Feel-good drama, dark mystery films to hit box office
This month’s box office is set to be filled with diverse genres, from drama to a dark thriller and action blockbusters.
Four films — the feel-good comedy “Dog Days,” the drama “Picnic,” the crime flick “Dead Man” and the action blockbuster “Argylle” — will be hitting theaters on Feb. 7 in time for the Lunar New Year holiday.
Led by newcomer Kim Deokmin, the star-studded comedy flick “Dog Days” is an anthology about human-canine bonds. It follows the stories of a single man, Min-sang (Yoo Hae-jin), who grows closer with his veterinarian tenant, Jinyoung (Kim Seo-hyung), through dogs and a world-renowned architect Min-seo (Youn Yuh-jung) forming an unlikely friendship with a Gen Z delivery man, Jin-woo (Tang Jun-sang) after losing her dog.
Meanwhile, a married couple, Sun-yong (Jung Sung-hwa) and Jeong-ah (Kim Yun-jin) settle in as a family with their adopted daughter with the help of a stray dog, and band leader Hyeon (Lee Hyun-woo) gets caught up in an awkward, strained situation when his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend Daniel (Daniel Henney) who shows up to see the girlfriend’s dog that he has been taking care of.
Three veteran actors, Na Moonhee, Kim Young-ok and Park Geunhyung, have joined hands for the drama film “Picnic.”
The upcoming film revolves around Eun-sim (Na), a woman in her 80s who returned to her hometown after more than sixty years. She reunites with her old friends Geum-soon (Kim) and Tae-ho (Park), who have been living in their hometown. Leaving behind their concerns in life, the three embark on a picnic, which could be their last one, unraveling the past memories they share.
“Picnic” is directed by filmmaker Kim Yong-gyun, who previously led the horror film “The Red Shoes” (2005) and the period film “The Sword With No Name” (2009).
Director Hah Jun-won, who is known for co-scripting director Bong Joon-ho’s “The Host” (2006), is making a directorial debut with the movie “Dead Man.”
The crime thriller flick revolves around Lee Man-jae (Cho Jinwoong), who makes a living by lending his name to businesses. When he takes the last job before retiring as a professional CEO in name only, things go sideways. He finds himself falsely accused of embezzling 100 billion won and being forced to fake his death, locked up in a private prison in China.
Madam Sim (Kim Hee-ae), a political consultant, gets him out and offers him to clear his name. He returns to Korea to find the person who framed him and get his name back.
Hollywood blockbuster “Argylle” will also be joining the Lunar New Year weekend box office race.
Led by director Matthew Vaughn, known for the hit “Kingsman” film series, the spy action flick follows best-selling author Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard), who writes a novel about a global spy syndicate and the secret agent named Argylle.
When her story mirrors the real-life covert actions, she must write the next chapter to find clues to locate a legendary real-life spy agent, Argylle (Henry Cavill).
Later in the month, veteran actor Choi Min-sik will return to the silver screen with the occult mystery film “Exhuma,” set to premiere on Feb. 22.
The upcoming film revolves around shamans Hwa-rim (Kim Go-eun) and Bong-gil (Lee Do-hyun), who take lucrative jobs to cure the mysterious disease that has been passed down for generations in a family. They advise the family to move the grave of their ancestor, leading a feng shui master (Choi) and an undertaker (Yoo Hae-jin) to join the job. When they carry out an exhumation to relocate the grave, they face a series of mysterious occurrences.
The film is helmed by filmmaker Jang Jae-hyun, who is known for leading the horror flick “The Priests” (2015).
The big-budget sci-fi blockbuster “Dune: Part Two” will be making its world premiere in Korea on Feb. 28.
The sequel to the 2021 film, “Dune,” based on the 1965 novel of the same name, revolves around the heir of House Atreides, Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet), settling into the Fremen, a sub-culture of humans descended from the Zensunni Wanderers.
Reuniting with Chani (Zendaya), he seeks revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family, facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe.
The film is led by director Denis Villeneuve, who helmed the first installment.