The name Bong Joon-Ho might not mean much to most of you, but in South Korean cinema, he is almost the equivalent of JJ Abrams. A masterful storyteller and very technically astute filmmaker who knows how to build tension and depth into his stories. He has already had success with a variety of films including The Host, Memories of Murder, Barking Dogs Don’t Bite, and Snowpiercer and now has another film coming our way that looks equally as good.
Sea Fog (Haemoo – in its native Korean) tells the story of the doomed Captain Kang, who desperately takes on a dangerous smuggling job when he becomes strapped for money. And while this film is not being directed by Joon-ho himself, he did write the script and is producing the film. Instead directing responsibilities for this film have been handed over to Shim Sung-bo, who co-wrote Memories of Murder with Joon-ho.
And while it might be a different director, this trailer has all the elements that you would expect from a typical Joon-Ho picture and paints quite a dark, tense idea of what we are likely to expect from the film. If you haven’t experience some of the beauty of Korean cinema yet, this film might be a good entry point.
Here’s the plot synopsis for Sea Fog:
Kang, a long time captain of the Junjin, is disheartened to learn that his ship has been sold by its owner, leaving Kang’s entire crew in danger of losing their livelihood. Swallowing his pride, Kang pays a visit to Yeo, a human trafficking broker, and decides to take on the dangerous job of smuggling illegal migrants into South Korea. When the Junjin arrives at the pickup point, a violent storm forces the boat to stall in the open waters, inevitably pitting Kang’s crew against the migrants. As tension and unrest spread throughout the Junjin, a dense sea fog envelops the boat, and tragedy unfolds in the mysterious depths of the fog…
Last Updated: July 14, 2016
