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Exes Hae Jo and Jo Jae-mi, who went through a bad breakup years ago, have both been diagnosed with life-changing conditions. So when they cross paths, Hae Jo gets an idea: He’ll free her from her misery by whisking her away — against her will — to find out who his father is. Directed by Hong Jong-chan (Juvenile Justice) and written by Jo Yong (It’s Okay to Not Be Okay), the South Korean rom-com series Mr. Planktonstars Woo Do-hwan, Lee Yoo-mi, and Oh Jung-se.

Stream it now.

Check it out at the top of this page.

Once an orphan, Hae Jo (Woo) now runs a business doing often-shady odd jobs. But his day job loses all meaning once he finds out he has a genetic and terminal brain condition, leaving him only a few months to live. Shortly after, he crosses paths with his ex-girlfriend, Jo Jae-mi (Lee Yoo-mi). Jae-mi...

My first thought while watching Mr. Plankton was, why is this show under the dark comedy label when it’s merely a comedy with dark themes and undertones? I don’t think this is necessarily satire; it’s simply dry humor but with a touch of slapstick. The yelling and screaming are the norm for any K-drama comedy fan, but for someone who is new to this stuff, they might be left wanting something different. And in all honesty, in a decade of watching K-dramas, I’ve got to admit, I’ve come to expect much more from these shows as well. Look, this is not to say that Mr. Plankton is terrible because it doesn’t live up to some random internet journalist’s high standard for dark comedy, but it does fall a little bit flat for the stakes at hand, and I’ll tell you why.

To begin with,...

“Mr. Plankton” is a South Korean movie directed by Hong Jong-chan. It stars Woo Do-hwan, Lee Yu-mi, and Oh Jung-se.

“Mr. Plankton” springs from a complex premise, to say the least: it seeks to intertwine the lives of two terminally ill individuals and craft it into a hilarious comedy. Yet, with its adeptness at genre-blending, this series achieves a rather uneven fusion of comedy and tragedy, juxtaposing moments of intimacy and romance with the most uproarious humor. This all unfolds after the two protagonists receive the devastating news: they have only a few months left to live.

About the series

South Korea has emerged as a cinematic powerhouse, and among its notable productions are romantic dramas, the k-Dramas, which, with their fresh, sentiment-laden stories, have captured the hearts of audiences worldwide. “Mr. Plankton” stands out as one of these television series that starts as pure comedy and gradually morphs into...

This November 2024, Korean drama fans can look forward to an exciting lineup of series showcasing diverse genres and compelling stories. Brewing Love (Viki) features a romantic comedy between a tough former special forces soldier and a sensitive brewmaster, while Face Me (KBS2) delivers a gripping medical thriller about a plastic surgeon embroiled in a mysterious crime. For those who enjoy crime thrillers, Gangnam B-Side (Disney+) explores disappearances tied to Seoul’s nightlife, while Mr. Plankton (Netflix) offers an emotional journey of self-discovery as two individuals search for their families.

The Fiery Priest 2 (Netflix) returns with its unique blend of action and humor, and Marry You (Channel A) examines societal pressures on love and marriage through a lighthearted lens. Meanwhile, Parole Examiner Lee (tvN) navigates the complex themes of justice and redemption, and When the Phone Rings (Netflix) explores love and communication amidst societal facades. Love Your Enemy (tvN) promises a...

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Officer Black Belt is a South Korean action comedy film written and directed by Joo-hwan Kim. The Netflix film follows the story of Lee Jong-do, a skilled martial arts fighter as he is recruited by a probation officer to help closely manage the criminals wearing electronic ankle bracelets to stop them from hurting innocent people. Officer Black Belt stars Kim Woo-bin in the lead role with Kim Sung-kyun, Lee Hae Young, and Kim Yool-ho starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the thrilling action, hilarious comedy, and compelling characters in Officer Black Belt here are some similar movies to watch next.

Midnight Runners (Tubi & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – Lotte Entertainment

Midnight Runner is a South Korean action comedy film written and directed by Jason Kim. The 2017 film follows two new students at the Korean National Police University...

