Country: South Korea

Could be a marmite type of film but this reviewer loved it and ‘Time to Hunt’ once again shows South Korea is producing some of the most exciting cinema around.

While the hype machine surrounding the film may damper some viewers overall enjoyment, there is no doubting ‘Train to Busan’ is an exhilarating zombie thrill ride, crafted with care and a commitment to carnage.

There is, therefore, no surprises in this Korean blockbuster. Yet the winning entertainment value that Kwon Hyeok-Jae imbues his film with renders all of these minor inconveniences mostly irrelevant.

‘Tube’ just about manages to succeed in being passable action fluff, but it is ultimately as shallow and unsatisfying as the worst of the Hollywood blockbusters.

Tense, exciting, thoughtful and often very funny, ‘Tunnel’ has so many facets to be congratulated on that a few paragraphs barely seem appropriate to sing its praises.

The whole production just doesn’t seem to pay enough attention to the plot or characters and seems far more concerned with flaunting its lavish locales.

‘Unbowed’ allows the suspense and fascination connected to the case to grow organically, helped immeasurably by the outstanding performances of Ahn Sung-Ki and Park Won-Sang.

‘Villain and Widow’ is a witty comic creation that has so much more punch than many of its Korean contemporaries.

While it may often prioritise style over substance, ‘Volcano High’ still emerges as a pretty enjoyable action flick.

‘The War of The Arrows’ is the kind of confident blockbuster that swaggers onto the screen, stays for a noisy, incident-filled two hours and gallops off into the night.

Witty, moving and, most important of all considering its intentions, scathing without jaundiced polemic, this is a remarkable film.

It may have weaknesses that wreak of uneven handling by the director, but its two main cast members courageously battle through such obstacles and help this topsy-turvy film achieve a certain charisma.