hong xa-bin - Film Combat Syndicate

ESCAPE Review: Lee Je-Hoon Battles His Way Though Fascism And Unfriendly Fire In Lee Jong-Pil’s Subversive And Daring New Thriller

Escape opens in theaters on July 5 from Well Go USA Entertainment. The movie will also screen for the 23rd New York Asian Film Festival later this month. 4 min. read Filmmaker Lee Jong-pil’s new thriller, Escape, doesn’t hesitate before pulling you into its sights. The movie instantly sets its pace surrounding the tenacious efforts of a North Korean soldier’s quest for freedom, intricately planning a dangerous trek to the DMZ just as he nears the end of his mandatory military service. Gym-nam (Lee Je-hoon) has an elaborate plan, one that requires precision timing and strategy according if he’s to be successful. Having already mapped out a path from his barracks, and into a tunnel beneath the base’s electric fence, as well as a deadly minefield, it’s only a matter of days before he can act and make his way to the DMZ and cross the border safely. It’s a […]

HOPELESS: Don’t Miss The Official Trailer For Kim Chang-Hoon’s Crime Drama

Lee B. Golden III

Well Go USA is proudly releasing South Korean crime drama Hopeless on digital from June 25. The film is written and directed by Kim Chang-hoon and stars Hong Xa Bin, Kim Jong-soo, and Song Joong-ki. After spending his entire childhood in a town riddled with crime and violence, a teenage boy saves up his money in hopes of someday moving with his mother to start a new, happier life. But after he crosses paths with a local gangster intent on helping him, he is drawn into increasingly dangerous situations that will leave him questioning whether his attempts to escape his hellish reality will instead ensnare him in it—permanently.

HOPELESS: Catch The Trailer For The Brooding New Crime Debut From Director Kim Chang-Hoon

Lee B. Golden III

Kim Chang-hoon’s feature debut will have its October 11 release through Plus M in South Korea for crime drama noir, Hopeless, following its premiere at Cannes. The film, also written by Kim, also has a new trailer which you can view below. Hong Xa-bin stars alongside actor Song Joong-ki for the story of 17 year-old Yeon-gyu, a downtrodden teenager with no way of escaping his violent hometown to ascertain the peaceful life he only wants with his mother. When an act of desperation finds him reaching out to Chi-geon, Yeon-gyu’s consequential downward spiral into a life of crime threatens any small glimmer of hope he has left. Also starring are Kim Hyoung-seo and Jeong Jae-Kwang.