If I am being honest, I can’t remember the last time I watched a Korean movie. Even though I am fully Korean and speak fluent Korean, living abroad has limited my contact with Korean films. However, I recently became acquaintanced with the K-Cinema program hosted by the Korean Cultural Centre in Canada. This program showcases Korean films and allows you to watch these amazing films all for free. Huge thanks to KCC for hosting such a wonderful program! I can now catch up on the many missed years of Korean movies…
One of my favourite genres of books is dystopian sci-fi. However, I haven’t watched too many movies in that genre. When I learned that the KCC would be hosting a screening of the sci-fi movie SEOBOK: Project Clone, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to try a sci-fi film, as well as to wander into the realms of Korean film. The review below is spoiler-free, so don’t worry if you haven’t watched it yet!
SEOBOK: Project Clone was directed by Lee Yong Zoo, and stars the famous K-drama Guardian and Squid Game actor Gong Yoo, as well as Park Bo Gum. It follows the plot of the world’s first human clone and the evils of the world that puts the clone in danger. Gong Yoo’s character, Min Ki Hyun, is tasked with escorting Seobok, the clone, who is played by Park Bo Gum, to safety. Throughout their journey together, both characters learn about the meaning of death and immortality, which are the main themes of the movie. In fact, the clone’s name, Seobok, means immortality in Korean. They are also able to reflect on their past life and learn how past experiences can alter a person’s worldview. The film was action-packed, with lots of fighting, but also had lots of emotional moments that were very moving. It is one of those movies that leaves you thinking for a long time afterwards. It was definitely different and heavier than most of the films I normally enjoy, but I found myself very interested when watching it.
The movie was filmed in Korea, mainly in Jeonju. It showcases Korea’s beautiful landscape and was a refreshing change of scenery from all the California-based films I’ve watched. Aspects of Korean culture are also captured in the film, such as the traditional hanoks and busy street markets. One part of the film I loved was when Seobok was going through the street market with Min Ki Hyun. He is fascinated by the sight and keeps trying to stop and watch. Not only was this scene adorable, but I could empathize with how Seobok must have felt. These street markets that are so common in Korea are hard to find anywhere else. Living abroad, even I am still fascinated by it. It reminded me of when I was little and still living in Korea, and my grandma would take me to these markets. There, she would always buy me these dumplings (called mandu in Korea). To this day, those mandu are the best I’ve ever tasted. Anyways, I am getting a little sidetracked but the point is I loved how the film showed many aspects of Korean culture.
I was also very impressed with the quality of the streaming. Even though the service is free, the quality of the streaming was amazing. Once you start watching, you also have 48 hours to finish the film, which is perfect for someone like me who cannot sit still for more than an hour. The film also has subtitles, so even if you don’t speak Korean, you can still enjoy the film! I highly recommend you all check this film out, as it definitely provides you with a new outlook. It is available to view through the KCC’s K-Cinema Program for free, until March 29th. I hope you enjoy it!
This article is from Yuri Choi's blog at https://yurichoii.com/2022/03/26/film-review-seobok-project-clone/