'Hijack 1971,' 'Monkey Man' and other films to see in cinemas in Korea

“Hijack 1971” is based on the true story of the Korean Air F27 flight hijacking incident of 1971.

″Hijacking 1971″ stars Sung Dong-il, left, and Ha Jung-woo, right. [YONHAP]

Hijack 1971 (12)Disaster, Thriller / 100 mins. / English / June 21 Things go south, ironically, by going north.

The year is 1971. Tae-in, played by Ha Jung-woo, is a former Air Force pilot who is employed to fly for a commercial airline. What seems like another regular job goes horribly wrong when the plane is hijacked by Yong-dae, played by Yeo Jin-goo. A bomb goes off and the plane is in absolute chaos. Captain Kyu-sik, played by Sung Dong-il, and flight attendant Ok-Soon, played by Chae Soo-bin, also try their best to keep order, but this is no ordinary hijacker they are dealing with.

Yong-dae does not want money like a typical terrorist. His request is simple yet terrifying: fly the plane to North Korea. Captain Kyu-sik has lost an eye to the bomb blast, and the situation is in complete disarray. Will Tae-in fulfill his job as a pilot and get his passengers to safety?

“Hijack 1971” is based on the true story of the Korean Air F27 flight hijacking incident of 1971. This is the directorial debut for director Kim Sung-han, who has previously been the assistant director for the films “Asura: The City of Madness” (2016) and “1987: When the Day Comes” (2017).

Dev Patel stars as Kid, enacting revenge for his dead mother. [UNIVERSAL PICTURES]

Monkey Man (19)Action / 121 mins. / English / June 19 Move over John Wick, there is another action thriller ready to take up the mantle.

In a remote forest village in India, a boy grows up listening to the folk tales his mother tells him. But a corrupt police bureaucrat, Rana, played by Sikandar Kher, comes down to the village and massacres the boys’ family and friends when he doesn’t get his way. The mother dies in front of the boy’s eyes as Rana sets her on fire, and there is no going back. The boy grows up into a hurt and vengeful adult named Kid, played by Dev Patel.

The spiteful Kid works as a heel for an underground fight club, being the bad man that the audience boos, known as the Monkey Man — for his monkey mask. But one day, the corrupt police chief he knows from his childhood steps into the club, and Kid begins plotting his revenge. With the screams of his family and friends well alive in his head, will he finally be able to quiet the voices down?

Dev Patel stars as the protagonist of “Monkey Man” but also is the director of the film. Patel first stepped into the limelight with the 2008 film “Slumdog Millionaire,” playing the protagonist Jamal Malik. “Monkey Man” is his directorial debut.

Still cut from ″Inside Out 2″ [WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

Inside Out 2 (All)Animation / 100 mins. / English / June 12

Puberty is such a mix of emotions, how did we ever navigate through it?

“Inside Out” (2015) was such a refreshing depiction of emotions, personifying them as operators in a child’s mind. But what happens to the operators when the child they were in charge of grows up to be a teenager? Eleven-year-old Riley, played by Kensington Tallman, from the previous film has grown up, and now she is a teenager. With a sleuth of new emotions introduced into the mix, will Joy, played by Amy Poehler, and the others work well with the newcomers to guide Riley into a healthy adulthood?

The original cast of the film carries over into the sequel, except for Liza Lapira, who played Disgust, Tony Hale, who played Fear, and Kensington Tallman, who played Riley.

“Inside Out 2” is Kelsey Mann’s directorial debut for a feature. He has previously been involved in other Pixar films, being a story supervisor for “Monsters University” (2013), “The Good Dinosaur” (2015) and “Onward” (2020).

A still from film "Wonderland" [ACEMAKER MOVIEWORKS]

Wonderland (12) Drama / 113 mins. / Korean / June 5

If you could revive your lost loved ones, would you do it?

Director Kim Tae-yong’s latest sci-fi fantasy film, “Wonderland,” raises questions about technology and human relationships.

Featuring a star-studded lineup, with actors Tang Wei, Park Bo-gum, Suzy, Jung Yu-mi and Choi Woo-shik, the story is set in a world where people can reconnect with their lost loved ones or those that are severely ill through AI video calls provided by a company called Wonderland. It follows the various characters' narratives, including confusion and the discrepancies one feels when connecting with those that they've already lost.

Kim directed the films “Family Ties” (2006) and “Late Autumn” (2011). His 2011 film was his first collaboration with Tang. While watching the film, the audience might also meet an unexpected guest. So, look out.

Still cut from ″Night Fishing″ [CGV]

Night Fishing (All) Sci-fi, Thriller / 13 mins. / Korean / June 14

Tonight, the most dangerous fishing experience begins.

The one-man action thriller film “Night Fishing,” directed by Moon Byoung-gon, revolves around an unidentified fisherman, played by actor Son Suk-ku, who experiences mysterious incidents at an EV charging station at night. The man sets off to a quiet riverside to fish, receiving suspicious radio calls to his car. While he settles at the charging station, waiting for a fish to bite, the most dangerous night fishing experience begins.

The film follows the car's point of view, which was filmed by “Concrete Utopia” (2023) cinematographer Cho Hyung-rae. It gives the film a unique touch, presenting various angles of the character from the perspectives of cameras installed inside and outside the vehicle.

Along with its unique concept, the some 10-minute film presents a new movie term: “snack movie." Tickets will sell for 1,000 won ($0.72), which is significantly affordable compared to the domestic film ticket price, which ranges at around 15,000 won. The film will only be available at CGV theaters from June 21 to 23.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]