Movies By Hellbound Director Yeon Sang-Ho You Can Stream Today
With the success of shows like "Squid Game" and "Hellbound," 2021 has been a huge year for South Korean horror on Netflix. Based on "The Hell," a digital comic written by Yeon Sang-ho and Choi Kyu-seok, "Hellbound" is about a nation learning to cope with a new phenomenon of unearthly beings showing up and dishing out bloody condemnation to those deemed sinners, leading to the rise of a religious sect led by Jung Jin-soo (Yoo Ah-in) founded on divine justice. From the official synopsis:
Investigating the phenomenon of "proclamations" and ritualistic murders is police detective Jin Kyung-hoon (Yang Ik-june). Examining the mysterious sect are broadcast journalist Bae Young-jae (Park Jeong-min) and lawyer of the accused sinners Min Hey-jin (Kim Hyun-joo). Together, these three investigators search for answers in this wildly original commentary on the growing anxieties of a nation.
"Hellbound" debuted this week on Netflix, and should hopefully fill the void left behind by "Squid Game" — as long as people can look past the gigantic ads for "Tiger King" season 2. While Yeon Sang-ho may not be a household name in America yet, he is responsible for one of the most talked-about horror films of the decade, "Train to Busan." If you enjoyed "Hellbound" and want to see more from the same creator, or just want to watch some of the best South Korean genre films in general, here are all the movies by Yeon Sang-ho that you can stream right now.
Train to Busan
Zombie movies have waxed and waned in popularity over the last few decades, with a sensation of zombie fatigue settling in after the explosion of zombie properties in the wake of "The Walking Dead." All of that changed, however, when Yeon Sang-ho rocked the world with his masterpiece "Train to Busan." The film changed the landscape of zombie films forever and helped make international superstars out of Gong Yoo and Ma Dong-seok aka Don Lee. "Train to Busan" successfully captures the fear and action expected of a modern zombie film, but also seamlessly interweaves the anxieties of fatherhood and familial obligations against the apocalyptic backdrop. It's an absolute must-see film and truly, with no exaggeration, one of the best zombie films ever made.
"Train to Busan" is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime, Shudder, Tubi, Crackle, and PlutoTV.
Seoul Station
After "Train to Busan" exploded in popularity, director Yeon Sang-ho delivered an animated prequel to the film called "Seoul Station." The film traces the zombie outbreak to a transient man bleeding to death near the titular train station, but focuses on a group of characters including a young runaway woman, her hapless boyfriend, and a father searching for his daughter as they all fight for their lives against a murderous horde of zombies. The film carries just as much emotional weight as "Busan," but thanks to the animated medium it's able to accomplish bigger moments and wilder gore than the first. The film isn't quite as contained as the original, but it's a terrifying watch nonetheless.
"Seoul Station" is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime, Shudder, and Tubi.
Psychokinesis
It may come as a shock, but there are awesome superhero movies that exist outside of the canon of Marvel and DC. In "Psychokinesis," the very first superhero movie ever made in South Korea, a bank security guard gains telekinetic superpowers after drinking water from a mountain spring affected by a meteor, and chooses to use his new powers to save his estranged daughter and her neighborhood from an evil construction company. There's plenty of explosive superhero spectacle to enjoy, but in typical Sang-ho fashion, the film is full of heart and gives plenty of character to root for. This is one that deserved so much more attention than it was given, and proves that there shouldn't be a monopoly on super-stories.
"Psychokinesis" is available exclusively to stream on Netflix.
Peninsula
In the not-a-sequel-but-totally-a-sequel to "Train to Busan," Yeon Sang-ho swung for the fences of extreme action, and completely knocked it out of the park with the absolutely batsh*t "Peninsula." A stark contrast from the claustrophobia of the original, "Peninsula" is loud and large. The film follows a former soldier who is sent with a team to retrieve a truck full of money from the destroyed lands of the Korean peninsula now overrun by zombies, rogue militia, and a family stranded and surrounded by danger. The film is cartoonishly bombastic in a way that feels more in line with "Mad Max" than the zombie films Sang-ho is known for, but proves that he's not a one-trick pony, and has the ability to direct films on a varying spectrum of mayhem.
"Peninsula" is a Shudder exclusive.