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The Neuchâtel Intl. Fantastic Film Festival (Nifff) is never afraid to ask questions.

As per tradition, the Swiss genre showcase will frame its annual retrospective through a sociological lens, this year turning its focus to health with a 20-film deep dive cheekily titled Take Care.

“I was struck by an idiom that’s more common in English than in French,” says Nifff artistic director Pierre-Yves Walder. “Telling someone to ‘take care’ can be taken as an order or a veiled threat. At the very least, it feels like an oxymoron, especially when the person being told to do so has little control over their situation. And as always, fantastic cinema provides the perfect space to explore these tension and contradictions between fragility, control, vulnerability and power. That’s where genre thrives!”

‘Coma’

Covering a full century of cinematic malady — exploring how we care for others and ourselves and all the...

Neon has taken North American rights to No Other Choice, the next movie from Park Chan-wook.

The project puts Neon back in business with the Korean filmmaker, the label having recently handled the helmer’s re-release of 2003’s Oldboy.

No Other Choice is Park’s 12th movie, and it’s based on the 1997 novel The Ax by Donald Westlake. It follows a man (Squid Game‘s Lee Byung-hun) who is abruptly laid off by the paper company where he worked tirelessly for many years. He grows increasingly desperate in his hunt for new work and eventually comes to a certain decision.

Son Yejin co-stars as the man’s wife alongside an ensemble cast including Park Hee-soon (My Name), Lee Sung-min (The Spy Gone North), Yeom Hye-ran (The Glory), Cha Seung-won (Believer), and Yoo Yeon-seok (Mr. Sunshine).

No Other Choice is produced by Park...

Now updated for April 2025, here’s our pick of 35 genre films – horror, action, sci-fi and more – you can watch for free on Tubi UK.

Like any streaming service, particularly of the ad-supported variety, there’s a lot of filler on Tubi, the subscription-free platform which made its UK debut last July.

On there you’ll find an array of low-budget documentaries of spurious quality, landfill reality TV and how-did-this-get-made TV movies (Amish Abduction).

Look beyond those films, though, and Tubi is positively stuffed with genre and cult offerings – sci-fi, horror, comedy, martial arts, thrillers and more besides. Finding these can take a bit of hunting around, however, so to save you a bit of time, we’ve done some hunting for you. We’re nice like that.

Here’s our pick of 35 genre and cult films currently available to watch for free on Tubi in the UK. We’ll also...

Clint Eastwood is a renowned actor and filmmaker, known for his prolific and efficient working style. He has won two Oscars for his directing work, but the legend started as an actor and became a Western icon. One of his most popular Westerns is the third movie in his Dollars trilogy, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

Eastwood’s character as the Man with No Name became extremely popular, and so did Sergio Leone’s morally grey style. The movie has far-reaching influences, with one of the most popular ones being Kim Jee-woon’s The Good, the Bad, the Weird, which starred Lee Byung-hun, known for his work on Squid Game.

A Clint Eastwood movie inspired Squid Game star’s ‘Oriental Western’ Clint Eastwood in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly | Credits: United Artists

Clint Eastwood is a legend like no other. The veteran actor has been active...

Kim Jee-woon's 2008 action-Western film "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" lives up to all three adjectives in its title. That title was, of course, inspired by Sergio Leone's celebrated 1966 Western "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," a film that starred -- in their respective moral roles -- Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach. As any cineaste can tell you, Leone's classic, set in 1862, is about its three main characters seeking a hidden cache of Confederate gold that's hidden in a cemetery. The film runs 161 minutes (or 171 if you're watching the director's cut), and it features many violent, picaresque adventures on the way to its famed three-way shootout.

In Kim's film, the three title roles are played by -- also respectively -- Jung Woo-sun, Lee Byung-hun, and Song Kang-ho, although it takes place in the wilds of Manchuria in 1939 just before the widespread outbreak of World War II.

Arrow has revealed its June slate, and it’s a characteristically eclectic mix of the brutal, the bizarre and the barely-seen. From grisly Korean thrillers and resurrected Japanese ghost tales to European horrors and cult cinema favourites, the curated streaming platform continues to expand its niche appeal with a line-up tailored to lovers of the extreme and unconventional.

Kicking off the month is Devils, a slick South Korean thriller featuring a body swap between a detective and the serial killer he has spent years chasing. It arrives alongside Body Parts, a five-part anthology soaked in ritualistic horror and dread, both streaming from 6 June. Together, they lead Arrow’s newly launched Killer K-Horror season, a collection that also includes the underseen zombie satire Zombie for Sale.

From 9 June, viewers can return to Takashi Miike’s gonzo Western Sukiyaki Western Django, the 2007 cult mash-up that blends Leone-styled shootouts with operatic samurai drama.