From Yu Je-won and Shin Ha-eun, the people behind the phenomenal romantic comedy-drama series Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, we just got a new South Korean series to swoon over in Love Next Door. Starring Jung Hae-in and Jung So-min in the lead roles, the tvN series follows the story of Bae Seok-ryu as she tries to reboot her life after calling off her marriage and leaving her job in America to move back home, where she meets her childhood frenemy Choi Seung-hyo, and they begin to fall for each other. So, if you loved the great leading couple, a heartfelt story, and relatable characters in Love Next Door here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is a South Korean romantic comedy-drama series developed by Kim Je-hyeon. Based on a 2004 romantic comedy film titled Mr. Handy, Mr. Hong by Kang Seok-beom and Shin Jung-goo,...

“Humankind is a virus. Monsters are the vaccine,” the nefarious Dr. Lim says at the start of Sweet Home Season 2. The postapocalyptic Korean monster series has returned, and now special infectees like Cha Hyun-su are being targeted as Bamseom HQ runs experiments to develop a vaccine. But Hyun-su won’t go down easy, especially now that he’s forced to team up with the monstrous Pyeon Sang-wook. In a world full of monsters — and people on the brink of becoming them — is humanity synonymous with being human? And who really are the villains here?

Based on the popular webtoon, the action-horror series Sweet Home stars Baeksang Art Awards nominee Song Kang, Lee Jin-uk, and Lee Si-young. The latest season, directed by Sohyun Park and Lee Eung-bok, welcomes newcomers Yu Oh-seong, Oh Jung-se, and Kim Moo-yeol.

Stream it now.

Check it out at the top of this article.

Hyun-su and...

The highly anticipated “Sweet Home 3” is set to premiere on Netflix on July 19, marking the finale of the popular survival drama series. This season promises to bring resolution to the intense and captivating storyline that has captivated audiences.

The cast members include: Song Kang, Lee Do Hyun, Oh Jung Se, Lee Si Young, Go Min Si, Jinyoung, Yoo Oh Seong.

The promotional poster for the final season features Song Kang standing in a devastated cityscape, with a monstrous wing emerging from his body, symbolizing his ongoing struggle between his humanity and his monstrous transformation.

The imagery of mysterious cocoons hanging overhead suggests the advent of a new era and potentially new threats or transformations in the series’ universe. Fans are eagerly awaiting how the story will conclude and what new developments will unfold.

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Exclusive: Grey’s Anatomy star Alex Landi has joined the cast of the upcoming romantic dramedy Mr. Plankton for Netflix. This will mark his debut in a Korean series.

Mr. Plankton is about a man who should not have been born. He and the unhappiest woman in the world are forced to accompany one another on the final journey of his life. It’s from writer Jo Yong (It’s Okay to Not Be Okay) and is directed by Hong Jong-chan.

The details of Landi’s role are being kept under wraps but he is confirmed to be a series regular. Landi is best known for his ongoing portrayal of Dr. Nico Kim on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. He’s repped by Buchwald and Asian Cinema Entertainment.

The rest of the cast includes Woo Do-hwan as Hae-jo, a man born out of wedlock who’s thrown into...

Following the North Korean mid-air bombing of Korean Air Flight 858 in 1987, a Summit was held between North and South Korea to defuse the extreme tension on the Korean peninsula. The summit ended with the agreement to hastily form a unified Korean sports team; and table tennis, being highly visible and world-class in both countries, was chosen as the symbolic unifier. Summarily, the first-ever unified North-South team under the simple aegis “Korea” was formed to compete in the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships in Chiba, Japan. Based on this story, Moon Hyeon-seong comes up with a movie about how the two teams came together, the difficulties they faced and how they managed to triumph in the end.

As One is screening at Black Movie

The movie begins in Beijing in 1990, when North Korea's captain Ri Bun-hui faces off against South Korea's captain Hyun Jung-hwa and loses. At the final, however, the latter...

