The Darkest Days of South Korea: A Frenetic Political Blockbuster
Hwang Jung-min gives a ferocious performance as one of the most notorious villains in Korean history in Kim Sung-su’s political blockbuster, 12.12: The Day. The film dramatizes one of the darkest days in South Korea’s recent past, detailing the apocalyptic events that followed the assassination of President Park Chung-hee in October 1979.
The tumultuous period between President Park’s death and the June 29 Declaration of 1987
Instead of ushering in a “Seoul Spring” of hopeful change, a stand-off between senior politicians and military leaders culminated in the coup d’état of December 12, as Major General Chun Doo-hwan seized power and steered the country into its darkest chapter to date.
“It is the latest in a string of popular historical films, after A Taxi Driver (2017), 1987: When the Day Comes (2017), and The Man Standing Next (2020), to dissect the tumultuous period between President Park’s death and the June 29 Declaration of 1987…”
A Whistle-Stop Account of Chun’s Vicious Power Grab
Standing in Chun’s path is Jung Woo-sung’s stoic, unwavering commander of the Capital Garrison Command Lee Tae-shin (based on Jang Tae-wan). As overseer of Seoul’s military security, Lee sees his authority and workforce evaporate as Chun strong-arms the nation’s leadership to fall in line behind him.
Military security in Seoul
What started out as an investigation into President Park’s murder swiftly turns into a witch hunt spearheaded by Chun’s military police force, who remove potential opponents from office and coerce those that remain into supporting his push for total control of the military, and by extension, the country.
A Surprising Horror Debut: The First Omen
In a surprising turn of events, Arkasha Stevenson’s debut horror film, The First Omen, has proven to be an ambitious, striking, and thematically rich addition to the horror genre. This was a really fun conversation.
A horror debut to remember
Sasquatch Sunset: A Poignant but Underwhelming Execution
Rich Bonaduce’s review of Sasquatch Sunset highlights the poignancy of this movie, as this Sasquatch family comes to terms with the world around them and their place in it. However, the film’s execution falls short, relying on toilet humor, violence, or just plain death to punctuate its ponderousness.
A Sasquatch family’s struggle
Ultimately, it’s a movie that feels far longer than its 89-minute run time, and it had me checking my watch wondering when it was going to get on with it or just end.