By the tenth day of Cannes, the movies begin to blend. Under-slept and over-stimulated, imaginations run wild, finding odd and intuitive parallels between wildly disparate propositions as weary attendees misremember which scene came from what film. And though director Bi Gan landed on a late-in-festival premiere for more pragmatic reasons – the wunderkind filmmaker was still shooting just one month ago, before delivering his final version late Wednesday night – his dense and delirious “Resurrection” couldn’t have found a more befitting slot.

Indeed, “Resurrection” condenses that bleary and bewildered experience into one virtuosic package. Viewers can stumble through more than a century of wildly disparate film iconography remixed and retrofitted for Bi Gan’s 160 minute opus, opting to either spot the reference or to simply let the immaculately made spectacle wash over them. Just don’t go in looking to make sense of much of it, as this film pastiche plays...

An Emmy-nominated star of The White Lotusis joining the cast of the new gangster-thriller The Bookie & the Bruiser. Per Variety, Theo James, who was nominated for a 2023 Emmy for his performance as Cameron Sullivan in The White Lotus, is taking over from The Brutalist’s Adrien Brody, who was originally set to star in The Bookie & the Bruiser. The outlet did not state the reason Brody dropped out of the project.

James will co-star with Vince Vaughn in the new film from writer-director S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk). The Bookie & the Bruiser takes place in New York City in 1959 and follows a Jewish man named Rivner (James) and an Italian-American tough guy named Boscolo (Vaughn). The pair served in World War II, and both returned as changed men who were no longer willing to take orders or observe the rules of polite society.

James and Vaughn Deal...

Theo James’ upward trajectory looks to be continuing, with the “White Lotus” breakout and star of “The Gentlemen” joining upcoming gangster thriller “The Bookie & the Bruiser” alongside Vince Vaughn.

The film — which was first announced by Variety last year — sees James take over from Adrien Brody, with the recent Oscar winner for “The Brutalist” originally set to star.

From writer-director S. Craig Zahler (“Bone Tomahawk”), the film is being repped for international rights by Anton, who will continue sales at the Marche du Film. UTA Independent Film Group and Range Select arranged the financing and are representing the North American distribution rights.

“The Bookie & the Bruiser” is set in 1959 New York City and features a pensive, Jewish fellow named Rivner (James) and an oversized Italian American tough named Boscolo (Vaughn). Having served in World War II, the two return as changed men, no longer fitting into their old lives.

South Korea is well-known for its crime thrillers but like a lot of Asian countries, it too doesn’t like to admit they have a drug problem, particularly in its films. Most depictions come in the form of slick action thrillers or gangster pictures. Supporting actor turned occasional director Hwang Byeong-gug‘s third directorial effort, his first in over fourteen years, is another such production that takes the drugs business as the backdrop to tell its tale.

Yadang: The Snitch is released by WellGo USA

Imprisoned on false charges, Lee Kang-su is thrown a lifeline by struggling prosecutor Goo Gwan-hee when he offers him to work as a yadang, a snitch, for him and land the prosecutor a drug supplying chain. After the successful collaboration, the two decide to join hands for their personal progression, becoming friends in the process. Kang-su facilitates as a broker between the drug dealers and the law enforcement,...

A household name after starring in Korean epics like Taegukgi: Brotherhood of War and Friend, Jang Dong-gun has been part of the explosive growth of the Korean film industry and has worked with a lengthy, star-studded list of talent over the last three decades.

However, Jang tells Deadline that there are still many actors and directors that he has not had a chance to work with yet, although he hopes to collaborate with them in the near future. This list includes fellow actors and friends Hwang Jung-min and Lee Byung-hun, as well as directors like Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook and Kim Jee-woon.

Jang says that he is also on the search for an “ordinary” role, after playing a wide range of characters with extraordinary and extreme backgrounds.

“Over my past works, I have done a lot of roles that are not common, that you can’t see in real life usually,...

The Busan International Film Festival (Biff) has identified Jung Han-seok as the preferred candidate for its new festival director, though the selection process remains ongoing. The final decision will be made at the festival’s second general meeting of the year, scheduled for March 20 at the Busan Cinema Center.

Jung has been a key figure at Biff since 2019, serving as the Korean Cinema programmer. His work has included highlighting trends in domestic filmmaking and strengthening connections between the Korean film industry and the festival. He has also been a jury member for the Buil Film Awards, Jeonju International Film Festival, and Seoul Independent Film Festival, in addition to advising international events such as the Florence Korea Film Festival and Hong Kong’s Asian Film Awards. Before joining Biff, Jung worked as a journalist and film critic for the Korean film publication Cine21.

The festival’s selection process for the director...

