Cinema Escapist
Explore and connect the world through a cinematic lens
Review: Netflix’s “Record of Youth” Highlights Millennial Struggles in the Fashion Industry
BY Lindsay Wong
Park Bo-gum and Park So-dam star in a drama that eschews K-drama romance clichés, instead highlighting the frustrations of millennials
Review: “Lucky Chan-sil” Displays Burdens of Female Expectations in Korean Society
BY Jackie Chen
"Lucky Chan-sil" illustrates a career-oriented woman’s struggle with gender inequality and expectations in Korean society.
Review: Korea’s “#Alive” Is a Perfect Zombie Movie for the Coronavirus Era
BY Anthony Kao
Starring Yoo Ah-in and Park Shin-hye, “#Alive” is an entertaining zombie flick that seems tailor-made for the time of coronavirus.
Review: “Peninsula” Offers Ample Korean Zombie Action, But Less Originality
BY Woojin Lim
"Train to Busan" sequel "Peninsula" paints a dynamic post-apocalypse filled with flares and car chases, but lacks depth and distinctiveness.
Review: “The Shaman Sorceress” Explores Clashes Between Competing Faiths
BY Lindsay Wong
Based on a 1936 short story, "The Shaman Sorceress" portrays how Westernization and modernization affected a Korean village through their shaman.
Netflix’s “TWogether” Highlights the Legacy of English in Asia
BY Jamin Shih
Featuring Lee Seung-gi and Jasper Liu, Netflix reality show "TWogether" reveals the traces of colonial English in Southeast and South Asia.
Review: “House of Hummingbird” Paints A Bleak Coming-of-Age
BY Brenda Chang
In "House of Hummingbird," Korean director Kim Bora examines adolescence and alienation in 1990s Seoul.
Korean Film “Beauty Water” Depicts the Horrors of Keeping Up with Beauty Standards
BY Jackie Chen
Debuted at Annecy 2020, Korean animated movie "Beauty Water" provides a dark view of using plastic surgery to change one’s socioeconomic standing.
Review: Netflix’s “Extracurricular” Is a Dark High School Drama Exploring Teen Problems
BY Jianne Soriano
Netflix original K-drama "Extracurricular" subverts traditional high school teen drama cliches by exploring issues like compensated dating.
Review: “The World of the Married” Is an Intense, Controversial Drama About Extramarital Affairs
BY Jianne Soriano
Through affairs and divorce, smash-hit K-drama “The World of the Married” explores why marriage isn’t all sunshine and butterflies.