Jun (KWON Sang-woo), once a legendary hitman and now a successful webtoon artist, leads a quiet life and processes his past through his series “Agent Jun”. But when his webtoon begins to receive criticism and his new episodes suddenly manifest as real-life terrorist attacks, he becomes entangled in a series of unexpected events involving figures from his past. As the lines between reality and webtoon begin to blur, an international crisis unfolds.

HITMAN 2 is the sequel to CHOI Won-sub’s previous film Hitman: Agent Jun (2020) and is one of the most successful movies in South Korea this year. The film combines the contemporary medium of webtoons with a mix of action, comedy, and family-friendly storytelling.

Content note: depicition of violence

Small business owner Bau (MA Dong-seok) didn’t choose an easy job: together with exorcist Sharon (Seo-hyun) and intern Gun (LEE David), he goes hunting for demons. The whole of Seoul has been infiltrated by the lords of hell and their acolytes, who are now spreading mayhem everywhere. It’s time for Bow to let his fists fly once again. But when the team is hired to take on the case of the possessed Eun-seo (JUNG Ji-so), they are faced with a diabolical adversary who seems almost invincible and will require all of their strength. To Bau, however, this pure evil seems strangely familiar. Have the demons of his past returned?

Boasting incredible star power, LIM Dae-hee’s debut film delivers first-class action fun. But the film also delivers some pretty intense scares.

Content note: depiction of violence, blood, death

Tae-bong (JO Bok-rae) is an informant working undercover within a criminal organisation. What initially sounds exciting has become a tedious office job for him, particularly because his police contact, Nam-hyuk (HEO Sung-tae), is a complete failure. That’s why Tae-bong has been saving money in the hopes of escaping his dangerous and precarious life soon. But just as he is about to make his exit, his cover is blown. When Nam-hyuk attempts a rescue, he kicks in the wrong door, behind which another gang is waiting with a hostage. With so many hornets‘ nests stirred up, chaos is inevitable as the detective and his informant try to escape unscathed.

KIM Seok’s feature film debut maintains a breakneck pace and provides excellent entertainment with its unpredictable twists and turns and absurd action sequences.

Content note: depiction of violence

After her sister Ju-hee (HAN Su-ah) disappears from her apartment without a trace, Ju-young (LEE Sun-bin), who has a hearing impairment, decides to move into her apartment to find out why she disappeared. Ju-hee’s boyfriend, Ki-hoon (KIM Min-seok), helps her. Shortly after moving in, Ju-young is confronted by the resident of the apartment below her, who complains about the loud noises coming from her place. And when she begins to sense a mysterious presence in her apartment, she starts to doubt that her sister disappeared under normal circumstances… 

In her feature film debut, director KIM Soo-jin skillfully portrays the claustrophobia of Korean apartment buildings and creates an unique atmosphere through the film’s sound-design. An absolute must-see for all horror fans!

Content note: depiction of violence, gore

KIM Dok-ja (AHN Hyo-seop) is the sole reader of the webtoon “Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World”. When the final chapter is published, he leaves the author a comment expressing his dissatisfaction with the ending. In his answer, the author encourages Dok-ja to write his ending, but he doesn’t get this far: The webtoon’s apocalyptic story suddenly becomes reality, with Dok-ja smack-dab in the middle. In order to prevent the narrative’s catastrophic ending, he decides to warn the main character Joong-hyuk (LEE Min-ho.) To do so, he himself has to fight his way through a few scenes. His  knowledge of the story should help him, but not everything happens as he expects…

With this film, director KIM Byung-woo adapts Sing Shong’s successful and popular web-novel Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint.

Content note: depiction of violence

LEE Kang-soo (KANG Ha-neul) is in prison after involuntarily consuming drugs due to external influences. He makes a deal with prosecutor KOO Gwan-hee (YOO Hae-jin): In exchange for a reduced sentence, he has to gather information behind bars to help Gwan-hee uncover drug rings.. This collaboration clashes with the work of drug investigator OH Sang-jae (PARK Hae-joon). This is also the case at a drug party involving actress Soo-jin (CHAE Won-bin) and Jo-hoon (RYU Kyung-soo), the son of the presidential candidate. To protect his son, Joo-hoon’s father proposes a corrupt deal to Gwan-hee. This has serious consequences for Kang-soo, Sang-jae, and Soo-jin…

Yadang: The Snitch is one of the most successful films of the year in South Korea. While researching for the film, director HWANG Byeong-gug was even accidentally arrested and had to take a drug test himself.

Content note: depiction of violence, drug use

Following a wrist injury, promising young pianist Yu-jun (DOH Kyung-soo)  puts his professional career on hold and returns to his hometown in Korea to study at a music academy. One day, he is drawn to the practice room by the haunting sound of a piano –  and meets the mysterious Jung-a (WON Jin-ah). Encouraged by Jung-a, Yu-jun slowly begins to play again. As the two grow closer, Jung-a’s behavior becomes increasingly strange: she repeatedly stands him up, doesn’t own a mobile phone, and no one else at the academy seems to know who she is. Disillusioned, Yu-jun begins to pull away  until he discovers her secret…

After delving into the thriller genre in her debut Recalled (2021), director SEO Yoon-min blends romance with subtle elements of fantasy and sci-fi in her second feature film.

Who said it was easy to be an elementary school student? Definitely not Dong-chun (PARK Na-eun), who is overwhelmed by schoolwork and countless extracurricular activities. When she discovers a talking rice wine bottle on a school trip, Dong-chun is taken on a bizarre journey to decipher its messages and to discover answers to the world’s mysteries.

Creatively told from a child’s perspective, FAQ combines social criticism with the whimsicality of kids’ imagination. KIM Da-min’s directorial debut immerses viewers in a charming fantasy world and shows the dark side of South Korean private education.

Sun-woo (SOHN SU-hyun) and Hee-suh (PARK Ga-young), a couple of nine years, have just moved into their new apartment. While Hee-suh works as a pharmaceutical sales rep, Sun-woo is stuck at home due to an injury. Soon she notices a strange smell in the building. As the property management shows no interest, she starts investigating on her own, which leads her to enter a neighbor’s apartment. At the same time, growing tensions with the neighbors, financial stress, and their different ways of dealing with their queerness begin to strain Sun-woo and Hee-suh’s relationship.

KANGYU Ga-ram has long been active as a feminist documentary filmmaker, known for her sharp eye on marginalized perspectives. Her fiction feature debut premiered at the Jeonju International Film Festival and has since screened at various international festivals.