Asian science fiction has been dominated for many years by Japanese animation, which has provided countless masterpieces to the genre. But in the past 25 years or so, a new batch of live-action films have given the genre new momentum by providing more diversity in terms of format, national origins and thematic scope. While Japan is still making great science fiction that feels fresh and innovative, other countries, most notably South Korea and China, have begun taking the genre more seriously than in the past. Leading filmmakers now use sci-fi to tell great extrapolative stories about science and technology, the future(s) of human society, or more allegorically to deal with mental illness or the precariousness of the adult world.

Science fiction is a notoriously difficult genre to define, but the list below takes a look at films that try to break free of the traditional Japanese formats and subgenres – beyond...

Picture: Netflix

Anticipation continues to build for the second season of The Gentlemen following its initial premiere in early 2024 and its big renewal towards the end of the year. Ahead of filming beginning to roll this Spring, Theo James has teased what we can expect from the upcoming second season.

In case you missed it, Guy Ritchie is returning to write and direct (at least some episodes) of a second season of The Gentlemen, which served as a spin-off series to the Miramax movie of the same name. The series ultimately became the fifth most-watched debut series of 2024 behind Fool Me Once, The Perfect Couple, Griselda, and Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Theo James is set to return to his role as Eddie Horniman alongside Kaya Scodelario as Susie Glass and Daniel Ings as Freddy Horniman. The show was officially greenlit for another season in August 2024.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter,...

Theo James is the talk of the town at the moment for his new comedy-horror The Monkey, but he's also got The Gentlemen fans buzzing with his latest season 2 tease. In a new interview, the actor hinted that the upcoming season will take a darker turn while also sharing an exciting update on when filming is set to begin. While major details are still under wraps, James' comments have only fueled anticipation for what’s next in the gritty, high-stakes world of the hit Netflix series.

The crime drama series premiered on Netflix in March 2024 and was an instant hit. Due to the success of the first season, Netflix went ahead and renewed the show for a second season in August 2024. At the time of its renewal, it was revealed that the second installment would see the return of James as Eddie, Kaya Scodelario as Susie, and Daniel Ings as Freddy.

Spring may be just around the corner, but the weather currently remains in winter’s death grip. When the weather outside is frightful, there’s no better excuse to get cozy inside with some great horror.

This week’s streaming picks are dedicated to snowy winter horror movies that use harsh weather conditions to isolate their characters, mentally or physically, trapping them with evil- human and otherwise. As always, here’s where you can watch them this week.

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

30 Days of Night – Peacock

The small Alaskan town of Barrow experiences one whole month of complete darkness every year. It’s the perfect scenario for a coven of savage vampires to partake in a nonstop feeding frenzy, and they arrive just as the sun sets on Barrow for 30 days to begin their month-long all-you-can-eat buffet. Sheriff Eben (Josh Hartnett), his wife (Melissa George...

2024 was a big year for Netflix, which premiered a series of successful series, and among them was The Gentlemen. The crime drama series was a spin-off series based on Guy Ritchie's 2019 film of the same name and starred Theo James in one of the leading roles.

The series was a hit on the platform, which led the streaming service to rush to renew The Gentlemen for Season 2. Season 1 was released on Mar. 7, but there are a few changes the show will premiere the new installment this year. However, in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, James gave an exciting update on The Gentlemen Season 2.

RelatedTheo James Reveals Inspiration for The Monkey Beyond Stephen King's Novel

The director wanted a more time-appropriate feel for the adaptation of the 1980 short story.

"We are starting that in the spring," James revealed about the production start for Season 2. "I’m going...

Throughout the 1980s in South Korea, several changes in governmental policy led to a cinematic renaissance for the country during the late 1990s and 2000s. These changes included the easing of censorship guidelines, the allowance of film-making to be done independently, and an increase in the distribution of international imports. This led to a movement known as "New Korean Cinema" that gave South Korean movies international recognition.

During that period, South Korean directors like Park Chan-wook, Kim Jee-woon, and Parasite's Bong Joon-ho helped shape the "New Korean Cinema” movement through genre-bending thrillers that combined mainstream appeal with art-house sensibilities. That trend continued in the decades that followed as well, with critics and fans around the world widely considering many of these thrillers to be some of the greatest entries into the medium of film.

Updated on January 17, 2025, by Christopher Raley: For many cinema fans, Parasite was their first look into New Korean Cinema,...

While the downfall of physical media has been predicted time and time again, 2024 has proved the opposite with many impressive and interesting releases, not juts Asian titles. However, when it comes to Asian cinema many boutique labels especially have given film-lovers the opportunity to (re-)discover many gems of the cinematic landscapes of Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand to name but a few. The following list may serve as an overview of some of these releases, some of which may stand representative of a whole catalogue from a production company.

Without further ado, let’s delve into the list of the 30 best physical media releases of Asian cinema in 2024, in random order

1. Seven Samurai (BFI)

Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece certainly needs no introduction and its release on 4k was one of the most anticipated releases for connoisseurs of Asian cinema. While there is also the Criterion edition of the film,...

