‘Monstrous: The Dark Side of New Korean Cinema’ will Showcase 8 K-movies, Including Old boy, Thirst & The Chaser

The U.S. Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will hold a special exhibition, 'Monstrous: The Dark Side of New Korean Cinema,’ from October 1 to 29, showcasing 8 Korean horrors and thrillers released in the 2000s. Starting with Director Park Chanwook’s Old boy (2003) and Thirst (2009), R-Point (2004) by Director Kong Suchang, The Host (2006) by Director Bong Joonho, Bedevilled (2010) by Director Jang Cheolsoo, The Chaser (2008) by Director Na Hongjin, Epitaph (2007) by Directors Jung Sik and Jung Bumshik and I Saw the Devil (2010) by Director Kim Jiwoon. This is the first time that a Korean film exhibition is held at the museum, which opened in September last year. 

On its official homepage on September 29, the museum introduced the special event by saying, “The start of the new millennium found Korea undergoing tremendous growth and transformation.” It continued, “This series of events created opportunities for a new generation of directors to expand boundaries in filmmaking and explore new types of storytelling and artistic visions suitable for the nation’s new cultural freedom and values.”

Especially, the museum chose Director Park Chanwook’s Old boy and Thirst as the opening and the closing films of the event, highlighting Director Park Chanwook’s cinema world. They regard Director Park as the leading director of the new generation, and Director Park has been invited as a ‘Special Guest’ for the event, which will be held on October 29 when the exhibition ends. The museum reviewed, “Old boy introduced a new type of Korean horror film, creating a new cinematic language with an exceptional artistic sensibility. As a result, new kinds of narratives emerged, breaking away from the general plotlines that reigned supreme in traditional Korean horror films.” 

You can check the screening schedules and book tickets for ‘Monstrous: The Dark Side of New Korean Cinema’ through the official homepage of the U.S. Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.