managed to sort of do it. Great soundtrack, too.
posted by bananana at 8:03 PM on April 20, 2021
I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK (2006) - A quirky rom-com involving two patients in a mental hospital. The title sums it up pretty well.
This is tangential, but since I never have any other opportunity to mention it, The Last Waltz from the Oldboy soundtrack is the aesthetic ideal of a wry, moody waltz and I adore it completely.
posted by dephlogisticated at 8:26 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
This is tangential, but since I never have any other opportunity to mention it, The Last Waltz from the Oldboy soundtrack is the aesthetic ideal of a wry, moody waltz and I adore it completely.
posted by dephlogisticated at 8:26 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
Hollywood has gone down the drain for me in the past 15 years - - I'm just not a fan of the homogenized teen product pumped out of there nowadays.
Instead, many Korean movies are like the best of the Hollywood of the 70's, 80's, and 90's - - adult stories well told across many genres.
As an illustration of this contrast, last weekend we watched the two biggest new Netflix releases: Night in Paradise (Yay!) and Thunder Force (Yikes!). No contest.
My favorite Korean genres are their quirky fantasies with such gems as: The Beauty Inside, Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned, and Along With The Gods: The Two Worlds (and its sequel) - - and their whimsical comedies such as Miss Granny and Miss & Mrs. Cops.
posted by fairmettle at 10:35 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
Instead, many Korean movies are like the best of the Hollywood of the 70's, 80's, and 90's - - adult stories well told across many genres.
As an illustration of this contrast, last weekend we watched the two biggest new Netflix releases: Night in Paradise (Yay!) and Thunder Force (Yikes!). No contest.
My favorite Korean genres are their quirky fantasies with such gems as: The Beauty Inside, Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned, and Along With The Gods: The Two Worlds (and its sequel) - - and their whimsical comedies such as Miss Granny and Miss & Mrs. Cops.
posted by fairmettle at 10:35 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
There's a minor Korean TV genre about plucky upstarts fighting large Korean corporations, with murders, intrigue and spreadsheets. Two on Netflix are very recommendable:
'The Good Manager' is about two rival groups of accountants in a huge Korean corporation. The anti-hero is an ex-gangster accountant who wants to move to Denmark. It's often silly and a lot of fun.
'Vincenzo' is sort-of about residents of a building complex resisting demolition by a huge corporation, and the anti-hero is a Korean-born Italian mafia lawyer (played by Song Joong-ki from Space Sweepers). It's often a lot darker than 'The Good Manager' and Netflix have clearly spent a lot of money on it. It's *very* good.
posted by BinaryApe at 11:44 PM on April 20, 2021 [2 favorites]
'The Good Manager' is about two rival groups of accountants in a huge Korean corporation. The anti-hero is an ex-gangster accountant who wants to move to Denmark. It's often silly and a lot of fun.
'Vincenzo' is sort-of about residents of a building complex resisting demolition by a huge corporation, and the anti-hero is a Korean-born Italian mafia lawyer (played by Song Joong-ki from Space Sweepers). It's often a lot darker than 'The Good Manager' and Netflix have clearly spent a lot of money on it. It's *very* good.
posted by BinaryApe at 11:44 PM on April 20, 2021 [2 favorites]
I've been logging the Korean TV I've watched over the last year or so here on Twitter
posted by BinaryApe at 11:51 PM on April 20, 2021
posted by BinaryApe at 11:51 PM on April 20, 2021
It's often a lot darker than 'The Good Manager' and Netflix have clearly spent a lot of money on it.
the only quibble i have with the "netflix originals" branding is that it gives the impression that netflix is the one bankrolling these shows, when it's a distributor, rather than a production company--vincenzo, like good manager, good doctor (yes, the one that daniel dae kim adapted for american audiences as abc's the good doctor), and love story in harvard, was made by logos film; they partnered with studio dragon, which was behind crash landing on you, among others.
posted by i used to be someone else at 3:38 PM on April 21, 2021 [2 favorites]
the only quibble i have with the "netflix originals" branding is that it gives the impression that netflix is the one bankrolling these shows, when it's a distributor, rather than a production company--vincenzo, like good manager, good doctor (yes, the one that daniel dae kim adapted for american audiences as abc's the good doctor), and love story in harvard, was made by logos film; they partnered with studio dragon, which was behind crash landing on you, among others.
posted by i used to be someone else at 3:38 PM on April 21, 2021 [2 favorites]
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I don't Netflix anymore so no recommendations specific to that platform, but there are oodles of great Korean films. Anyone after high octane revenge action should check out The Villainess. For a dumb comedy I recommend Extreme Job, which is about undercover police officers that start a fried chicken shop and accidentally become the most popular fried chicken place in the city. For more serious drama/thriller then Burning is fantastic and has maybe Steven Yuen's best performance. If you're after artier fair then Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring is not to be missed. For drama/romance then Right Here, Wrong Now is really quite something and kind of reminds me of Certified Copy. Some others I recommend are Castaway on the Moon, The Wailing, and Memories of a Murder.
Honestly, there is so much. Just going through Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook, or Kim Ki-duk's filmographies is going to get you an overwhelming number of great movies to check out.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 9:32 AM on April 20, 2021 [10 favorites]