South Korean cinema is best known for its grotesque, no-holds-barred, onscreen violence that can easily find some space in the list of the most unsettling movies. The biggest name in Korean cinema continues to be Park Chan-wook. His work not only gained international acclaim but also set the stage for a new wave of filmmakers who specialize in genre films that captivate audiences at both domestic and prominent international festivals, contributing to the rich tapestry of best Korean movies.

Bong Joon-ho and Kim Jee-Woon, contemporaries of the influential Park Chan-wook, have contributed significantly to the rise of Korean cult cinema, a movement that Park spearheaded. Together, these filmmakers have propelled South Korean cinema to international acclaim. Meanwhile, directors like Lee Chang-dong, Kim Ki-Duk, Hong Sang-soo, and Im Kwon-Taek have earned recognition for their artistry in film festivals, creating a unique space for themselves. Balancing mainstream appeal and artistic depth, South Korean cinema has evolved,...

Korean director Um Tae Hwa, known for dystopian thriller Concrete Utopia, is set to help train the next generation of Saudi filmmakers.

The director will conduct a masterclass in Jeddah early next year with 10 rising talents from the country, which will see the emerging filmmakers showcase their directing flair by adapting a scene from Concrete Utopia.

A session between the director and participants will take place on Saturday at Red Sea International Film Festival, which will include a screening of his 2023 feature and a lecture on filmmaking.

It marks the latest in a string of collaborative efforts between South Korea and Saudi Arabia,...

Many of the best Korean horror movies have earned praise from critics and audiences worldwide. Though a majority of the horror films produced in South Korea implement tropes familiar to all audiences, they also introduce themes and mythological antagonists that are culturally specific, allowing their stories to feel like something entirely brand new to worldwide audiences. Several of the Korean horror movies listed contain the expected type of violence and bloody scenes associated with the genre, but rather than focusing on gory kills and frequent jump scares, most Korean horror movies tend to human aspects.

This is just one of the many ways Korean horror movies differ from those in America, and these differences allow such films to stand out among a large number of horror releases each year. Acclaimed directors like Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook are among the talented South Korean filmmakers who have helped bring to life...

In the 21st century, South Korean cinema has experienced unprecedented success, both in terms of international acclaim and box office profits. One reason for South Korea's cultural dominance has been the country's ability to churn out high-octane action thrillers that feature formal proficiency combined with gruesome subject matters. South Korean cinema has found a cult audience in the United States among cinephiles seeking to escape the sanitized nature of mainstream Hollywood cinema.

After decades of little international attention, South Korean cinema began to make a global splash in the late 1990s through a movement now known as New Korean Cinema. This collection of films became renowned for using the genre to explore social issues affecting South Korean society. Since the birth of New Korean Cinema, directors such as Park Chan-wook, Kim Jee-woon, and Na Hong-jin have created some of the best action thrillers of the 21st century. Oldboy, I Saw the Devil,...

It's no secret Arnold Schwarzenegger defined an era of action cinema. From The Terminator (1984) until Eraser (1996), his cool one-liners, incomparable physique, and unique charm dominated the genre. But after over a decade of bangers and a stint as Governor of California, he starred in an unsung action gem that has become a hit on a Tubi. The Last Stand, which brought Arnold back to the big screen after a break from acting, is an unwinking celebration of the hits of his past that simultaneously acknowledges his age and abilities.

Arnie stars as Ray Owens, the sheriff of a quiet Arizona town who must stop an escaped drug kingpin from fleeing to Mexico in a 1000 horsepower supercar with only the help of a ragtag ne'er-do-well and three deputies, played by Johnny Knoxville and Luis Guzman, Jamie Alexander, and Rodrigo Santoro respectively. Elegant in its simplicity, the film never over-complicates what it's trying to do.

Exclusive: After selling his short story “Bomb” to 20th late last year, with Ridley Scott attaching to direct the action thriller, Kevin McMullin has been tapped to script an English-language remake of A Bittersweet Life, the ultra-violent South Korean noir from writer-director Kim Jee-woon, for Netflix and Chernin Entertainment.

McMullin comes to the project following a competitive writer search for adapting this property. Details as to the creative direction for the remake are under wraps. But the original film, released in 2005, starred Lee Byung-hun as Kim Sun-woo, an enforcer and manager for a hotel owned by a powerful crime boss, Kang (Kim Yeong-cheol). When Kang tasks Sun-woo with monitoring his young girlfriend Hee-soo (Shin Min-a), who he suspects of infidelity, Sun-woo finds himself in a moral quandary when he decides not to kill her and her lover, despite catching them together. This act of mercy sets off a devastating chain of events,...

