19th London Korean Film Festival: “The Guest” Review

The slasher genre has long been a cornerstone of horror cinema, terrifying audiences with its iconic villains, suspenseful storytelling, and gruesome kills. From the masked killers of Halloween to the supernatural terrors of A Nightmare on Elm Street, slashers continue to draw viewers into their blood-soaked worlds. At the heart of the slasher genre lies…

19th London Korean Film Festival: “The Truth Beneath” Review

Lee Kyoung-mi’s The Truth Beneath, a superb dark thriller, served as the Opening Night film at the London Korean Film Festival in 2016, and now it has returned to the festival once more. Co-written by Park Chan-wook, The Truth Beneath takes audiences on a harrowing journey through the grimy underbelly of politics and the personal…

19th London Korean Film Festival: “It’s Okay!” Review

It’s Okay!, the directorial debut of Kim Hye-young, is a coming-of-age film centered around the trials and tribulations of In-young (Lee Re), who in a cruel twist of fate loses her mother and sole caretaker during a triumphant performance of a traditional fan dance by the Seoul International Arts Company. As the beat of the…

Riaan & Dane: Promising Soloists Make Their Debuts

2024 has been a fantastic year for Asian musicians. BABYMETAL are still going strong, Beabadoobee, Audrey Nuna, Laufey, Peggy Gou, Griff, Sarah Kinsley, and ATARASHII GAKKO! all dropped huge albums, and beloved artists of their niches like yeule, ONE OK ROCK, two of the three DPRs (and endless others) all made releases in the past…

9th London East Asia Film Festival: “Exhuma” Review

What do a Feng Shui master, a mortician, and a shaman all have in common? No, this isn’t the setup for a terrible joke; instead, it’s the main plot of the Korean supernatural horror film Exhuma. Although the film starts off slowly, it effectively introduces the main characters and their backgrounds. Additionally, it provides an…

9th London East Asia Film Festival: “Locust” Review

Every generation has its angry young men, rebelling against the cultural conformity of the era. From James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause and Marlon Brando in The Wild One pushing back against the stifling conservatism of the Eisenhower age, to the various turn-of-the-century studies of disaffected adults stilted by middle-class life, these are snapshots…

Iconic and Unapologetic: NANA Youngrong Kim on Korea’s Drag Scene, Creative Process, and Pioneering in Fashion – Exclusive Interview

South Korea’s drag scene is home to some of the most creative and talented queens out there. The community is thriving with performers ranging from cabaret singers like Hurricane Kimchi to Dragula’s Hoso Terra Toma. In Itaewon, Seoul’s main LGBTQIA+ district, you’ll find diverse communities and clubs, including Trance, one of the longest-running LGBTQIA+ nightclubs…