Psychokinesis 염력 (2018)

Directed by: Yeon Sang-ho (연상호)

Starring: Ryu Seung-ryong (류승룡), Shim Eun-kyung (심은경), Kim Min-jae (김민재), Jung Yu-mi (정유미), Park Jung-min (박정민)

The Film: Seok-hun (Ryu Seung-ryong) is an ordinary bank teller. One day, he finds his body suddenly changed and now capable of moving objects by using only his mind, a.k.a. psychokinesis. Meanwhile, Seok-hun’s daughter Roo-mi (Shin Eun-kyung), a young store owner who prefers running her own modest shop over studying and going to college, gets involved in an emergency situation with her neighbors at the dealings of CEO Min (Kim Min-jae) and Director Hong (Jung Yu-mi). So, Seok-hun and Roo-mi, along with attorney Jeong-hyun (Park Jung-min) decide to fight back and amazing things happen. At the end of yesterday, he was super ordinary. By this morning, he had super-natural powers. Now, his psychokinesis is ready to explode!

Yeon Sang-ho, director of the 2016 runaway hit Train to Busan is back with his signature gritty urban tone, except this time taking on the super-hero genre. Before Train to Busan, Yeon was known for his animated films like King of Pigs (2011) and The Fake (2013) that explored dark and unsettling themes like corruption, poverty, and bullying. Actors Ryu Seung-ryong and Shim Eun-kyung who star in Yeon’s second live-action film Psychokinesis, were also the lead voice actors for director Yeon’s animated feature Seoul Station (2016) which was released simultaneously with Train to Busan. Psychokinesis also features rising star Park Jung-min who stars alongside Lee Byung-hun in the hit drama film Keys to the Heart (2018) which was released just two weeks prior and opened to rave reviews. Park Jung-min previously impressed critics and audiences alike with his role in Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet (2016) and The Artist: Reborn (2017).

Interest: High Expectations: Medium