Last week, it was announced that Theo James of The Gentlemen, the Divergent films, and the upcoming Osgood Perkins / Stephen King movie The Monkey is set to star in a film called The Hole, which is coming our way from South Korean director Kim Jee-woon. Now, the name of James’ first co-star has been revealed, and that co-star is Emmy-nominated Korean actress and model Hoyeon, who made her screen debut in the hit Netflix series Squid Game.

James is taking on the role of Owen, a successful professor living abroad in South Korea, who is bedridden after a devastating car accident that killed his wife, Sandy. He is left under the care of Yuna, his Korean mother-in-law — but when she starts to unravel the devastating truth behind Owen and Sandy’s marriage, and Owen himself, his road to recovery is threatened. Hoyeon will be playing Sandy.

Scripted by Christopher Chen,...

In an exciting new development, Squid Game breakout star Hoyeon has just been cast in the upcoming thriller The Hole. This comes only days after learning that Theo James will star in the film.

Like James, Hoyeon is an Emmy-nominated actor. She's best known for her captivating performance as Kang Sae-byeok in the smash-hit survival drama series Squid Game. She's currently starring in the psychological thriller miniseries Disclaimer and will be seen next in the upcoming sci-fi thriller flick Hope. We can't wait to see her bring her talent to The Hole.

The Hole is based on Hye-young Pyun's 2017 book of the same name. I Saw The Devil director Kim Jee-woon is signed on to direct the film from a script written by Christopher Chen. Production will reportedly start sometime in Q1/Q2 2025. In addition, scenes will be shot both in the U.S. and South Korea.

The thriller revolves around Owen,...

Korean actor Hoyeon is joining Theo James in Kim Jee-woon’s The Hole thriller.

The indie follows Owen, played by James, as a successful professor living in South Korea and bedridden after a devastating car accident killed his wife, Sandy (Hoyeon). Owen is cared for by Yuna, his Korean mother-in-law, who starts to unravel the truth behind Owen and Sandy’s marriage, only to threaten his road to recovery.

Hoyeon made her acting debut in the first season of Netflix’s Squid Game series, and also appears in Alfonso Cuarón’s psychological thriller Disclaimer for Apple TV+. Hoyeon also has an upcoming starring role in Na Hong-jin’s Hope, opposite Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender.

The Veterans is shopping the international rights to The Hole starting at AFM this week, while CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group are representing the U.S. rights. Sam Esmail, Chad Hamilton and...

Theo James (The Monkey) is set to star in The Hole, a new thriller based on Hye-young Pyun‘s 2017 Shirley Jackson award-winning novel of the same name. Variety reports that the actor will be joined by “Squid Game” breakout star Hoyeon.

Also attached is I Saw the Devil director Kim Jee-woon.

James stars as “Owen, a successful professor living abroad in South Korea, who is bedridden after a devastating car accident that killed his wife, Sandy. He is left under the care of Yuna, his Korean mother-in-law, but when she starts to unravel the devastating truth behind Owen and Sandy’s marriage, and Owen himself, his road to recovery is threatened.”

Hoyeon will play Owen’s wife Sandy. Hoyeon, also known as Jung Ho-yeon, is a South Korean model and an actress who made her acting debut on Netflix’s popular “Squid Game” series as the breakout character Kang Sae-byeok.

Adam Driver, Jeremy Strong and Anne Hathaway will star for James Gray in the crime drama Paper Tiger, which The Veterans is introducing to buyers at AFM next week.

Leone Film Group will fully finance the project, with Raffaella Leone producing alongside Rodrigo Teixeira under his Rt Features.The Veterans represents international sales and CAA Media Finance handles US rights.

Principal photography is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2025 on the story of two brothers pursuing the American Dream who get involved in a scheme that turns out to be too good to be true.

As they try...

While Tarsem Singh is currently enjoying the The Fall, Distribution Woes, and the Next Chapter”>recent restoration of his cult classic The Fall, he’s still seeking distribution for his last film Dear Jassi. In the meantime, he’s moving on to his next project, set to begin shooting next year. Deadline reports he’ll direct Dev Patel in The Journeyman, a crime thriller scripted by the husband-and-wife duo of Bryan and Alexis Roberts, aka The Roberts. The film will tell the “story of a struggling pro tennis player who is lured into an illegal match-fixing ring to support his family and finds himself trapped in a ruthless world of corruption and violence he may never escape.”

In a small update, Julia Ducournau is in production on her mysterious Titane follow-up Alpha and a report from France gives a few more details, noting the title is the name of the female main character,...

There’s a new film called The Hole coming our way from South Korean director Kim Jee-woon, and a press release has revealed that Theo James of The Gentlemen, the Divergent films, and the upcoming Osgood Perkins / Stephen King movie The Monkey is set to star in it. James will be taking on the role of Owen, a successful professor living abroad in South Korea, who is bedridden after a devastating car accident that killed his wife, Sandy. He is left under the care of Yuna, his Korean mother-in-law — but when she starts to unravel the devastating truth behind Owen and Sandy’s marriage, and Owen himself, his road to recovery is threatened.

