2023.11.9 Now Playing

New films "The Marvels," "The Boys," "Talk To Me," "Stimulant" and "Kyrie" are showing in theaters this week.

A scene from ″The Marvels″ [WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

The Marvels (12)

Action, sci-fi / 105 mins. / English / Nov. 8

Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau and Ms. Marvel find themselves suddenly transported to different locations whenever they use their superpowers. They must learn how to navigate this obstacle while trying to save the universe from the forces of Dar-Benn, the new leader of the Kree.

Captain Marvel, considered one of the strongest superheroes in all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, destroys the Supreme Intelligence, an artificial intelligence, leading to a civil war among the Kree, an alien human species. Dar-Benn, the new leader of the Kree, seeks to find the Quantum Bands, a powerful artifact that will allow him to control the Kree and take over the universe. Captain Marvel must work with Rambeau and Ms. Marvel to stop Dar-Benn from getting his hands on the Quantum Bands.

Directed by Nia DaCosta, “The Marvels” features Korean actor Park Seo-jun as Prince Yan, a character from Captain Marvel’s past.

A scene from ″The Boys″ [CJ ENM]

The Boys (15) Drama, crime / 124 mins. / Korean / Nov. 1

An owner of a small grocery shop is robbed and killed in 1999, and three village boys are quickly blamed as the suspects in the horrendous case.

Newly commissioned police officer Hwang Jun-cheol tries to clear their names after being tipped off by a villager, but his efforts are rendered weak due to the corrupt system and interests surrounding the villagers, headed by the then-chief inspector Choi Woo-seong. Jun-cheol is demoted, but he must once again face his unresolved past when he is faced by the three boys and a witness to the case, 16 years later.

Actors Sul Kyung-gu and Yoo Jun-sang take the lead as Jun-cheol and Woo-seong, respectively.

Based on the true story of the Samrye Nara Super robbery incident, which occurred in Wanju County in North Jeolla in 1999, “The Boys” is directed by Chung Ji-young, known for “North Korean Partisan in South Korea” (1990), “White Badge” (1992), “Unbowed” (2012) and “National Security” (2012).

A scene from ″Talk To Me″ [LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT]

Talk To Me (15) Horror, thriller / 95 mins. / English / Nov. 1

Take the hand of a dead person and whisper, "talk to me," and get ready to be possessed by a ghost. Ask any question you would like, but remember never to go over 90 seconds.

A group of friends gets addicted to the ghost-possessing challenge hot online, but things go awry when Mia's friend Riley becomes possessed by Mia's dead mother, and Mia fails to remember the 90-second rule in the presence of her beloved family. Revolving around high school students Mia, Jade and Riley, "Talk To Me" is a horror film venturing around the idea of spirituality and tapping into the afterlife. It has gotten a 94 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is receiving wide acclaim for its original story.

Actors Sophie Wilde, Zeo Terakes, Miranda Otto and Joe Bird play the leading roles. "Talk To Me" premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival last year and was released first in Australia, receiving positive reviews.

The film is currently a box office success, grossing $90 million worldwide against a budget of $4.5 million. A sequel is also in development.

A scene from ″Simulant″ [SPECIAL MOVIE CITY]

Simulant (15) Sci-fi / 95 mins. / English / Nov. 2

In the near future, when AIs have become advanced enough to replace humans, a group of AIs led by a hacker will rise against the government, which tries to control the AIs and make them behave according to humans' will.

A woman replaces her deceased husband with an AI "simulant," but the husband himself does not realize that he is an AI. When the simulant, Evan, faces the danger of being terminated, he enlists the help of a hacker who attempts to release the simulant's abilities and inner thoughts. The government, afraid of an AI uprising initiated by Evan's case and the hacker, tries to suppress the movement.

Robbie Amell, Jordana Brewster, Sam Worthington and Simu Liu star in leading roles in "Simulant," directed by Canadian director April Mullen.

A scene from ″Kyrie″ [MEDIA CASTLE]

Kyrie (15) Drama / 119 mins. / Japanese / Nov. 1

A young girl named Luca, who calls herself Kyrie after going through a tragic accident, is homeless and makes ends meet through busking. She reunites with a childhood friend, Ikko, who becomes her manager.

The film follows the characters over a span of 13 years and tells the story of why Luca — or Kyrie — became homeless and the aftermath of the accident that occurred in 2011. The friendship between Kyrie and Ikko develops deeply as the two travel around Japan and sing. Kyrie can only speak in whispers unless she is singing, and the story behind this is also unveiled later in the film.

Written, directed and edited by Shunji Iwai, the legendary director behind the film “Love Letter” (1995), “Kyrie” was screened at this year’s Busan International Film Festival.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]