"I believe it's gonna be a masterpiece." Samuel Goldwyn Films has revealed a new official US trailer for the Korean meta comedy Cobweb, which initially premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival last year. Finally set for US release this February, also on VOD at the same time as in theaters. A new film from acclaimed Korean filmmaker Kim Jee-woon, with a meta story about a filmmaker trying to make a masterpiece and realizing how hard that really is. The story is set in Seoul in 1970 and focuses on Kim, a director who is dissatisfied with the ending of his project entitled "Cobweb". Despite obstacles and interference from censorship authorities, disgruntled actors & producers, Kim is determined to rework the ending of his film in just two days, in hopes of making it a masterpiece. The main cast includes Song Kang-ho, Park Jeong-su, Im Soo-jung, Oh Jung-se, Jeon Yeo-been, and Krystal Jung.

Death’s Game: Seo In-guk Had A “Panic Attack” While Shooting A Mid-Air Scene (Picture Credit: IMDb)

Death’s Game’s star-studded cast has everyone wondering how much the producers splurged to bring the biggest stars of Hallyuwood. The thought-provoking suspense thriller has captured audiences’ attention far and wide since it debuted in its first four episodes on Friday (December 15). With a promising narrative that has kept the audience on the edge of their seats, the K-drama has emerged as a weekend binge for K-fanatics. Ironically, it’s not only the audience whose hearts skipped a beat with bone-chilling action; lead actor Seo In-guk was also taken aback by some of the scenes. The actor has now revealed one particular scene due to which he suffered a panic attack.

The ensemble cast of the Ha Byung-hoon-directed show follows Choi Yi-jae, portrayed by Seo In-guk, whose kindness and brilliance make him stand out amongst the lot.

The character of Dr. Lim has been played efficiently by Oh Jung-se in the series Sweet Home, which is currently streaming on Netflix. The eccentric doctor has been on a search for ways to make vaccines to stop people from becoming monsters. The frenzy of the doctor drives him to go to lengths that a normal person wouldn’t even think of! He thinks that humankind is the virus, and monsters are the vaccines for it. Will Dr. Lim be able to understand the nature of the monster-humans? What will eventually happen to Dr. Lim? These questions will eventually be answered as we proceed with an in-depth analysis of the character.

Spoilers Ahead

What Experiments Does Dr. Lim Conduct On His Subjects?

There are several experiments that Dr. Lim conducts on the human-monsters to find out the cause of the occurrences. He is of the opinion that humans are the real disease,...

The popular apocalyptic horror K-drama show ‘Sweet Home’ is back with its second season, and actor Song Kang has returned as protagonist Cha Hyun Soo. In the new trailer, the world has gone to the dumps in the wake of the monster apocalypse, and shows just how cruel and ruthless humans can be as they kill their own people.

Based on the webcomic of the same name, the story follows a loner high school student who moves into a new apartment when monsters suddenly start breaking out among humanity and the apartment residents are trapped inside the building.

Now picking up the threads from Season 1, Season 2 will focus on how Cha Hyun Soo and other survivors struggle to survive after leaving Green Home. There is a whole debate regarding humanity, as some now believe that humanity is the virus, and these monsters the world’s vaccine.

Things begin to take only a more gruesome turn,...

The popular apocalyptic horror K-drama show ‘Sweet Home’ is back with its second season, and actor Song Kang has returned as protagonist Cha Hyun Soo. In the new trailer, the world has gone to the dumps in the wake of the monster apocalypse, and shows just how cruel and ruthless humans can be as they kill their own people.

Based on the webcomic of the same name, the story follows a loner high school student who moves into a new apartment when monsters suddenly start breaking out among humanity and the apartment residents are trapped inside the building.

Now picking up the threads from Season 1, Season 2 will focus on how Cha Hyun Soo and other survivors struggle to survive after leaving Green Home. There is a whole debate regarding humanity, as some now believe that humanity is the virus, and these monsters the world’s vaccine.

Things begin to take only a more gruesome turn,...

The first season of Korean monster series “Sweet Home“ premiered on Netflix in 2020 to great success, introducing a wild world of creatures attempting to thwart humanity’s survival. During “Geeked Week” tonight, Netflix debuted a first-look teaser trailer at the upcoming season two, and it’s looking dire for humankind.

Look for season two to debut on Netflix on December 1, 2023.

About the series: “A world where desire turns monstrous. The Green Home survivors and Hyun-su each fight to survive in new places, while other beings and mysterious phenomena emerge. New desires and more struggles unfold in this Netflix series.”

