Korean movies in this vein don’t fall into a particular genre or follow a typical storyline. They are unpredictable and elicit uncontrollable laughs, rather than forced ones.
How good these movies actually are is a tricky question to answer. But if you have any love for black comedy, excess, possibly even satire, or simply do not care about a movie’s box office success, you should give them a try.
“Crush and Blush” (2008)
This delightful comedy featuring rom-com queen Gong Hyo-jin was cowritten with Park Eun-gyo and Park Chan-wook and helmed by first-time director Lee Kyung-mi. The film centers on Yang Mi-sook (Gong), a high school teacher who struggles with a chronic condition that causes her face to turn extremely red, especially when under stress. While shamelessly pursuing her former teacher who is now her married colleague, Yang makes a bold move to end her decade-long crush.
The movie opened in local theaters in 2008 and sold some 540,000 tickets, which compared to its breakeven point was not high. What makes the film a true gem is the cameo appearances of directors Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook and other veteran actors of comedy such as Ra Mi-ran and Bae Seong-woo.
“Fasten Your Seatbelt” (2013)
Actor Ha Jung-woo’s directorial debut film -- he also wrote the screenplay -- follows Ma Joon-Gyu (Jung Kyung-ho), a Hallyu star who boards a plane in Tokyo that will take him to Seoul. However, the plane is soon caught in the path of a typhoon.
While the encounter between a pop star, a business executive, a monk and a paparazzo onboard the plane evokes a somewhat absurd situation, the movie offers a series of comical, silly shenanigans in Ma’s business-class sanctuary.
The overall theme or message of the film can be gleaned from director Ha, who said, “I just love joking. So I made the film just for fun.”
“The Last Ride” (2016)
This emotional comedy-drama follows the humorous struggles of Go-hwan (Ryu Deok-hwan), who is terminally ill. Knowing that he doesn’t have much time to live, his two best friends -- Gab-duk (Ahn Jae-hong) and Nam-joon (Kim Dong-young) -- try to help fulfill Go-hwan’s only wish, which is to have sex before he dies.
What’s special about this movie is that it takes a joyful approach to death. Director Nam Dae-jung, who is known for his unique taste and humor, embraces the teenage-like idea that sex is a prerequisite to becoming an adult, along with two pure and innocent but stupid friends’ tactless actions.
The onscreen chemistry of the three buddies is adorable and their talented acting stands out although the actors are older than the characters they play.
