Even Kim Soo Hyun and Lee Jong Suk failed to save these disappointing films.
A star-studded cast does not always guarantee the success of a production if the plot and acting fall short of expectations. The following 3 Korean movies and a drama are examples. Not only do they draw poor reviews from critics, not many viewers are fans of these productions either.
1. Real
Not only is Real the lowest rated movie of Kim Soo Hyun‘s outstanding acting career, it is also considered one of the worst Korean films in history. Despite having a huge budget of up to 11.5 billion won, Real was a disappointment to the audience.
2. V.I.P.
Featuring a star-studded cast including Jang Dong Gun, Kim Myung Min, Park Hee Soon and Lee Jong Suk, V.I.P was one of the most anticipated movies of 2017. However, contrary to expectations, V.I.P. ended up getting criticized for misogynistic depiction of female characters and abusing scenes of violence against women. The movie also faced the public’s outrage by hiring 9 rookie actresses just to play dead bodies.
3. Sisyphus: The Myth
Sisyphus: The Myth is not only the most invested drama of JTBC with a massive budget of 22 million USD, but also stars the duo of rating guarantees, Park Shin Hye and Jo Seung Woo. However, Sisyphus: The Myth flopped hard and was labeled one of the worst K-dramas of 2021. This failure can be explained by underwhelming script, weak supporting characters and poorly done CGI. Everything does not live up to the huge budget announced by JTBC. Moreover, Park Shin Hye‘s acting also came under mixed reviews.
4. Illang: The Wolf Brigade
Adapted from the anime Jin-Roh, the sci-fi movie Illang: The Wolf Brigade was expected to become a box office hit of Korean cinema. However, the film only recorded 897,000 admissions and was pulled from theaters after only three weeks. This is a sad result for a production by a famous director like Kim Jee Woon and two A-list actors, Kang Dong Won and Han Hyo Joo.