In season two, “The main characters depart from the Green Home, the site of their previous monster battles, and are compelled to venture into the outside world. Survivors have gathered at what is left of the stadium and built a community, but they still cannot let their guard down. The evolving...

"Director Kim's sets are a total soap opera." Umbrella Ent. in Australia has released a full official trailer for the Korean comedy Cobweb, which first premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. It's the latest film made by acclaimed Korean filmmaker Kim Jee-woon, with a meta story about a filmmaker trying to make a masterpiece and realizing how hard that really is. The story is set in Seoul in 1970 and focuses on Kim, a director who is dissatisfied with the ending of his project entitled "Cobweb". Despite many obstacles and interference from censorship authorities, disgruntled actors & producers, Kim is determined to rework the ending of his film in just two days, in hopes of making it a masterpiece. "In 1970s Korea, when both art and dreams are censored, a film director dreams of a masterpiece." The main cast includes Song Kang-ho, Park Jeong-su, Im Soo-jung, Oh Jung-se, Jeon Yeo-been,...

Revenant, like so many horror stories, begins on a rainy night. Disney+’s latest South Korean drama opens as Professor Gu Kang-mo (Jin Seon-kyu) hurries through his front door, past shelves piled with books, and barricades himself in the study. “What went wrong?” he asks himself, flipping through his notes. Behind him, visible through paper windows, flashes of lightning illuminate a shadowy figure — its hair writhing in a wide halo like snakes.

Moments later, Gu is dead and we cut to what appears to be an unrelated scene. Rushing from...

Revenant, literally translated to The Demon, is the new Korean drama with mystery, thrills, and long-haired shadow spirits that are here to occupy your nightmares. The show stars Kim Tae-Ri and Oh Jung-Se in pivotal roles, and we love the detective work done by these two already! Last week, they solved the mystery of a vengeful spirit who had some unfinished business in the earthly realm, specifically to save his young sister from their terrible parents. This week, a new mystery with high heels and a purple coat unfolds, and simultaneously, we continue to learn about the spirit that’s taken over San-Yeong’s body too.

Spoilers Ahead

What Happens In Episode 3?

Hong-Sae is on a mission to prove to his senior, Mun-Chun, that he is a great detective and isn’t working just for a promotion. Mun-Chun had told him that he was looking for a connection between suicide cases.

The horror genre is a beloved one in the K-drama industry. We’ve seen many a successful show about ghosts and monsters such as Let’s Fight Ghost and Sweet Home. Kim Tae-Ri returns to the drama world after her successful Netflix show Twenty-Five Twenty-One which was an emotional watch for anyone who saw it. Now, she commands the screen with a ghostly aura in Revenant to unwind a mystery that will connect her to her past and help solve a years-old ghostly encounter. Her long black hair paired with her pale skin and black outfits only add to the eerieness of Revenant and I’m here for it. Oh Jung-Se does yet another unique role where he plays a stoic professor who can see ghosts and wants to figure out how his mother died many years ago. Together they will embark on a journey to get rid of the evil force that is at play.

Director Kim Ki-yeol (Song Kang-ho) only needs two more days of reshoots to craft a new ending to his latest film, and it will no longer be the trashy potboiler everyone thought he was making. It will be, he declares frequently “A masterpiece!” Director Kim Jee-woon does not seem to harbor similar aspirations for his meta-movie “Cobweb” – his loosest, least substantial and most slapdash film in quite some time – though safe to say that the gulf between it and masterpiece status is a little wider than a two-day reshoot could possibly bridge. A film containing another film; a filmmaker referring to the trials of a filmmaker: it’s a movie of many layers, all of them garish and goofy, none of them great.

That’s an assessment that would no doubt cut Ki-yeol to the quick, because, as played with typically raffish charm by “Parasite”‘s Song Kang-ho, he certainly dreams of greatness,...

South Korean director Kim Jee-woon’s much anticipated period comedy drama Cobweb has kicked off the Cannes market with a slew of international sales. Set to premiere in Cannes in an out-of-competition slot on May 25, Cobweb stars Song Kang-ho (Parasite) as a filmmaker frantically trying to finish the movie he believes will be his masterpiece.