Scripted by Christopher Chen, The Hole is based on the 2017 Shirley Jackson Award winning novel of the same name by Hye-young Pyun. This adaptation is being produced by Esmail Corp, K Period Media, and Anthology Studios. The...

Amazingly talented actor Theo James is taking on project after project, and we're so happy about this! We'll see him next in the upcoming supernatural horror film The Monkey, which is set to hit theaters in February 2025. Now, we've just learned that he'll be in a new thriller titled The Hole. Below, we have shared everything that we know about this film.

The Hole is based on the 2017 psychological thriller novel of the same name by Hye-young Pyun. This book went on to win the 2017 Shirley Jackson Award and was even praised by Time magazine, with the magazine calling it one of the top thrillers to read that summer.

Prominent South Korean filmmaker Kim Jee-woon, who is best known for helming the revenge thriller I Saw The Devil, is signed on to direct this film adaptation. He's also known for being behind the psychological horror film A Tale of Two Sisters...

Theo James, horror movie regular? That looks to be the latest trend for the British actor, as he’ll follow up starring in Oz Perkins‘ “The Monkey” with Korean director Kim Jee-woon‘s latest genre venture, “The Hole.”

Read More: 2024 Fall Film Preview: 50 Movies To Watch

Based on Hye-young Pyun‘s Shirley Jackson Award-winning 2017 novel, “The Hole” stars James as Owen, a professor living abroad in South Korea, bedridden after a car accident that killed his wife, Sandy.

Continue reading ‘The Hole’: Theo James To Star In Korean Director Kim Jee-Woon’s Return To Horror Genre at The Playlist.

Theo James (The Monkey) is set to star in The Hole, a new thriller based on Hye-young Pyun‘s 2017 Shirley Jackson award-winning novel of the same name. Also attached is I Saw the Devil director Kim Jee-woon, Deadline reports today.

James stars as ” Owen, a successful professor living abroad in South Korea, who is bedridden after a devastating car accident that killed his wife, Sandy. He is left under the care of Yuna, his Korean mother-in-law, but when she starts to unravel the devastating truth behind Owen and Sandy’s marriage, and Owen himself, his road to recovery is threatened.”

The story takes place in the U.S. and Korea and will feature a combination of English and Korean language. Principal photography is expected to begin in the first half of 2025.

Hye-young Pyun’s novel captures the horrors of isolation, neglect, and loneliness, so expect a more psychological thriller. Of course,...

Exclusive: Theo James (The Gentleman) is set to star in The Hole, directed by Kim Jee-woon (I Saw The Devil) and written by Christopher Chen based on the 2017 Shirley Jackson award-winning novel of the same name by Hye-young Pyun.

Esmail Corp (Leave the World Behind), K Period Media (Manchester by the Sea), and Anthology Studios (Cobweb) are producing. The Veterans is representing international sales rights and is launching the project to buyers at AFM next week. CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group are co-repping U.S. rights.

The Hole follows Owen (James), a successful professor living abroad in South Korea, who is bedridden after a devastating car accident that killed his wife, Sandy. He is left under the care of Yuna, his Korean mother-in-law, but when she starts to unravel the devastating truth behind Owen and Sandy’s marriage, and Owen himself, his road to recovery is threatened.

When it comes to films based on the ‘two sisters’ premise, few can rival Kim Jee-Woon’s 2003 masterpiece, “A Tale of Two Sisters.” Regardless of genre, it remains a cinematic landmark. Enter “Do Patti” (2024), Netflix’s latest release led and produced by Kriti Sanon, and starring Kajol alongside beloved television star Shaheer Sheikh. While the film’s success or critical reception is a topic for another day, our focus here is its narrative. Here we will be exploring how domestic violence escalates into tragic consequences and what actions Saumya and Shailee take to end it.

Spoilers Ahead

Do Patti (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:

“Do Patti” opens with a harrowing paragliding accident, where a couple is precariously stranded on a bridge, entangled in the parachute canopy. The police arrive swiftly, led by Officer Vidya Jyoti, to rescue them. Once safe, Saumya, the wife, reveals a startling accusation. She claims her husband,...

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After launching into the overcrowded streaming industry, Apple TV+ has surprised everyone by giving the audience one brilliant series after another and most of the original shows by Apple TV+ are of the sci-fi genre. From the brilliant For All Mankind, which came out in the early days of Apple TV+ to its most recent sci-fi series Dark Matter, these Apple TV+ shows have garnered a huge amount of fan base. So, we thought of compiling a list of the best sci-fi you can watch on Apple TV+ right now.

