'Hidden Face,' 'Moana 2,' 'Wicked' and other films to see in Korean cinemas

A still from ″Hidden Face″ [NEW]
Hidden Face (19)
Thriller / 115 min. / Korean / Nov. 20

Trapped in a hidden room behind the mirror, a cellist is forced to observe the her fiancé's growing lust for another woman.

Soo-yeon, the cellist in an orchestra conducted by Seong-jin, disappears after leaving behind a video in which she expresses uncertainty about marrying him. Heartbroken over his fiancée's sudden disappearance, Seong-jin finds himself emotionally drawn to Mi-joo, who steps in as the new cellist in the orchestra. This emotional connection eventually leads to intimacy between Seong-jin and Mi-joo in the room of his missing fiancée.

Behind the bathroom mirror is Soo-yeon, who is thought to be missing, watching them engaging in physical intimacy. Not knowing the details behind how and why she was locked up in the secret room, Soo-yeon keeps yelling and knocking on the glass to be heard. Initially not too worried about her disappearance, Soo-yeon’s mother starts suspecting Seong-jin as the perpetrator. As tension rises, the truth begins to emerge.

Song Seung-heon, known for “Obsessed” (2014) and “Wonderful Nightmare” (2015), takes on the role of orchestra conductor Seong-jin and Cho Yeo-jeong, who rose to global stardom in “Parasite” (2019) and “The Servant” (2010), plays the missing cellist Soo-yeon.

Kim Dae-woo, who has worked both with Song and Cho before in “Obsessed” and “The Servant,” directs the film, which is based on a Columbian film released in 2011.

A still from ″Wicked″ [UNIVERSAL PICTURES]

Wicked (ALL)
Fantasy / 160 min. / English / Nov. 20

The first half of a story where a courageous and resilient witch, undeterred by discrimination, embraces her identity as the Wicked Witch while uncovering an inconvenient truth.

Elphaba arrives at Shiz University, where she encounters prejudice because of her appearance. Glinda, initially one of the people who bullied Elphaba, begins to rethink her actions after witnessing her courage in standing up to discrimination. Moved by Elphaba’s resilience, Glinda acknowledges her faults and befriends her. As their friendship deepens, Elphaba and Glinda navigate the growing darkness in Oz.

They later discover that The Wizard of Oz is a fraud, manipulating the people of the town. Feeling betrayed and disillusioned, Elphaba embraces her destiny as the Wicked Witch. She uses her magic to fight against oppression and tries to reclaim her identity.

Pop star and actor Ariana Grande portrays Glinda, while British actor and singer Cynthia Erivo, acclaimed for her performance in the Broadway revival of “The Color Purple” from 2015 to 2017, takes on the role of Elphaba.

Jon M. Chu, who directed the Oscar-winning film “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018), helms the film.


Part two of the movie is scheduled for Nov. 21 next year.

A still from ″Devils Stay″ [IFILM]

Devils Stay (15)
Horror / 95 min. / Korean / Nov. 14


A deadly force awakens after a cursed heart transplant.

After a medical transplant procedure, Somi displays strange symptoms, prompting priest Haeshin to perform an exorcism. Although it seems that Somi has returned to normal, she suddenly begins to have convulsions and tragically loses her life.

At her funeral, a rumor circulates among Somi's school friends that she was possessed by a spirit. During the ceremony, one of her friends suddenly complains of pain and starts choking, and when Somi's father, Seungdo, intervenes, strands of hair come out of the student's mouth. Disturbing phenomena continue, such as blood dripping from the ceiling, and Seungdo even hears his deceased daughter's voice and witnesses her eyes opening.

While reviewing the recorded footage of the exorcism he performed, Haeshin discovers something he previously missed. He realizes that a demon has possessed the heart that Somi received during her transplant and decides he must banish the demon before it fully awakens.

Park Shin-yang, known for his role in the TV series “Lovers in Paris” (2004), plays Seungdo. Lee Min-ki, known for “Monster” (2014) and “Tidal Wave” (2009), stars as Father Haeshin, and Lee Re, known for the Netflix series “Hellbound” (2021), plays Somi. The film is directed by Hyun Moon-Sub, known for “Nightmare Teacher” (2016).

A still from ″The Land of Morning Calm″ [TRIPLE PICTURES]
The Land of Morning Calm (12)
Drama / 113 min. / Korean / Nov. 27

A young man’s attempt to lie his way out of his financially stricken life throws an entire village into chaos.

In a small fishing village, a young fisherman named Yong-soo seeks help from an old captain named Yeong-guk to fake his own death in an accident. Yeong-guk agrees to partake in the dangerous lie and reports to the police that Yong-soo has fallen into the sea. The fisherman’s Vietnamese wife collapses in shock, while his fiery-tempered mother demands a thorough search.

The villagers grow envious of the wife, who stands to receive an insurance payout. Meanwhile, Yong-soo plans to use the money to move to his wife’s hometown with his elderly mother.

Yeong-guk, the old boat captain, is portrayed by Yoon Joo-sang, known for "The Uncanny Counter" (2020-2023), and the young fisherman Yong-soo is played by Park Jong-hwan. Park is known for his role in the Disney series "Strangers from Hell" (2019).

Park Ri-woong, known for the movie "The Girl on a Bulldozer" (2021), directs the film.

The movie premiered in the "The Future of Asian Cinema" section of this year's Busan International Film Festival, which ran from Oct. 2 through Oct. 11.

A still from ″Moana 2″ [THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

Moana 2 (ALL)
Animation / 100 min. / English / Nov. 27


A girl embarks on a seafaring journey with her new crew after receiving a sign from her ancestors.

Living a peaceful life on Motunui Island, Moana gathers with her neighbors for a ritual. Lightning strikes the hut where they were performing the ritual. Thinking of it as a sign from her ancestors, Moana revisits the cave where she can communicate with them.

After receiving a call from the island's ancestors, Moana embarks on an adventurous journey to the far seas of Oceania. Accompanied by an unlikely seafaring crew, Moana goes above and beyond to retrieve peace for her family, neighbors and the island.

Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson reprise their roles as Moana and Maui in the highly anticipated sequel, following their performances in the previous film, which was released in 2016.

David Derrick Jr., known for "Rise of the Guardians" (2012), Jason Hand, who directed the Disney film "Encanto" (2021) and Dana Ledoux Miller, known for the Netflix series "Designated Survivor" (2016), collaborated on this animated film.

The film is sitting on top of the domestic box office as of Thursday, according to the Korean Film Council.