These 8 Korean movies carefully interweave comedy with humane messages that resonate strongly and deeply with viewers.
6/45
“6/45” tells the story of the North and South Korean military forces vying for a lottery ticket. It is an entertaining story with ecomedic moments that create moments of relief while connecting strongly with the background of the movie and the characters’ personalities. The comedy itself is presented through different types of forms..
The movie goes beyond the competition over a lottery ticket to explore more lofty concepts of freedom, peace, and the natural affinity between humans if they have a chance to know each other.
Midnight Runners
“Midnight Runners” follows two students of the Korean National Police University named Gi Jun (Park Seo Joon) and Hee Yeol (Kang Ha Neul) who form an unlikely duo despite their polar-opposite personalities to rescue a girl on Christmas. However, it only opens up a more heinous crime underneath.
The movie deals with the deep-rooted discriminatory views in Korea when the police force only protects the rights of the rich and follows a rigid set of rules. Through comedic moments and an action-packed saga, the movie conveys a powerful message worth pondering about. By uncovering what is taken as the norms, “Midnight Runners” is highly acclaimed by the critics and is a box-office success.
Exit
“Exit” starring Yoona and Jo Jung Suk was a box-office smash hit with 10 million ticket sales, just after “Parasite.” It also has the highest pre-order tickets in Korea, surpassing “Train To Busan.” The movie brought Yoona numerous prestigious awards.
“Exit” is a natural disaster-themed movie with a slight twist. It is set in a family of many generations, centering on two flawed young people. Their stories and unexpected feelings were the selling points that piqued the viewers’ interest. The love line between Lee Yong Nam (Jo Jung Suk) and Eun Ju (YoonA) were naturally intertwined with the action and thriller elements. The movie takes viewers on a rollercoaster ride that goes from healing moments to nonstop comedy.
The Accidental Detective 2: In Action
“The Accidental Detective 2: In Action” is a buzzworthy drama garnering attention with the collaboration of Dae Man (Kwon Sang Woo), Tae Su (Sung Dong Il), and Lee Kwang Soo. The relentless chase and unexpected accidents during a crime-solving mission that might seem simple and uncomplicated at first but will gradually emerge as an ordeal to face. In the second instalment of the movie, the characters remain the same in their old situations and dorkiness, yet it presents a new deception that only reveals the truth until the last minutes of the movie, leaving the viewers jaw-dropped.
The movie carefully binds elements of comedy and crime-solving with reasonable runtime. The drew 2 million audiences in the first 12 days of opening, 5 times higher than the first instalment. It also the topped other comedy movies that hit theaters in 2018.
Miss and Mrs. Cops
“Miss and Mrs. Cops” follows a female police officer who has passed her prime after pregnancy leave, a sister-in-law who recently becomes a police officer, and a secretary who has a desk job by day and a hacker by night. They join forces to capture and round up criminals who deal drugs and take advantage of women.
“Miss and Mrs. Cops” approaches the subject with gentleness and humane messages without too many dramatics. The movie skillfully combines comedy with action and is able to elicit sympathy from viewers to its characters. The trio of Lee Sung Kyung, Soo Young, and Ra Mi Ran creat a strong chemistry that blew the audience away.
The Huntresses
“The Huntresses” gather three talented hunters named Jin Ok (Ha Ji Won), Hong Dan (Kang Ye Won), and Ga Bi (Son Ga In). They embody Joseon’s highly regarded values: smart, charming, cute, and witty. The three form an alliance to stop an elite group from overthrowing the Royal family.
“The Huntresses” surprises the audience with unexpected ways out of a pinch and presents clean action sequences, all thanks to the wonderful performances of Ha Ji Won.
Miss Granny
Instead of typical romantic movies or action-packed sequences hitting the big screen, “Miss Granny” is a movie that explores in-depth the emotions and moods of getting old. It is the story of Oh Man Soon (Na Moon Hee), a 70-year-old granny who finds herself in the body of a 20-year-old Oh Doo Ri (Shim Eum Kyung). The movie tells the story with humor but maintains fateful to the message it wants to convey.
Through many ironic situations, “Miss Granny” wants to send out a motivational message about following your dream in your youth and using the last moments of life to finish what has not been done.
“Miss Granny” was a box office hit in and out of Korea.
Confidential Assignment 2: International
“Confidential Assignment 2: International” follows up on the crime-solving journey of the North Korean officer Chul Ryung (Hyun Bin) and detective Jin Tae (Yoon Hae Jin) along with FBI Jack (Daniel Henney) to pursue and capture a drug dealer known as “Jang.” They join forces with a focus on one target, but are under the direction of their higher-ups, creating hilarious moments when it is a kind of “one man for himself” situation.
The movie gathers a stellar and visually stunning cast. It balances between viewers’ emotions and moving details implicated through the actions and expressions of the characters.
Source: k14