International sales for the film, distributed and sold by Seoul-based Barunson E&a, so far include Japan (Happinet Phantom Studios), Taiwan (MovieCloud), Hong Kong/Macau (Edko Films), Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand – Clover Films), France and French-speaking territories (The Jokers Films, handled by Finecut), German-speaking territories and Italy (Plaion Pictures), Spain (La Aventura), Cis (Arna Media), Middle East (Phars Film), India (Impact Films), ex-Yugoslavia (Cinemania), Worldwide Inflight (Anuvu/Emphasis). The film is produced by Sll’s Anthology Studios.

Set in South Korea during the politically repressive 1970s, Cobweb centers on a director named Kim (Song...

After the lukewarm “Illang: The Wolf Brigade” and his largely well-received foray into tv with “Dr. Brain”, Kim Jee-woon is back with his latest feature film “Cobweb”. Written by indie director Shin Yeon-shick, who was initially also attached to direct, “Cobweb” is the first production of the newly set up production house by Kim Jee-woon and his long-time collaborator and actor extraordinaire Song Kang-ho.

Synopsis

In 1970s Korea, when both art and dreams are censored, a film director dreams of a masterpiece.

After his successful debut, Director Kim endures scathing attacks from critics who call him a specialist in trashy dramas. After finishing his latest feature ‘Cobweb’, he has vivid dreams over several days of an alternative ending to the film. Sensing that if he can just shoot those scenes as he envisioned them, a masterpiece will surely emerge, he tries to arrange just two days of additional shooting. However,...

The Jokers has unveiled a flashy 30-second teaser trailer for Cobweb, the comedy from acclaimed Korean filmmaker Kim Jee-woon. It's premiering at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival this month, hence the French teaser out now. The story is set in Seoul in 1970 and focuses on Kim, a director who is dissatisfied with the ending of his project entitled "Cobweb". Despite many obstacles and interference from censorship authorities, disgruntled actors & producers, Kim is determined to rework the ending of his film in just two days, in hopes of making it a masterpiece. He must overcome this chaos to get it done... It's a meta film about filmmaking, described as "an experimental and genre-defying drama shot entirely on sound stages in support of a film-within-a-film narrative." The cast includes Song Kang-ho (!!!), Im Soo-jung, Oh Jung-se, Jeon Yeo-been, and Krystal Jung. I have always enjoyed Kim Jee-woon's work and this looks great so far...

South Korean director, writer and producer Kim Jee-woon has signed with CAA for representation.

Kim’s latest film, “Cobweb,” will premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, his third film to do so following “A Bittersweet Life” in 2005 and “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” in 2008, which also debuted out of competition.

“Cobweb” is the first project from Kim’s production company, Anthology Studios, which he co-founded in 2021 with producer Jay Choi (who was previously local production head for Warner Bros. Korea) and actor Song Kang-Ho. When the project was announced in 2021, Kim described the film as “experimental” and said that it will be shot entirely on sound stages in support of a film-within-a-film narrative.

Song stars in the film, playing an obsessive director on a mission to reshoot the end of his latest film, also titled “Cobweb,” in two days to create a masterpiece. His attempts are constantly...

There has been an emergence of comedy films in Korean cinema ever since the immensely popular My Sassy Girl first blistered across theatre screens in 2001 and followed by other funny offerings that came out throughout the early 2000s like 200 Pounds Beauty (2006), and My Tutor Friend (2003). These films offer up a comical side to the stoic glitz and glamour of the Hallyu World and adding to this mix is this ‘riches-to-rags' dramedy written and directed by Ma Dae-Yoon, which features the return of Lee Min-jung with her first feature role since Wonderful Radio (2012).

“Switch” is screening at San Diego Asian Film Festival Spring Showcase

Park Gang(Kwon Sang-woo) is an infamous bad boy of showbiz, and his name is often mentioned in tabloids and across social media. The thespian is managed by his longtime buddy and failed actor Jo Yoon (Oh Jung-se). Park Gang enjoys bachelorhood and other finer pursuits and as a Prima donna,...

