Movies now playing in Korean theaters to kick off the new year

Now playing in theaters are films "Noryang: Deadly Sea," "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," "Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus," "Napoleon" and "Living."

A scene from ″Noryang: Deadly Sea″ [LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT]

Noryang: Deadly Sea (12) Action, drama / 153 mins. / Korean / Dec. 20

Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s last battle comes to life on the silver screen in director Kim Han-min’s latest and final installment in the trilogy about Korea's legendary naval military strategist.

Set in 1598, seven years after Japan's invasion of Joseon first took place, Admiral Yi, played by actor Kim Yun-seok, has lost everything including his mother, his sons and some of his most trusted right-hand men. After the sudden death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who lead the Japanese invasion, the Japanese forces decide to retreat, and Yi is adamant that the war will only really end if the fleeing Japanese navy is stamped out once and for all.

Facing impossible circumstances and many who try to thwart him, Yi must overcome his own personal struggles and once again lead his men to protect the peninsula.

“Noryang: Deadly Sea” is the third film in the trilogy about Yi, after “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” (2014) and “Hansan: Rising Dragon” (2022). Directed by Kim Han-min, the film has topped the domestic box office at No. 1 for 13 consecutive days since its release and has gathered 3.8 million viewers so far.

A scene from ″Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom″ [WARNER BROS. KOREA]

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (12) Action, sci-fi / 124 mins. / English / Dec. 20

The long-awaited sequel to “Aquaman” (2018), “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” follows underwater superhero Arthur on a journey to protect the kingdom of Atlantis.

Arthur, played by Jason Momoa, has settled into the role of being king of Atlantis and splits his time between land and sea. Black Manta, the nemesis of Arthur from the first film, seeks revenge against Arthur for his father’s death and eventually finds an old magical artifact — a black trident that possesses him and grants him the power to potentially destroy Arthur.

Arthur and his half-brother, Orm, whom Arthur helps break out of prison, must settle their differences and work together to fight against Black Manta and the power of the black trident.

Directed by James Wan, the film reportedly took more than $205 million to produce, making it one of the most expensive films made last year.

A scene from ″Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus″ [MEDIA CASTLE]

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus (All) Documentary / 103 mins. / Japanese / Dec. 27

The late composer and pianist Ryuichi Sakamoto’s last performance is captured in a posthumous documentary by director Neo Sora for the world to see. It was recorded in late 2022.

Sakamoto, who in his lifetime composed nearly 50 original scores for films and released many more albums of his music, was the first Asian to win an Oscar for Best Original Score with the 1987 film “The Last Emperor.”

He died in March last year, and “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus” contains the last interviews with the maestro and the last concert performance from Sakamoto. Additional interviews with those close to Sakamoto and his colleagues are featured in the film.

“Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus” had its world premiere in Korea in December last year. Sakamoto personally participated in curating and selecting the songs to be played at the last concert captured in the documentary before he died.

A scene from ″Napoleon″ [SONY PICTURES]

Napoleon (15) War, drama / 158 mins. / English / Dec. 6

Joaquin Phoenix stars and shines in “Napoleon,” a historical saga on the French military commander’s origins and his relationship with his wife Josephine.

Napoleon Bonaparte is a young army officer who quickly climbs through the ranks and makes a name for himself through his unorthodox military tactics. He courts the enigmatic widow Josephine de Beauharnais and they marry, and their volatile relationship carries the film as the audience is drawn in by the chemistry between Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby, who plays Josephine.

As Napoleon continues to win wars and thrive as emperor, the question of his inevitable downfall looms as the film reaches its climax.

“Napoleon” is directed by Ridley Scott, who previously directed classic hits such as "Alien" (1979), "Gladiator" (2000), and "The Martian" (2015). It received mixed responses from Napoleon's homeland of France but garnered an overall positive reception from American and worldwide audiences.

A scene from ″Living″ [T CAST]

Living (12) Drama / 102 mins. / English / Dec. 13

What does it mean to live your life to the fullest? Director Oliver Hermanus asks this in the film “Living,” a drama about an older government worker who is diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Rodney Williams, played by Bill Nighy, is a London County Council bureaucrat who is uninterested in his work and detached from his daily life. He learns that he is terminally ill with cancer and has only months to live. Instead of telling his son and the rest of his family, he decides he wants to take his own life, but he cannot bring himself to do it.

Rodney then goes on a series of small adventures before turning to a project at work that he had previously neglected. The project brings out the best in Rodney and his colleagues, making them see the importance of social integration and caring for their neighbors.

The screenplay for “Living” was written by Nobel Prize-winning novelist Kazuo Ishiguro, based on the 1952 Japanese film “Ikiru,” which in turn was inspired by the Russian novella “The Death of Ivan Illyich” by Leo Tolstoy.

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