Movies with star-studded casts coming to theaters next month
A poster for the film, “The Point Men” / Courtesy of Plus M Entertainment
By Kwak Yeon-soo
December welcomed some of 2022's biggest releases, such as “Avatar: The Way of Water,” and “Hero” among many others. January won't see as many theatrical releases as in past months, but it will still have some exciting titles on offer for the audience, such as “Switch,” “The Point Men” and “Phantom.”
“Switch” is a heartwarming drama about an A-list actor, Park Kang (Kwon Sang-woo), who wakes up one Christmas morning to find himself living an alternate version of his own life in which he had chosen to marry his girlfriend and settled into a quiet family life with two adorable kids. It will hit theaters on Jan. 4. The cast also includes Oh Jung-se, Lee Min-jung, and child actors Park Soi and Kim Jun.
The action drama, “The Point Men,” starring actors Hwang Jung-min and Hyun Bin, will hit theaters on Jan. 18. Hyun will be back in his first movie since welcoming a baby boy with actress Son Ye-jin in November. Hyun Bin's last movie was the comedy action film, “Confidential Assignment 2: International.”
Directed by Yim Soon-rye, the film revolves around Korean diplomat Jae-ho (Hwang) and National Intelligence Service agent Dae-sik (Hyun) who are on a mission to rescue Korean hostages kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan. They must negotiate a settlement within 24 hours or the Taliban will kill the Korean hostages.
The movie, which wrapped up filming in 2020, was originally set for a 2022 release date. However, the studio delayed the film due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I wanted to tell stories of people on the frontier of the devastating crisis, saving other people's lives,” the director said. “My character Dae-sik is a free-spirited man who respects the human dignity of each person. I felt like director Yim herself is a very warm and caring person,” Hyun said.
A poster for the film, “Phantom” / Courtesy of CJ ENM
The action spy film, “Phantom,” written and directed by Lee Hae-young, will also hit theaters ahead of January's Lunar New Year holiday. It boasts a star-studded cast that includes Seol Kyung-gu, Park Hae-soo, Lee Ha-nee, Park So-dam and Seo Hyun-woo.
Set in 1933 during the Japanese colonial occupation of Korea, “Phantom” tells the story of five people suspected of being a mysterious spy for an anti-Japanese resistance group. Trapped inside an isolated hotel, the five characters must use their wits to survive and escape while suspecting one another.
Describing his character Junji (a Japanese police officer) as multi-layered, Seol said it was the most complex role he's played so far.
“Junji is the linchpin of the film. He is a man of many facets and suspicions. He shakes things up for five players inside the hotel, but the audience has to watch until the very end to understand who he really is and what his intentions are,” Seol said.