For All Mankind Credit – Apple TV+

For All Mankind is an alternate history sci-fi drama series created by Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi. The Apple TV+ series is set in an alternate history where the United States lost the global space race and it also...

In any movie, an effective plot twist is so much more than a last-minute reveal. To truly blow a viewer's mind, a filmmaker has to lay the tracks for the surprise to feel not only satisfying but earned. Although "It was all a dream" may have stunned audiences the first time around, the twists that stand the test of time are supported by the many plot points that led to it.

The best in cinematic misdirection shows that while audiences want to be one step ahead of the main character, it can be even more enriching to be shocked and put all the puzzle pieces together at the end. Those puzzle pieces, however subtle or obvious, make watching a great twist movie an experience to take in again and again.

A Tale of Two Sisters Executes a Now-Overused Plot Point With Grace

Kim Jee-woon's A Tale of Two Sisters...

South Korea has redefined the action genre over the past twenty-five years. Park Chan Wook's Oldboy exploded the revenge thriller paradigm forever, offering one of cinema's greatest twist endings. Kim Jee-woon's The Good the Bad The Weird showed audiences a modern Western they could never have dreamed of, and Yeon Sang-ho's Train to Busan perfected the balanced chemistry of exquisite action set pieces, blood-curdling horror, and tear-inducing character drama. Now it's the cop drama's turn for South Korean reinvention as Ryoo Seung-Wan's sequel to Veteran, I, the Executioner, enjoys its world premiere at this year's Toronto International Film Festival.

Park Hoon-jung, an in-demand director of action-noir films, will begin production this month on “Tristes Tropiques.” The picture will be launched to distributors on the sidelines of the Toronto International Film Festival by Finecut, which is to handle sales rights.

The film follows a group of young assassins affiliated with the Tristes Tropiques organization, which specializes in jungle warfare and is under the absolute rule of Master.

The production will be located in Thailand and run from September to December. Finecut reports that it will boast an international cast adept at diverse styles of action, but it offers no details of either the Korean or foreign elements.

“Tristes Tropiques” is produced by director Park’s own production company, Gold Moon Film and is co-produced by Mindmark, a content IP company owned by the Shinsegae department stores and duty-free shopping group. Its recent slate also includes “A Normal Family,” “Victory,” “Love Reset” and “Honey Sweet.

Seoul-based Finecut has boarded Tristes Tropiques, an upcoming action film by Korean director Park Hoon-jung.

Tristes Tropiques will be Park’s fourth film under Finecut, following New World (2013), V.I.P (2017) and The Witch: Part 1 The Subversion (2018).

Park’s latest film follows a group of young assassins affiliated with the organization “Tristes Tropiques,” trained by the tropical rainforest’s absolute ruler called “Master.” As they grapple with distrust, they vow to exact bloody revenge.

The film is set to begin shooting in Thailand in September and is expected to wrap by December.

Finecut added that Tristes Tropiques will feature a multi-national cast.

Park started his career as a writer, penning Ryoo Seung-wan’s The Unjust (2010) and winning the Best Screenplay award for his work on the film at the 15th Fantasia International Film Festival. Park also wrote the screenplay for Kim Jee-woon’s I Saw The Devil (2010).

Park made his debut...

Alain Delon influenced Asian actors and directors, including Hong Kong directors John Woo (The Killer) and Johnnie To. These filmmakers admired Alain Delon when he played gangsters in Melville’s films.

Johnnie To wanted to work with Alain Delon. He offered him the lead role of Vengeance, that of Francis Costello in 1967, as an allusion to Jeff Costello in Le Samouraï, which was played by Alain Delon. After Alain Delon refused, Johnny Hallyday was chosen by Johnnie To. Vengeance made its international premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on 17 May 2009. It is screened at the Festival International des Cinémas d’Asie in Vesoul as part of a retrospective devoted to Asian films.

In the comedy You Shoot, I Shoot by Hong Kong director Pang Ho-Cheung, actor Eric Kot plays a hired gun who identified himself as Jef Costello. He dresses like him and talks to him through a poster of...

U.K.-based sales and distribution company Blue Finch Films has secured worldwide rights to “Zero,” an action thriller directed by Jean Luc Herbulot, known for his 2021 TIFF Midnight Madness selection “Saloum.”

The film has been selected for Sitges Film Festival’s first wave, with additional festival announcements expected.

“Zero” follows two Americans who awaken in Senegal with explosive devices attached to their bodies and a 10-hour deadline to uncover the reason. Guided by a mysterious voice on the phone, they must complete a series of tasks that inadvertently cause chaos in Dakar. Against a backdrop of growing anti-Western sentiment, the protagonists race against time for survival and redemption.

