Empowerd Women in Cinema

Cho Gak, aka Hornclaw (Lee Hye Young), has spent most of her life working as an assassin for a vigilante agency, killing lowlife underworld gangsters and other criminals on demand. Now aged 65, she no longer looks the part, and her health is failing – but she has lost none of her deadly skills. Hornclaw has become numb to killing and the loneliness of her existence. But her world is turned on its head when she meets Bullfight (Kim Sung Chul), a young up-and-coming hitman who claims he wants to work at her side. She also discovers that someone is trying to kill her. Unsure if she can trust Bullfight, she finds herself locked in a deadly struggle for survival. As tensions begin to rise, the stage is soon set for a tumultuous showdown. Will Hornclaw and Bullfight discover that those who live by the sword must also die by the sword? This movie is based on the novel Pagwa by Gu Byeong Mo.

The Old Woman with the Knife

Realtor Koo Jung Tae (Byun Yo Han) has a despicable hobby: sneaking into people's homes and peeping into their lives when they're not around. His curiosity is piqued when social media influencer Han So Ra (Shin Hae Sun) leaves her house key at Jung Tae's agency, and he begins snooping around her home, where he learns that So Ra is a frequent liar and scammer. However, on one fateful day, Jung Tae visits So Ra's home – only to find her dead on her sofa. Even worse, when Jung Tae attempts a roundabout method to report the crime, the body disappears, and the subsequent investigation reveals evidence that points to him as the culprit. Jung Tae decides to try and clear his name, but he soon realizes that there are layers of deception that go deeper than he ever could have imagined. Can Jung Tae find out what really happened to So Ra?

Following

Sung Jin (Song Seung Heon) leads an orchestra as its conductor; his fiancée, Su Yeon (Cho Yeo Jeong) plays as a cellist, and her mother, Hye Yeon (Park Ji Young) serves as the orchestra's head. While things seem fine, Su Yeon mysteriously disappears one day, leaving behind only a video message to Sung Jin, claiming that she needs space to clear her mind before marriage. Sung Jin is understandably devastated, but finds himself drawn to Mi Ju (Park Ji Hyun), the new cellist who replaces her. Sung Jin and Mi Ju continue to grow close, eventually sleeping with each other in a wine-drunk haze in Su Yeon's home – only for Su Yeon to see everything, trapped in a hidden room in her own house by a culprit she didn't expect, further complicating already-twisted relationships and secrets. This film is a remake of the 2011 Spanish-Colombian movie "La cara oculta."

Hidden Face

Xiao Qiao (Zhao Li Ying) grew up neglected and ignored by her parents who wished she was a boy: in order to avoid penalties related to having a second child, she was never listed on the family's registry. Despite this, she seized every opportunity, eventually moving to Beijing to start anew, using her sister Qiao Yan's (Xin Zhi Lei) identity. After years of hard work, Xiao Qiao becomes a well-known actress, but the secrets of her past still weigh on her. Things escalate when Xiao Qiao receives an anonymous blackmail letter that threatens to reveal truths she's kept hidden – and the real Qiao Yan, who Xiao Qiao hasn't seen in years, suddenly reappears. Is Xiao Qiao's carefully-crafted image about to fall apart, or can she figure out what's really going on? This film was adapted from the web novel "Da Qiao Xiao Qiao" by Zhang Yue Ran.

The Unseen Sister

The Hidden Team🙎‍♀

Se Jin (Lee Yoo Mi), a teenage girl facing school bullying and social media scrutiny, discovers she's pregnant but remains emotionally detached. Abandoning her younger sister, she runs away to Seoul, where she meets fellow runaway Joo Young (Hani). Together with two other street youths, they navigate the harsh realities of survival, confronting unexpected and brutal challenges. As they struggle to find meaning and purpose, Se Jin's journey becomes a raw exploration of youth, desperation, and the search for identity. This thought-provoking narrative delves into the complex emotional landscape of young people living on the margins of society. "Young Adult Matters" is a gritty 2020 South Korean youth drama film directed by Lee Hwan.

Young Adult Matters

Young Adults Team

In 1996, a beggar finds a baby abandoned in a coin locker, adopting her and naming her Il Yeong (Kim Go Eun). At the age of 10, a corrupt detective takes Il Yeong and sells her to a mysterious woman known as Mother (Kim Hye Soo) to help pay off his debt. Mother, who leads a crime ring in Incheon's Chinatown, decides to raise Il Yeong as a potential successor. When Mother orders Il Yeong to collect on Suk Hyun (Park Bo Gum), the son of a debtor, Il Yeong initially sees it like any other job. To her surprise, Suk Hyun isn't afraid of her and treats her with kindness, giving her a taste of friendship for the first time. However, when Suk Hyun's father flees, Mother orders Il Yeong to kill Suk Hyun – and for the first time, Il Yeong considers disobeying, even if it means losing everything.

