And while Garner certainly gives this physical role her all, what she’s given to work with is mundane material at best, cringe-worthy at its worst. Smooth, stylized action scenes made memorable by the actor executing them. Given the success of Taken, I was expecting a similar level of quality from Morel. Except for the fact that these films were sufficiently self-aware to deliver on unique aspects that banked on their strengths. It’s difficult to discuss Peppermint and not to mention other modern thrillers it derives influence from such as Taken, given director Pierre Morel’s involvement, as well as John Wick. What follows is an hour and forty-five minute slog through the seedy and corrupt underbelly of Los Angeles as she destabilizes the cartel. It doesn’t take her long to escape custody and disappear, returning five years later to enact vigilante justice against those responsible. Riley’s pleas for justice fall on deaf ears, and she’s remanded to a psychiatric ward. But during the trial, it becomes apparent that everyone involved, from the cops to the judge, are blatantly on the take from the Mexican cartel. It’s just a shame that in every other regard Peppermint is an absolute bore.Īfter surviving a brutal drive-by shooting that killed her husband and daughter, Riley North’s (Jennifer Garner) testimony should have been enough to put the men responsible away for life. And in this regard, Peppermint reminds audiences of Jennifer Garner’s capacity for these physically demanding roles, rarely seen since her days on the TV series Alias. We saw it with Liam Neeson in Taken, Keanu Reeves in John Wick, and Charlize Theron in Atomic Blonde. Wherever you are in your Korean cinema journey, you’re in for a treat with this list of incredible Korean films.Crime thrillers seem to be the go-to genre for casting actors in unconventional roles, potentially showing them in a new light. Vengeance (2002), along with Bong Joon Ho’s Memories of Murder (2003), before moving onto contemporary films.ĭiving into South Korean cinema opens a window into the country’s unique point of view shaped by rapid economic growth, technological innovation and the legacy of colonialism and war - while also providing peak entertainment with the national cinema’s talent for storytelling. Don’t miss classic early 2000s films like Park Chan Wook’s Oldboy (2003) and Sympathy for Mr. This list of the best Korean films includes required classics and newer releases in many genres, including psychological thrillers, nightmare-inducing horror movies, romantic comedies and smoldering dramas that are unique to Korean cinematic and narrative aesthetics.įor those just starting your journey into the world of Korean cinema, try watching the films chronologically, starting with Kim Ki Young’s femme fatale melodrama, The Housemaid (1960). Now get ready for K-wave, or "Hallyu," the name for the "wave" of Korean media, including films, that has swept the world since the 1990s.Įven before Bong Joon Ho’s film Parasite achieved global recognition in 2019 by becoming the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, South Korea had a dynamic movie industry driven by the peninsular country’s dramatic economic, cultural and social history. You've heard of K-pop, shorthand for Korean popular music.
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