The screenplay was co-written by Herbulot and Hus Miller, with Miller also producing alongside Paméla Diop, Steven Adams and Gary Dourdan. The cast includes Miller, Cam McHarg, Moran Rosenblatt, Roger Sallah and Dourdan.

Herbulot said: “I have always admired Sergio Leone’s Westerns,...

For fans of the Western movie genre, nothing captivates like a good story against rugged landscapes, the silhouette of a lone cowboy fighting off a posse, epic saloon brawls, and bursts of thrilling gunfights. Now, picture such a Western that, in addition, is also fast-paced, stylish, modern, and with high stakes. That's what South Korean director Kim Jee-Woon offers with The Good, the Bad, the Weird, a 2008 genre-bending film inspired by Sergio Leone's 1966 Spaghetti Western The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Not just a Korean adaptation of Sergio Leone's classic, The Good, the Bad, the Weird is a testament to a story that has come full circle.

Considering that the Japanese industry produces around 600 movies every year, it is by no surprise that there are enough titles of quality to go around, as the plethora of Japanese-specific festivals around the world highlights. Toronto Japanese Film Festival highlights the fact with a very interesting collection of both known titles and ‘hidden gems”, which showcase the variety of the country's cinema. From this year's selection, Eiji Uchida's latest endeavor, “Matched”, Yoshiyuki Kishi's “(Ab)normal Desire” and “Stay Mum” were the ones that stand out.

Check our whole coverage in the list and click on the titles to read the full reviews.

1. All the Long Nights (2024) by Sho Miyake 2. Matched (2024) by Eiji Uchida

Furthermore, what is going to happen is clear from a mile away, with the twist being as cliched as it could be. However, and the however is quite big here, the way the story ends...

During recent years, an effort in the Japanese movie industry to come up with action movies of quality have become quite intense, with films like “Baby Assassin” and “The Fable” being some of the most notable. Isao Yukisada attempts his hand in probably the entry with the biggest budget in the category, with “Revolver Lily” also implementing the current favorite of ‘girls-with-guns' trope.

Revolver Lily is screening at Toronto Japanese Film Festival

The story is based on the homonymous novel by Kyo Nagaura, and takes place in 1924. Yuri, an ex-assassin who seems to have carried out 57 assassinations in the past, has now gone underground and runs a small bar in Tokyo. While there, she stumbles upon Shinta, an orphan whose family has been murdered, and his father has employed him to find her, just before he died. The teenage boy seems to hold the key to a large sum of...

The 21st IndieLisboa International Film Festival will take place from 23rd May to 2nd June in Lisbon. The festival aims to address the gap in film distribution created by the dominance of mainstream productions. Each year, it attracts casual viewers and film professionals worldwide, offering them the chance to discover recent works by emerging talents and revisit films made by renowned directors.

IndieLisboa features 7 sections, with 4 of them being competitive. Additionally, it offers events for industry professionals, including workshops, masterclasses, debates, a script-writing lab, a film fund, a pitching forum, and screenings of works in progress. This year, apart from the retrospective of Palestinian artist Kamal Aljafari, the festival will present 12 short and 13 full-length films that are productions or co-productions of Asian countries.

A Traveler's Needs (2024) by Hong Sang-soo (National Premiere)

South Korea, 90'

The newest film of the prolific director had its world premiere at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival,...

Exclusive: Producers Esmail Corp (Mr. Robot) and K Period Media (Manchester By The Sea) are teaming up with Korean filmmaker Kim Jee-woon (The Age Of Shadows) on an English and Korean-language movie adaptation of novel The Hole.

Psychological thriller The Hole by Korean author Hye-Young Pyun charts the story of Ogi who wakes from a coma after causing a major car accident that took his wife’s life and left him paralyzed. His caretaker is his mother-in-law, a widow grieving the loss of her only child. Ogi is neglected and left alone in his bed but soon notices his mother-in-law in their abandoned garden, uprooting what his wife had worked so hard to plant, and obsessively digging larger and larger holes. When asked, she answers only that she is finishing what her daughter started. As he tries to escape, Ogi discovers more about his wife and his own role in...

Of the countless films heavily inspired by Sergio Leone's untouchable and game-changing The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, only one feels genuinely like its stylistic continuation: Kim Jee-woon's delightfully batsh*t Korean Western, The Good, the Bad, the Weird. Kim's film shares more with Leone's Western masterpiece than just its title. When broken down, the narrative and thematic overlap between the two films are innumerable to ignore. Rather than craft a direct remake of the pivotal 1960s Western, Kim essentially builds a new picture from the ground up, using many of the same materials, but ultimately ignoring the blueprint. The end result is a fascinating romp through a blood-drenched Manchuria, a bizarre journey for a secret stash of gold filled with elaborate action sequences and no shortage of suave Western-style bravado. The film is one that audiences cannot miss after having been touted as "serious fun...