All five (5) Korean movies were released in 2022 and are streaming on Rakuten Viki. They were picked because the Viki viewing audience rated them 9 out of 10 stars (or higher), and I agree.
Pil-Ju, an elderly veteran who fought bravely in the Vietnam War, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia. When he was a young boy his family suffered atrocities committed against them during the Japanese occupation. He does not want to forget that nor does he want to forget the specific names of those who cruelly injured his entire family. To remember, he tattoed their names on his fingers. In modern-day South Korea, these people are honored as heroes but he knows a different story. In his mind they are Korean traitors who sold their fellow countrymen to satisfy their greed; and Japanese foreigners who used the excuse of war to justify their crimes.
In-Kyu considers Pil-Ju a trustworthy friend, despite their age differences. He does not know Pil-Ju’s backstory or plan to get justice for his family. But he jumped for the opportunity to earn some extra money driving Pil-Ju on “special errands”. In-Kyu is shocked and scared when he sees one of the people Pil-Ju killed, and realizes that he could be arrested as an accomplice. However, when he learns Pil-Ju’s story, he chooses to help him. In-Kyu has his own personal reasons for offering his support to the elderly veteran.
The theme of “Remember” is clear: The Japanese occupation of Korea should never be forgotten (or repeated). Even though Japan made efforts to modernize Korea’s economy, the human rights violations of the Korean people can never be justified, excused, ignored, or erased by simply saying … that was in the past.
Zone, Kdrama. “Remember (2022) Official Trailer | Nam Joo Hyuk, Lee Seung Min.” YouTube, 15 Sept. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=jPzlxLaxVnY.
The setting is during the 1960s and the Republic of Korea is trying to build a strong democratic country. The party in power has labeled Kim Woon-Bum as an “idealist fool”, a “commie”, and a “dirty red”. Even though he has great plans to make life better for all citizens, nobody listens. Citizens have been persuaded to believe that he promotes Communism and has ties to North Korea. The reality is his political party should be called the “New Democrats”.
Seo Chang-Dae is like a “fox”, i.e. he is sly, cunning, and crafty. He approaches Kim Woon-Bum with an offer to run his political campaign. Kim Woon-Bum refuses because he thinks the way he campaigns to win cn be described as unethical and possibly even unjust. He is unwilling to compromise his integrity for the sake of winning an election.
Kim Woon-Bum’s ultimate aim is to become President. His campaigning methods were not working. So he decided to put Seo Chang-Dae in charge of his political campaigns.
This movie was set during the 1960s. However, considering the current political situation in the United States, Americans can totally relate to this movie.
Channel, kDRAMATV. “Kingmaker: The Fox of the Election 2022 OFFICIAL Trailer.” YouTube, 1 Apr. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJSEcryFQoE.
Ji-Woo attends an elite high school with lots of wealthy kids. He studies hard but his math grades are lacking. Wealthy students go to a weekend math boot camp for extra tutoring. They can afford it, but he’s a welfare recipient. His schoolmates get him into trouble and he is expelled from the dormitory. Rather than go home and face his mother, he stays in the school’s old science building which is used for storage. That’s how he meets the Hak-Sung, the night guard at the school.
Nobody knows much about Hak-Sung. The students call him the “commie officer” because they heard he came from North Korea. That’s part of his story. It turns out that Hak-Sung is a math genius. He agrees to help Ji-Woo improve his math skills. But??
Why is a math genius working as a school security guard?
Far East Films. “In Our Prime (2022) 이상한 나라의 수학자 – Movie Trailer – Far East Films.” YouTube, 14 Feb. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iynF8yAgFo.
A man, his pregnant wife, and their two kids (a girl and a boy) are homeless and beggars. During the day, they walk along the highway from place to place; and at night, they sleep outside in a tent. So that his kids don’t get discouraged he tells them “Hey! Camping like this is real happiness.” He tells his wife: “Things will work out somehow.” Each day he asks strangers for money and promises to pay them back. One day a lady gives them money but when he approaches her again the next day, she accuses them of being scammers and thieves.
The husband gets arrested and put in jail. When the woman sees the mother and children alone outside the police station she offers them a place to stay. They appreciate the comfort of having a roof over their head and food to eat. After all, homelessness is really NOT happiness.
The husband escapes from prison and finds them. But the mother says she won’t leave because their children are better off. The father refuses to accept that he can not be together with his wife and children.
People are often quick to judge another person’s situation without the facts. Sometimes the misjudgment results in tragedy.
Far East Films. “Highway Family (2022) 고속도로 가족 – Movie Trailer – Far East Films.” YouTube, 25 Oct. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cNjHKP4GpQ.
A dutiful teenage daughter quit school so that she could work to take care of her deaf mother. On her way home from work one night, she is attacked and sexually assaulted by the man her mother works for. He threatens to kill her mother if she tells anybody what happened to her. When he turns his back on her to walk away, she grabs a large rock and bashes his brains out. She goes to court and is judged guilty of murder. WHAT??
Well you see, it’s her word against a dead man. She says he raped her and she acted in self-defense. The law – The Law – says that since his death resulted from her “alleged self-defense” there is no way to prove she is telling the truth. She could have had an arrangement with him to help take care of her mother and for some reason, she got angry about something and bashed his head in. Or something else could be the reason she committed cold-blooded murder.
It was murder; not self-defense. The verdict is guilty and Jung Yoon-Young must serve 5 years. Just like that, she went from being the bright, intelligent dutiful daughter named Jung Yoon-Young TO being referred to as Inmate Number 2037.
Could it get any worse? Yes! The prison doctors tell her she’s pregnant. She gets a retrial and the sentence is reduced to one year.
I HATED THIS MOVIE!! I was so angry at the justice system.
Can you imagine? My attacker has already violated me! But he dared to threaten my momma too??!! No way I’m going to live the rest of my life in fear, thinking of what he might do to my mother!
PRO Trailers. “2037 – Official Trailer [Movie, 2022].” YouTube, 31 May 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=h62bmkqx4v0.
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