The independent film business is again showing signs of rude health as the global film industry struggles to recover post-pandemic. Sundance is often taken as the pace-setter, and distribution deals were plentiful this year, with seven- and eight-figure sales for the likes of Theater Camp (to Searchlight for an estimated 8 million), Flora and Son (Apple TV+, 20 million) and Fair Play (Netflix, 20 million), just the biggest of around a dozen 2023 Park City pickups. But Berlin’s European Film Market will be the industry’s true acid test.

“Sundance is more U.S.-focused in general,” says Alice Laffillé, vp sales at FilmNation, which did the Apple TV+ deal for Flora and Son. “There are always some big, splashy deals with streamers and U.S. buyers like Neon, A24 or Magnolia. Berlin is the first real international market, where we see where things stand.”

Berlin deals, which often involve the entire world,...

Kevin MacDonald Strikes Factual Deal With Workerbee

Oscar-winning director and producer Kevin Macdonald has struck a multi-project creative partnership with the Workerbee Group. Macdonald, whose credits include “One Day in September,” “Touching the Void” and “Marley,” is executive producing a major feature documentary for a streaming platform as the first element of his two-year Workerbee deal. Details are yet to be announced of the film or the other premium factual projects which are expected to include those he directs and executive produces.

Manchester-based Workerbee recent credits including “Janet” for Lifetime and A&e, “Bruno Vs Tyson” (Sky), “The Bridge” for Channel 4 and HBO Max, “Peter Crouch: Save Our Beautiful Game” for Discovery and “Idris Elba’s Fight School” for BBC Two.

The company has recently been revamped into a clear films and formats divisional structure. The Macdonald deal is the first creative partnership to be announced by the newly formed Workerbee Group,...

Finecut will handle French-speaking territories.

South Korea’s Barunson E&a is set to launch sales on director Kim Jee-woon’s much-anticipated drama and black comedy Cobweb, starring Cannes best actor awardee Song Kang-ho of Broker, at the European Film Market (EFM).

The recently launched sales unit of the production company behind Bong Joon Ho’s Oscar-winning Parasite will handle the film’s international sales excluding French-speaking territories, which will be handled by leading independent Korean sales agent Finecut.

The film is produced by Anthology Studios, Barunson Studio (an affiliate of Barunson E&a), and Luz y Sonidos.

Cobweb has been...

“Seoul Vibe”, the newest film directed by Moon Hyun-sung (whose previous works include 2012 period sports drama “As One” and 2017 even more period crime-mystery “The King’s Case Note”), certainly promises a lot of fun. It is a period piece set in the politically interesting times in recent history, and an action comedy with a lot of car chases. Regarding those things, it is a bit of pity that it came to us via Netflix, meaning only on the small screens, since a movie theatre feels like a natural setting for watching such a flick.

We meet our protagonists, Dong-wook and Joon-gi (Ong Seong-wu) at the end of their mission in Saudi Arabia where they were tasked by their Korean boss with transporting guns and ammo across the desert in the back of a pick-up truck. After the job is accomplished and paid, they return back to Seoul with a dream...

Cobweb

Known for A Tale of Two Sisters (2003), Cannes preemed A Bittersweet Life (2005) and The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008), and his what might be the best film in his filmography in I Saw The Devil (2010), Kim Jee-woon moved into bigger budgeted items in the decade to follow and we now find ourselves with a film within a film template (penned by Shin Yeon-shick) in Cobweb (also going by the title of “The Spider House”). The South Korean filmmaker began production in early May for a lengthy three month period with the likes of everyone’s favorite in Song Kang-ho (who reunites with the director for a third time), Im Soo Jung, Oh Jung Se, Jeon Yeo-been and Krystal Jung.…...

Fabricated City Review Fabricated City (2017) Film Review from the 16th Annual New York Asian Film Festival, a movie directed by Kwang-Hyun Park, and starring Chang-wook Ji, Sang-Ho Kim, Eun-Kyung Shim, Jeong-Se Oh, Jae-Hong Ahn, Min-Jung Bae, Ha-Nui Lee, Min-gyo Kim, Seul-gi Kim, Won-cheol Shim, and Ho-jung Kim. Fabricated City opened with a bang, and ended with a bang; but was at [...]

Continue reading: Film Review: Fabricated City: Trippy Journey, Comedown Destination [Nyaff 2017]...