Korean cinema is having a pretty good year. For the first time in its history, the Cannes Film Festival awarded the prestigious Palme d’Or to Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite. That film, along with almost two dozen others, will form the backbone of the 10th anniversary of the Korean Film Festival in Australia (KOFFIA).
Throughout August and September, KOFFIA will screen in Sydney (22-31 August), Canberra (22-25 August), Brisbane (5-8 September) and Melbourne (5-12 September). Along with our picks below, there’s a few that we’ve already loved in cinemas this year including thriller The Spy Gone North, the action packed Extreme Job, and the historical epic The Great Battle. There’s also a Bong Joon-ho retrospective which you should most definitely check out.
The Reel Bits has long been a supporter of KOFFIA, having previously served as a media partner. We will continue to cover the festival as part of our Asia in Focus stream this year. For now, here’s 7 films we reckon you shouldn’t miss at this year’s festival. You can find the full program and purchase tickets from the official site at koffia.com.au.
Parasite (기생충)
Bong Joon-ho draws on his considerable talents to explore the divide between rich and poor. A film you’ll be digesting for a while, before planning to see it again. But you know what they say about plans… Read our full review.
Another Child (미성년)
A coming of age film about two teenage classmates who unite when they discover an affair between their parents. A quietly emotional film that relies on the performances of its two young leads. The directorial debut of actor Kim Yun-Seok (1987: When The Day Comes, Dark Figure of Crime – among many others), it’s got some beautiful visuals as well.
The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil (악인전)
Director/writer Lee Won-Tae follows up his 2017 period piece Man of Will with this sharply contemporary thriller. A slick cat-and-mouse film with enough twists, cool set pieces, and solid performances to make it better than the average bear. Read our full review.
The Odd Family: Zombie On Sale (기묘한 가족)
As the title would imply, this is a zombie film about a deeply odd family. A fresh, albeit chaotic, take on the zom com genre, with enough points of difference from Rampart or Train to Busan to keep us chuckling (or at least laughing) for the duration.
Hotel by the River (강변호텔)
It’s a legal tradition that a Hong Sang-soo film is included annually on the program of any Australian film festival. For good reason too: the filmmaker has made a self-sustaining industry of quiet gems that speak not only to his own experiences but wink at a knowing film savvy audience. This one is about an ageing poet in the titular hotel by the Han.
Extreme Job (극한직업)
This action comedy was one of the biggest box office successes of the year in Korea, following a group of cops that go undercover by starting a chicken restaurant to bust a drug ring, but soon become famous for their food. It sounds a little but like Hong Kong’s Lobster Cop, but with a less deceptive title.
Underdog (언더독)
We don’t often get to see a lot of Korean animation outside of the country, but Oh Seong-yun delivers his long-awaited follow-up to Leafie, A Hen into the Wild. Featuring the voices of Do Kyung-soo (Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days) Park Cheol-min (Inseparable Bros, KOFFIA 2019), and Park So-dam (Parasite), here’s a festival film where you can take the whole family.