Coin Locker Girl

When a boy named Hee Joon (Moon Woo Jin) appears possessed by an evil spirit, Sister Giunia (Song Hye Kyo) wants to do whatever she can to help. However, when she learns that the priest capable of performing exorcisms may not arrive in time to save him, she decides to take matters into her own hands – even though nuns are forbidden from performing exorcisms. As Sister Giunia and Sister Michela (Jeon Yeo Been) prepare for the ritual, they uncover long-hidden secrets in their convent and come into conflict with Father Paolo (Lee Jin Uk), a priest and psychiatrist who believes that Hee Joon's symptoms are caused by an ordinary illness rather than anything supernatural. Can the nuns successfully banish the malevolent spirit, or are they taking on more than they can handle? This film is a spinoff of 2015's "The Priests."

Dark Nuns

Under the oppressive military regime of President Chun Doo Hwan in 1987, student activist Park Jong Chul is brutally tortured and killed for participating in pro-democracy protests. Anti-communist investigation Director Park Cheo Won (Kim Yoon Seok) orders the body cremated to cover up evidence, but Prosecutor Choi Hwan (Ha Jung Woo) refuses to approve the order. When the autopsy reveals the real cause of death, Prosecutor Choi is fired, but he informs journalist Yoon Sang Sam (Lee Hee Joon) about the truth. To try and suppress the case, Director Park has detectives, including Jo Han Kyung (Park Hee Soon), take the fall. While in prison, detective Jo shares the truth with prison guard Han Byung Yong (Yoo Hai Jin), who must find a way to convince his niece Yeon Hee (Kim Tae Ri) to relay the information to an opposition politician. This film was based on the true events leading up to the 1987 June Democratic Uprising.

1987: When the Day Comes

Former police officer Su Young (Jeon Do Yeon) has just completed her two-year prison sentence after taking the fall for a corruption scandal in exchange for a hefty payout from Andy (Ji Chang Wook), who masterminded the entire operation. However, upon her release, she's met by Jung Yoon Sun (Lim Ji Yeon), a mysterious woman she's never met before, and no sign of Andy or her promised compensation. Infuriated and determined to claim what's rightfully hers, Su Young decides to confront Andy by any means necessary and uncover the truth behind her betrayal... even if it means she's risking death.

Revolver

Duk Hee (Ra Mi Ran), a hardworking single mother employed at a laundromat, becomes a victim of a devastating voice phishing scam that costs her 32 million won. Frustrated by the police's ineffective response, she decides to take action herself. Teaming up with two colleagues, Duk Hee embarks on a dangerous mission to track down the Chinese scammers. Along the way, she receives unexpected help from gang member Son Jae Min (Gong Myoung), who provides crucial insider information about the criminal operation. Determined to recover her money and dismantle the fraudulent network, Duk Hee proves that an ordinary woman can become an extraordinary force against crime. This 2024 South Korean movie was based on a true story and was directed by Park Young Ju.

Citizen of a Kind

Pil Sun (Lee Hye Ri), a high schooler from the southern city of Geoje, loves dancing, but isn't able to secure a designated dance practice space at school unless she's part of a club. She, along with her friend Mi Na (Park Se Wan) decide to start a cheerleading club – and their first member is Se Hyun (Jo A Ram), a transfer student from Seoul who used to be a cheerleader at her previous school. Pil Sun, Mi Na, and Se Hyun are able to recruit enough girls to form a nine-member team, dubbed the "Millennium Girls" to mark the turn of the 20th century. Their mission now is to lead the perpetually last-place Geoje High School soccer team, led by goalie Chi Hyung (Lee Jung Ha), to victory, despite being complete novices to cheerleading themselves. Can the Millennium Girls successfully navigate their way through high school and cheer their school soccer team out of their losing streak? This 2024 Korean movie was directed by Park Bum Soo.

Victory

In a small, declining industrial town in Southern China, Shui Qing (Li Geng Xi) has lived with her controlling stepmother for 17 years, finding solace in her close-knit group of friends called the "Young Rabbit Gang." When she finally reunites with her long-lost biological mother Qu Ting (Regina Wan), life seems to improve as her mother reconnects with her and her friends. However, the arrival of a mysterious man named Old Du (Huang Jue) threatens to unravel the fragile peace Shui Qing has discovered. His presence suggests hidden secrets about Qu Ting that could potentially destroy the newfound happiness Shui Qing has longed for. This is a 2020 Chinese movie directed by Shen Yu.

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