Movies in theaters this week

"Boss" (South Korea) Opened Oct. 3 Action/Comedy Directed by Ra Hee-chan A mob boss's sudden death triggers a desperate competition among his potential successors (Jo Woo-jin, Jung Kyung-ho) to avoid inheriting the leadership position, each hoping to pursue their own dreams instead. "One Battle After Another" (US) Opened Oct. 1 Action/Thriller Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson An ex-revolutionary (Leonardo DiCaprio) living in witness protection must protect his teenage daughter from a corrupt mil

Oct. 3, 2025

Extended Chuseok holiday brings theatrical smorgasbord

This year's Chuseok arrives bearing an unusual gift. Thanks to a fortuitous alignment of the lunar calendar with National Foundation Day (Oct. 3) and Hangeul Day (Oct. 9), Koreans are staring down a luxurious seven-day break — the kind of extended holiday that comes around once in a blue moon. With all that extra time on their hands, industry watchers are cautiously optimistic that people will venture beyond their streaming services and into actual theaters. The lineup itself is eclectic, offeri

Oct. 2, 2025

Trump revives threat of 100% tariff on foreign-made films. Koreans are unfazed – for now

US President Donald Trump announced Sunday via Truth Social that he would impose a 100 percent tariff on all movies produced outside the United States, making his second such declaration in five months. The statement came without an implementation timeline or enforcement mechanism. Without providing evidence, Trump claimed that foreign countries were "stealing" American film production through tax incentives. He cited California as being "particularly hard hit." The announcement left more questi

Sept. 30, 2025

Snack films gain traction as CJ CGV experiments with short-form storytelling

Snack films, a newly coined term for films with short running times and low ticket prices, are emerging as a new draw at local theaters. CJ CGV, the theater chain under entertainment conglomerate CJ, reported that “Believe,” which opened Sept. 17, has drawn 10,000 viewers as of Monday. Backed by HL Holdings Corp., the omnibus project directed by Lee Jong-seok, Ra Hee-chan and Park Bum-su, brings together three shorts under the theme “believe.” The 37-minute work comprising “There's no one here,”

Sept. 30, 2025

Trump takes his tariff war to the movies announcing 100% levies on foreign-made films

President Donald Trump says he will slap a 100% tax on movies made outside the United States — a vague directive aimed at protecting a business that America already dominates. Claiming that movie production “has been stolen’’ from Hollywood and the US, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that “I will be imposing a 100% tariff on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States.’’ It was unclear how these tariffs would operate, since movies and TV shows can be transmitted digit

Sept. 30, 2025

Jung Kyung-ho's gangster tango

"If people walk out saying 'that guy can really dance,' I'll be thrilled," Jung Kyung-ho announces deadpan at a Samcheong-dong cafe on Monday afternoon. "Please, write that down. I did nothing but tango for months." It may seem like an odd wish for someone with over two decades in the business who, in recent years, has played Korea's most upstanding professionals — cops, doctors, lawyers — but then, "Boss" is an odd film. Opening Friday for Chuseok, Korea's harvest holiday that stretches nearly

Sept. 29, 2025

'No Other Choice' claims No. 1 spot in opening weekend

Park Chan-wook's "No Other Choice" topped the weekend box-office chart, drawing over 600,000 moviegoers, data showed Monday. Released Wednesday, the black comedy attracted 609,274 viewers from Friday to Sunday, bringing its total admissions to 1.73 million, according to the Korean Film Council. Based on the 1997 satirical thriller novel "The Ax" by American novelist Donald E. Westlake, the film follows the story of Man-soo (Lee Byung-hun), a desperate father of two who wages his own personal war

Sept. 29, 2025

'Gloaming in Luomu' wins grand prize at inaugural Busan Awards

"Gloaming in Luomu," directed by Zhang Lu, took home the grand prize at the inaugural Busan Awards, a new competition section at the Busan International Film Festival. The Busan Awards invited 14 films from across regions to compete in its first edition. Winners were announced Friday evening at the festival’s closing ceremony, with a jury chaired by acclaimed Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin ("The Yellow Sea," "The Wailing") alongside Korean American director Kogonada, actress Han Hyo-joo, Hong Kong

