Whether it’s “The Witness”, “The Treacherous” or “The Outlaws”: In the past few months we have been able to report on numerous Korean films that have been around for a few years and are now finally finding their way to Germany. And that the Netflix hit “Squid Game” could have made a certain contribution to this was recently suggested by the damn similar sounding “Squirt Game” – after all, it was released a few years ago under the title “The Gigolo”. But no matter, the main thing is: genre fare from the Far East finally seems to be finding its way to us again! And that’s particularly gratifying, since Korean cinema in the recent past has blossomed into a global phenomenon with outstanding films and series, from which even Hollywood can still cut a slice here and there.
With “The Phone”, the next potential highlight from Korea will find its way to Germany on August 5, 2022. But was the wait worth it? This is exactly what you can see for yourself in just over a month.
» “The Phone” DVD & Blu-ray on Amazon*
Incidentally, “The Phone” stormed straight to the top of the cinema charts in its Korean homeland in 2015. The film grossed almost $4.5 million in Korea on its opening weekend alone. In the end there were a good 10 million dollars in the book, which put the film even Hollywood films like “The Hunger Games – Mockingjay: Part 2”, “Chappie” or “Fifty Shades Of Grey” left behind. In addition to the commercially available standard editions, the film is also available as a chic limited edition in the media book:
» “The Phone” media book at Amazon*
In his feature film debut, director Bong-Joo Kim tells the story of businessman Dong-ho (Son Hyeon-ju), who has been a shadow of himself since the death of his wife. As long as her killer is still roaming around somewhere out there, it’s impossible for him to make peace. But then one day he gets a phone call that changes his life. On the other end of the line: his late wife.
After initial skepticism, he is finally convinced: the person must actually be his wife. Because she knows things that nobody else can know! Apparently, an electromagnetic anomaly allows him to communicate with the past via echo. But does that mean he can undo his wife’s death?
While director Bong-Joo Kim is still a blank slate, Korea-affine film and series fans can look forward to one or two well-known faces in “The Phone”. In addition to the main actor Son Hyeon-ju (“Hide And Seek – No Escape”), you can also expect Seong-woo Bae, Kim Jong-Goo (“Poetry”) and Jang In, who are known from the historical action film “The Great Battle”. -Sub, who was also part of “A Hard Day”, which was released in 2021. The best-known cast member is probably Anupam Tripathi, who was already seen in Netflix’s sci-fi adventure “Space Sweeper” in 2021 and most recently fought for his life as Ali Abdul in “Squid Game”.
*The links to the Amazon offer are so-called affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, we will receive a commission.
