Inside Out 2 (All)

Animation / 100 mins. / English / June 12

Puberty is such a mix of emotions, how did we ever navigate through it?

“Inside Out” (2015) was such a refreshing depiction of emotions, personifying them as operators in a child’s mind. But what happens to the operators when the child they were in charge of grows up to be a teenager? Eleven-year-old Riley, played by Kensington Tallman, from the previous film has grown up, and now she is a teenager. With a sleuth of new emotions introduced into the mix, will Joy, played by Amy Poehler, and the others work well with the newcomers to guide Riley into a healthy adulthood?

The original cast of the film carries over into the sequel, except for Liza Lapira, who played Disgust, Tony Hale, who played Fear, and Kensington Tallman, who played Riley.

“Inside Out 2” is Kelsey Mann’s directorial debut for a feature. He has previously been involved in other Pixar films, being a story supervisor for “Monsters University” (2013), “The Good Dinosaur” (2015) and “Onward” (2020).

Wonderland (12)

Drama / 113 mins. / Korean / June 5

If you could revive your lost loved ones, would you do it?

Director Kim Tae-yong’s latest sci-fi fantasy film, “Wonderland,” raises questions about technology and human relationships.

Featuring a star-studded lineup, with actors Tang Wei, Park Bo-gum, Suzy, Jung Yu-mi and Choi Woo-shik, the story is set in a world where people can reconnect with their lost loved ones or those that are severely ill through AI video calls provided by a company called Wonderland. It follows the various characters' narratives, including confusion and the discrepancies one feels when connecting with those that they've already lost.

Kim directed the films “Family Ties” (2006) and “Late Autumn” (2011). His 2011 film was his first collaboration with Tang. While watching the film, the audience might also meet an unexpected guest. So, look out.

Night Fishing (All)
Sci-fi, Thriller / 13 mins. / Korean / June 14

Tonight, the most dangerous fishing experience begins.

The one-man action thriller film “Night Fishing,” directed by Moon Byoung-gon, revolves around an unidentified fisherman, played by actor Son Suk-ku, who experiences mysterious incidents at an EV charging station at night. The man sets off to a quiet riverside to fish, receiving suspicious radio calls to his car. While he settles at the charging station, waiting for a fish to bite, the most dangerous night fishing experience begins.

The film follows the car's point of view, which was filmed by “Concrete Utopia” (2023) cinematographer Cho Hyung-rae. It gives the film a unique touch, presenting various angles of the character from the perspectives of cameras installed inside and outside the vehicle.

Along with its unique concept, the some 10-minute film presents a new movie term: “snack movie." Tickets will sell for 1,000 won ($0.72), which is significantly affordable compared to the domestic film ticket price, which ranges at around 15,000 won. The film will only be available at CGV theaters from June 14 to 16 and from June 21 to 23.

Drive (15)
Thriller / 90 mins. / Korean / June 12

Stream for money. The alternative is death.

Popular streamer Han Yuna, played by Park Ju-hyun, finds herself in a disastrous situation when she is kidnapped and shoved into a car trunk. The circumstance is already horrible, but it turns out she has to perform her usual duty as well: streaming. She is given an ultimatum by an unknown figure: stream for an hour and get 650 million won in compensation from viewers.

Normally, a kidnapper never puts a phone near the victim. With such a weird kidnapping made by a weird criminal, no one knows what will happen next.

“Drive” is director Park Dong-hee’s directorial debut. The film was invited to the Asian Summer Film Festival in Barcelona’s Official Competitive Section in 2023. Park was a screenwriter for the 2022 action film “Special Delivery.”

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (15)
Action, Sci-fi / 126 mins. / English / May 22

Furiosa is back and ready for more explosions with her own furious entry in the franchise.

When “Mad Max: Fury Road” was released in theaters in 2015, fans screamed the infamous quote, “Witness me.” The female lead character, Imperator Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron, left such a lasting impression that she got an entire movie of her own.

“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” is a prequel to “Mad Max: Fury Road,” but instead of Max, the film centers on the younger days of Furiosa, played by Anya Taylor-Joy. Chris Hemsworth plays the barbaric warlord, Dementus, and a younger version of Immortan Joe from the previous film is portrayed by Lachy Hulme. Furiosa unleashes her vengeance, chopping up brainwashed men into pieces and blowing up janky cars into bits when she gets the chance.

Director George Miller is the mastermind behind the Mad Max series, a dystopian science fiction saga that depicts a near-future Australia decimated by oil shortages and ecocide. Miller also directed the jukebox musical comedy films “Happy Feet” (2006) and “Happy Feet 2" (2011).

The Plot (15)
Thriller / 99 mins. / Korean / May 29

If nothing is real, it means everything is allowed.

Young-il, played by Gang Dong-won, is a master of lies. His lies have specifically one purpose: murder. More specifically, his lies are used to make murders look like accidents. When he commits a murder, everyone else sees it as a tragedy. But one day, his lies are put to the test with a new mission and a new target.

The target is a little too famous and the job is a little too fishy, but Young-il and his team dive in regardless. The job seems to be going well and everything is great, until it isn’t. Young-il feels the walls closing in on him and realizes that the tower of lies he created might come crashing down.

Director Lee Yo-sup's first feature film was “The Queen of Crime” (2016). His second film as director, “The Plot,” is an adaptation of the 2009 Hong Kong film “Accident,” directed by Soi Cheang.



BY KIM MIN-YOUNG, KIM JI-YE [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]