Sept. 26, 2025

BIFF wraps 30th edition as springboard for Asian filmmakers and industry dialogue

BUSAN — The 30th Busan International Film Festival wrapped its 10-day run on Friday, reporting an uptick of roughly 20,000 attendees on-year and underscoring its role as a launchpad for Asian cinema. Running Sept. 17-26, Asia's premier film festival unspooled 328 titles across 31 screens in seven venues, welcoming 7,036 industry professionals from Korea and abroad. Festival Chairperson Park Kwang-su told reporters Friday that the festival drew a stronger-than-anticipated reception. “Although the

Sept. 26, 2025

Movies in theaters this week

"No Other Choice" (South Korea) Opened Sept. 24 Comedy/Thriller Directed by Park Chan-wook After losing his job of 25 years, a former manager at a paper manufacturer (Lee Byung-hun) spirals into desperation and decides to murder his competition for a coveted position at a rival firm. "Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc" (Japan) Opened Sept. 24 Action/Fantasy Directed by Tatsuya Yoshihara Denji, a devil hunter fused with his chainsaw devil Pochita, encounters a mysterious girl named Reze in this

Sept. 26, 2025

‘Mantis,’ Netflix Korea’s 'Kill Boksoon' spinoff, returns with stylish killers

Set in the universe of Netflix Korea’s breakout hit "Kill Boksoon," the upcoming spinoff “Mantis” introduces a slate of new assassins in what promises to be a visual feast of stylized action. The film centers on skilled killer Han-wool (Im Si-wan), better known by his alias Mantis, who returns from a long hiatus to discover that the coveted top spot among killers is suddenly up for grabs. Han-wool soon finds himself locked in a lethal competition with fellow killers Jae-yi (Park Gyu-young) and D

Sept. 25, 2025

Filming begins on Hybe America, Paramount Picture's K-pop movie

A K-pop movie co-produced by Hybe America and US film studio Paramount Pictures has finalized its cast and officially begun filming. The K-pop movie project began filming in Seoul on Sunday, announcing nine new faces to the cast: Sung Joon, Kang So-ra, Lee Hyong-chol, Lee A-in, Renata Vaca, Silia Kapsis, Aliyah Turner, Kim Shana and Park Ju-bi. Alongside the leads Yoo Ji-young and singer-songwriter Eric Nam, the film has also confirmed the participation of Korean actor Yoo Ji-tae, Tony Revolori

Sept. 25, 2025

'Boss' puts comedic spin on gangster life

“Boss,” set to hit theaters during the Chuseok holiday, weaves a comedic twist through the usually gritty, violent stories of gangster movies. Rather than depicting bloody power struggles for gang leadership, the film follows the antics of those trying to avoid taking the top spot. Jo Woo-jin plays Soon-tae, a gangster who aspires to leave the criminal world behind to become a chef at a Chinese restaurant, only to find himself coerced into becoming the gang’s next boss. As other potential candid

Sept. 25, 2025

CJ CGV shutters LA theater, exiting US market after 15 years

CJ CGV, the movie theater chain under Korean conglomerate CJ, has officially exited the US market following the closure of its Los Angeles theater. According to the company’s official US website, CGV's LA location shuttered operations on Sunday. CJ CGV told The Korea Herald on Wednesday that the decision stemmed from both financial pressures and a wider pivot in its global strategy. “Our global strategy is shifting toward expanding ScreenX and 4DX theaters, which have grown increasingly popular.

Sept. 24, 2025

Netflix and BIFF unite global creators at Creative Asia

More than 250 filmmakers, journalists and industry leaders from across the globe convened for Creative Asia, a Netflix-hosted event held in partnership with the Busan International Film Festival, spotlighting the streamer’s evolving strategies and the vision of world-class creators. The gathering drew visionaries including directors Guillermo del Toro (“Frankenstein,” “Pan’s Labyrinth”), Yeon Sang-ho (“The Ugly,” "Hellbound," “Train to Busan”) and Maggie Kang (“KPop Demon Hunters”). The program

Sept. 22, 2025