2018.3.28 Now Playing
Horror, mystery / 94 / Korean / March 28
This horror film depicts a group of seven people going on an adventure to the Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital, an insane asylum, and filming their experience along the way. The person in charge is Ha-jun (Wi Ha-jun), a vlogger who runs the YouTube channel “Horror Times.”
While the six others are sent off into the hospital, each carrying a camera, he stays behind, guiding them as they traverse through the abandoned building.
The three women and three men are eager to complete their mission of filming the detailed interiors of this building. The team’s final destination is room 402, which, according to rumors, nobody has even been able to enter.
What started off as a playful dare later causes the whole team to panic, creating fear and chaos. However, Ha-jun insists that they continue with their mission so that he can get more viewers and make more money.
This film is directed by Jung Bum-shik, who is well-known for his horror films such as the 2007 hit “Epitaph.”
Most of the scenes were filmed by the actors themselves, giving viewers a unique first-person, unpolished perspective throughout the movie.
Will each of those who went into the hospital be able to make it out safely?
Action, SF, adventure / 140 / English / March 28
Set in 2045, iconic director Steven Spielberg’s latest production is centered on Oasis, an expansive virtual reality world.
Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) is a teenager living in Oklahoma City. For him, Oasis is the only place on Earth that people can escape reality by entering this massive virtual world of imagination.
So when the creator James Halliday (Mark Rylance) dies, the world goes into chaos. Halliday, whose user name is Anorak, announces that he will bestow half a trillion dollars and total control of Oasis itself to the user who finds his hidden digital Easter egg. Known as the world’s most important economic resource, the once-peaceful Oasis gets out of control due to the competition among its users.
Wade eagerly joins this treasure hunt under the user name of Parzival. Throughout this quest, he works with his group of friends, High-Five, to save both Oasis and the real world. This film is a love letter to popular culture of the 1980’s and is based on Ernest Cline’s 2011 bestseller of the same name.
Seven Years of Night (15)
Thriller, drama /123 / English / March 28
Yeong-jae (Jang Dong-gun) is infuriated after his daughter Se-ryeong is found dead in a lake. Hyun-su (Ryu Seung-ryong) accidentally hits Se-ryeong with his car after she suddenly jumps out into the street from nowhere. Although flustered, Hyun-su ultimately makes the wrong decision of throwing the girl’s body into a nearby lake.
Yeong-jae was not a warm-hearted father, but he still feels enraged by his daughter’s death. He is determined to seek revenge on Hyun-su, by inflicting the same pain onto him. He has a son who is the same age as Se-ryeong.
Hyun-su tries to do everything that he can to protect his son, who has become Yeong-jae’s target of revenge and Yeong-jae will do anything he can to kill Hyun-su’s son.
This film is an adaptation of writer Jeong Yu-jeong’s best-selling novel of the same name.
Drama / 120 / English / March 28
This biblical film centers on the life of Mary Magdalene (Rooney Mara), Jesus’ only female disciple, and how she finds a new way of life after meeting Jesus (Joaquin Phoenix). Set in the Holy Land in the first century, it also tells the story of Jesus from Mary’s perspective.
Mary is portrayed as defying her family by refusing to marry the partner her family chooses for her.
Shunned by her family for her bold decision, she leaves her small fishing village and family behind to join Jesus’ social and religious movement. Initially, she faces opposition from the other disciples because she is a woman and was previously possessed by a demon.
Despite being a figure of controversy, Mary shows dedication to Jesus. She also portrays how difficult it is for a woman to stand alone, without any help from her family.
Ultimately, Mary becomes the “witness” of Jesus’ fall and rise. As much as she loves and reveres him, she must be able to “let go” of him.
Drama / 99 / English / March 28
This film touches upon the lives of a widower Bill Palet (J.K. Simmons) and his 17-year-old son Wes (Josh Wiggins), as they move from their small hometown to the big city of Los Angeles.
Due to the loss of Mrs. Palet, Bill and Wes struggle to overcome her missing presence. Bill feels hollow, grieving the sudden absence of his wife. Wes takes it better than Bill, adjusting to his new school and routine.
Wes meets Lacy Westman (Odeya Rush), a charming, strong yet shy girl, while Bill meets Carine (Julie Delpy), a kind, beautiful French professor who also shares a sad past. While both bachelors are intimidated with their new loves, their relationship becomes estranged.
This film focuses on how the Palet family transforms as both embrace their new lives and move on after a huge loss.
Documentary, drama / 95 / Korean / March 29
Teamwork is sometimes followed by conflict and disputes within members of the team. This inner-turmoil is a main focus of the documentary “Into the Night,” where the band members of The Monotones are unafraid to show their frustrations towards each other. The Monotones debuted in 2015 as a rock band with their first album, “Into the Night.”
Leader Cha Seung-u, an energetic musician, faces difficulty trying to lead his fellow band members, Park Hyeon-jun and Choi Uk-no. Each member carries a distinct personality, contributing their unique personality into the music. Despite their hard efforts and constant desire to perform better, things do not go well for them.
Vocalist Kim Se-yeong decides to quit the band due to their unclear and unstable future, while another member comes to practice hungover. Missing a singer, the band tries their best to find a new one.
This documentary gives a look into the emotions of the band members, realistically portraying the daily lives of bands that have yet to become popular.
Drama, romance / 132 / Italian / March 22
Love blossoms between 17-year-old student Elio (Timothee Chalamet) and his father’s 24-year-old research assistant, Oliver (Armie Hammer). Before they meet, Elio is busy spending his summer playing classical music, reading and flirting with his friend Marzia (Esther Garrel). He is loved by his father (Michael Stuhlbarg), a professor of Greco-Roman culture, and his mother Annella (Amira Casar), a translator. Oliver, an American student, comes to work for Elio’s father as a summer research assistant.
This movie takes place in Italy in the 1980’s, when love between two men was viewed as taboo. The two characters get along and eventually realize their feelings for one another. Are these two lovers able to sustain their relationship? The film has numerous awards, including the award for best adapted screenplay at the Academy Awards.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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