Horror, Comedy, Modern History: New Films Follow Box Office Success of 'The Man Who Lives With the King'

A warm breeze is blowing through Korean cinemas thanks to the phenomenon of "The Man Who Lives With the King," and three new films spanning horror, comic crime, and historical drama are now heading to audiences. The horror film "Salmokji" features the distinctive subject of a water ghost, a staple genre for the off-season. The film follows PD Su-in (Kim Hye-yoon), Ki-tae (Lee Jong-won), and others from a road view (street view) service team as they enter a reservoir shrouded in eerie rumors. Unidentified figures that were never filmed appear on screen, and colleagues who try to investigate them vanish one by one in a breathtaking sequence. The filmmakers shot scenes of skipping stones and mysterious figures with a 360-degree panoramic camera, creating distorted images that deliver genuine terror. Kim Hye-yoon, who established herself as a "rom-com queen" through works such as "Lovely Runner," takes on the challenge of becoming a "horror queen" with this film. "The shocking images and sounds of the water ghost will deliver tremendous fear," Kim said. "I hope audiences experience the terror of Salmokji in theaters — once you enter, you can't escape." Lee Jong-won, who has risen as a leading actor through "The Midnight Romance in Hagwon" and "A Drunken Romance," also attempted a transformation in his acting. "This is a film with an extreme fear factor," he said. "After watching it, your trapezius muscles and back will be stiff." Showbox, which has produced consecutive hits with "What If We" and "The Man Who Lives With the King," handles distribution. The film opens on May 8. The film "My Name Is," starring Yeom Hye-ran, is expected to deliver a weighty resonance by dealing with the Jeju April 3 Incident. Yeom gained attention as "the nation's mom" after appearing in the Netflix original "No Surprises Here" last year. Set in 1998, the film tells the story of 18-year-old Young-ok (Shin Woo-bin), who has a complex about his old-fashioned name, and his mother Jeong-sun (Yeom Hye-ran), who seeks to recover painful memories of 1949 Jeju that she buried for nearly 50 years. Critics say the film broadened its appeal by focusing on state violence rather than dwelling on ideological issues. Director Jeong Ji-young said, "Through the protagonist Jeong-sun, I traced the history of violence that runs through our modern history — from Gwangju to the Vietnam War and the Jeju April 3 Incident." The film has received acclaim from international critics, earning invitations to the Forum section of the Berlin International Film Festival and the main competition section of the Udine Far East Film Festival. In particular, with works dealing with the April 3 Incident gaining attention recently — including author Han Kang's "We Do Not Part" winning the National Book Critics Circle Award — the film's box office prospects look positive. It opens on May 15. The comic detective buddy film "The Final Investigation" is finally meeting audiences after a seven-year delay caused by lead actor Bae Sung-woo's drunk driving controversy. The film comically unfolds the misadventures of detective Jae-hyuk (Bae Sung-woo), who has been demoted to a rural police station, and rookie Jung-ho (Jung Ga-ram) as they pair up to solve a cold murder case. Another draw is the film's realism, as it drew its idea from an actual Japanese case. "The overall design may be conventional, but there are variations, and the case itself is unique," Bae said. "I was worried because the release was delayed because of me, but it has been edited more tightly than before, so it should be easier to watch."

Horror, Comedy, Modern History: New Films Follow Box Office Success of 'The Man Who Lives With the King'

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