'Revolver,' 'Twisters' and other films to see in cinemas

Movies

'Revolver,' 'Twisters' and other films to see in cinemas

Published: 08 Aug. 2024, 15:05 Updated: 08 Aug. 2024, 16:21

Still cut from film ″Revolver″ [PLUS M ENTERTAINMENT]

Revolver (15)
Crime, Thriller / 114 mins. / Korean / Aug. 7

They messed with the wrong woman.

Former police officer Ha Soo-young, played by Jeon Do-yeon, is out for revenge. Soo-young served time in prison instead of Andy, played by Ji Chang-wook, in exchange for a promised sum of money. After spending two years behind bars, she's now free. But the promised money is nowhere to be found, and Andy is unreachable. Everyone involved in the corruption case that landed her in prison has disappeared.

Soo-young no longer feels sorry for herself. She immediately sets out to retrieve the money. Then, a mysterious woman named Yoon-sun, played by Lim Ji-yeon, appears before her, offering help. With her trust shattered, what will Soo-young do?

"Revolver" marks director Oh Seung-uk's first film in nine years since the 2015 film "The Shameless." Jeon Do-yeon also starred in "The Shameless," earning the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Female Actor in the film category for her performance.

Still cut from film ″Twisters″ [UNIVERSAL PICTURES]

Twisters (12)

Disaster, Action / 122 mins. / English / Aug. 14

Don't run from the storm; dive into it.

Kate Carter, portrayed by Daisy Edgar-Jones, is a storm chaser investigating a tornado outbreak in Oklahoma, trying various ways to stop the storm using chemicals. The storm overwhelms her, resulting in the deaths of her boyfriend and two friends. Completely devastated, Carter abandons her efforts and leaves town.

Five years later, Carter is working as a meteorologist at a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration office in New York. She receives an opportunity to test a new tornado scanning system back in Oklahoma. She teams up with Tyler Owens, a popular YouTube storm chaser played by Glen Powell, for this perilous mission. Everything seems to be going smoothly until the nightmare from five years ago starts to look eerily familiar.

Directed by Lee Isaac Chung, "Twisters" is a standalone sequel to the 1996 disaster film "Twister." The film comes four years after Chung's last film, "Minari," in 2020. Chung also wrote an episode for the third season of the popular Star Wars franchise TV series "The Mandalorian" in 2023.

Still cut from film ″Pilot″ [LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT]

Pilot (12)

Comedy / 111 mins. / Korean / July 31

How does one survive a tanked career? With cross-dressing.

Life is extraordinary for Han Jung-Woo, played by Cho Jung-seok. He is the star pilot of an airline, well-respected by peers and juniors alike. His uniform fits him perfectly, and his winning smile is often captured by cameras. Jung-woo is flying high both figuratively and literally. But then it all comes crashing down when he loses his job.

Jung-woo can’t believe what has happened to him. He tries to get back up, trying different jobs in his field only to figure out that he has been blacklisted from the industry. He gives up on life until a wacky idea comes into his head. He decides to completely change his identity.

One day he uses the name of his sister, Han Jung-mi, played by Han Sun-hwa, on his resume to get a job. Not willing to let go, he puts on makeup, a dress and accessories to gain another chance at life.

“Pilot” is directed by Kim Han-gyul, who debuted in 2009 with the short film “A Perfect Sight.” She also directed other short films including "Chatter" (2010) and "Make Peace" (2015). Her first feature-length debut was with the 2015 film “Crazy Romance.”

Still cut from film ″Despicable Me 4″ [UNIVERSAL PICTURES]

Despicable Me 4 (ALL)

Animation / 94 mins. / English / July 24

The Minions are back and cuter than ever.

The Minions have dialed down the evil for this new film. The creatures are still eager to serve the will of their master Gru, voiced by Steve Carell, but Gru has decided to give up villainy and become virtuous. Now a proud member of the Anti-Villain League and a father of his kid, Gru Junior, the villain suits up to catch some bad guys with his Minions.

The bad guy in question is Gru’s old pal from high school, Maxime Le Mal, voiced by Will Ferrell. Maxime has been seeking revenge against Gru for a long time, for some reason. Gru really tries to live a new and good life, but his world comes crashing down around him. Will Gru be able to manage both his new occupation as a villain catcher and family life?

“Despicable Me 4” is the fourth installment of the “Despicable Me” franchise. The "Despicable Me" film series kicked off with its first installment in 2010, becoming the ninth-highest grossing film with $543 million in sales the same year. The new installment introduces a new character, Poppy Prescott, voiced by Joey King, a wannabe villain and also a member of the BTS fandom, ARMY.

Still cut from film ″Shine″ [SEOUL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL]

Shine (12)

Drama / 129 mins. / Korean / July 31

Hope is lost, found, and then lost again in Jeju.

Ye-sun, played by Jang Hae-gum, is a 16-year-old girl living in Jeju. Ye-sun has recently lost her grandmother, and she was not taking the loss particularly well. She closed herself off from everyone, preferring to grieve in solitude. However, the loneliness and sense of being lost takes its toll on her, prompting her to make a phone call.

Ye-sun links up with nuns Stella, played by Jang Sun, and Rafaella, played by Jeong Eun-kyung. Ye-sun meets six-year-old Sae-byeol, played by Song Ji-on, who she befriends, and they have a great time together. Just as they are spending the time of their lives together, Sae-byeol’s mother, who previously abandoned her, shows up. What will Ye-sun and Sae-byeol do?

“Shine” is directed by Park Suk-young, who debuted with the 2012 film "Kreutzer Sonata." Park won the Grand Prize at the 41st Seoul Independent Film Festival with his 2015 film “Steel Flower.”

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]