2019.8.15 Now Playing

Warning: Do Not Play (15)
Horror, Mystery/ 86/ Korean/ Aug. 15

A rookie director named Mi-jung has been preparing for her debut horror film for eight years when she hears about a horror film that was banned from being screened due to its excessive brutality.

Curious to find out more about the film, she tracks down the director Jae-hyun, who is currently hospitalized due to the trauma of making the film.

Jae-hyun warns her to “forget about the movie if you don’t want to lead a life more terrible than death,” but Mi-jung’s obsession to see her film get made builds up to the point where it seems she’s gone mad.

Actors Seo Yae-ji and Jin Sun-kyu star as Mi-jung and Jae-hyun. Jin rose to stardom for his role in “The Outlaws” (2017) and starred in the blockbuster “Extreme Job” earlier this year. Seo became well-known to the public through the OCN drama series “Save Me” (2017).

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (12)
Action/ 136/ English/ Aug. 14

Unlikely allies team up to save the world- again: Meet veteran cop and spy agent Luke Hobbs who himself has saved the world four times and Deckard Shaw, a former elite spy agent fired for anger management issues.

In this spin-off, Hobbs and Shaw are forced to work together to fight a terrorist organization that is planning on releasing a fatal virus to wipe off humanity from the face of the earth. Things get even more complicated when Shaw’s sister Hattie Shaw - also a spy agent - injects herself with the virus to become the dormant carrier.

The trio must now find the extraction device that will safely destroy the virus, all to be accomplished while keeping the terrorists at bay. If it fails, Hattie will have to be killed or else the lives of millions will perish.

Actors Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham return to the film to resume their roles, while Vanessa Kirby takes on the role of Hattie Shaw. She was previously in “Mission Impossible- Fallout” (2018).

Wonder Park (All)
Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family/ 85/ English/ Aug. 14

June Bailey and her mother conjure up the story of Wonderland together, a magical amusement park run by a group of talking animals.

June eventually loses her enthusiasm for the park when she becomes separated from her mother, who becomes sick and is sent away for treatment. As time passes, she forgets about the amusement park.

One day, June becomes lost and stumbles upon a rusty, alienated amusement park, which incredibly is her own Wonderland, the very one that she had built in her imagination with her mother.

She has a joyful reunion with the group of talking animals, but finds out that the park is no longer being run due to a cloud of “Darkness” that looms over the area. Can she and her animal friends get rid of the Darkness and fix her beloved park?

Actors Ken Jeong, Mila Kunis, John Oliver, Jennifer Garner and Matthew Broderick provide their voices for the animated film.

My Name is Kim Bok-dong (12)
Documentary/ 101/ Korean/ Aug. 8

Kim Bok-dong, a victim of the comfort women system under Japanese colonialism (1910-1945), fought for 27 years to get an apology from the Japanese government.

The film probes into how Kim felt when she talks about her experiences and how Kim calmly, but persistently, spoke out against the Japanese government.

Kim always emphasized that her activities was for future generations, so that they would never have to face or experience the pain that she went through.

Kim was a feminist who began speaking out in 1992 and continued to do so until she died in January 2019.

The film is narrated by actor Han Ji-min.

Bring the Soul: The Movie (All)
Documentary/ 103/ Korean/ Aug. 7

With stops in Korea, North America and Europe, K-pop stars BTS spent the spring touring the world, wrapping up with a show in Paris in June. This film follows the group as they perform in large stadiums in front of crowds they could have only dreamed of.

The day after their tour finishes, the group meets up at a small rooftop restaurant, reflects on the tour and congratulates themselves for their success.

The documentary covers the septet’s lives on tour and behind-the-stage moments for fans wanting to see more.

The Battle: Roar to Victory (15)
Action, Drama/ 135/ Korean/ Aug. 7

There’s only one mission for the Korean Independence Army after the Independence movement begins on March 1, 1919: bring Japanese soldiers out to the so-called valley of death, or “Bongo-dong.”

Although they lack both numbers and the latest weapons, the army still believes in the shimmer of hope that they might be able to win in the battle against Japanese forces in Manchuria, China, if they use the land to their advantage.

Over a four-day period, a fierce battle takes place between Korean independence militias and Japanese soldiers. The militia includes Hwang Hae-Cheol, a master swordsman, and Lee Jang-Ha, an expert marksman.

The film is based on the Bongo-dong battle in June 1920, which was the first recorded victory by the Independence Army.

The cast includes actor Yoo Hai-jin as Hwang and Ryu Jun-yeol as Lee. Japanese actor Kazuki Kitamura plays the fearsome leader of the Japanese forces determined to defeat the Independence Army.

Exit (12)
Action, Comedy/ 103/ Korean/ July 31

Yong-nam may have been a popular member of the alpine club in his college years, but now he remains in exile from his friends and his family as a jobless failure. For years he has been unsuccessful at getting employed and believes that his life is a disaster.

At his mother’s 70th birthday party, he meets his longtime crush Ui-ju at the banquet hall where she is employed. After a brief moment of awkwardness, a mysterious fog suddenly creeps into the city and, in the blink of an eye, envelops everything.

However, the fog turns out to be poisonous gas that leaves people unable to breathe.

Although Yong-nam and Ui-ju manage to get his family to safety, they are left to survive on their own.

Yong-nam and Ui-ju muster up all the skills they learned from their college club to escape the building and get to safety.

Actors Cho Jung-seok and Lim Yoon-a star as Yong-nam and Ui-ju. Cho has appeared in several dramas, most recently “Nokdu Flower” (2019) on SBS. Lim is a singer-turned-actor who briefly appeared in “Confidential Assignment” (2016).

The Divine Fury (15)
Mystery, Action, Fantasy, Horror/ 129/ Korean/ July 31

Yong-hoo is a UFC champion with a bitter past. His father was a cop who died during one of his shifts. Although the young Yong-hoo prayed desperately for his father to survive, he eventually died. After the traumatic incident, Yong-hoo grows up to resent God and religion.

But one day, out of nowhere, a wound suddenly appears on his hands. He starts having nightmares that leave him waking up covered in sweat. Unable to sleep and his wound showing no signs of healing, he visits a hospital, but to no avail. Getting desperate, he seeks advice from his manager and visits an exorcist, priest Ahn, for the first time.

His encounters with Ahn leave Yong-hoo more curious about what the priest does, and he starts to assist Ahn in his work to expel evil spirits. But the two discover that there is a bigger evil lurking around the corner, waiting for them to find it.

Actors Park Seo-jun and Ahn Sung-ki play the lead roles, while Woo Do-hwan makes his film debut as the ultimate evil spirit “The Black Bishop.”