Badland Hunters (2024)

Director: Heo Myeong Haeng

Starring: Ma Dong-seok, No Jeong-ee, Lee Joon-young

When an earthquake turns Seoul into a lawless badland, a fearless huntsman goes on to rescue a teenager from a mad doctor who held the teenager captive in a camp full of dangerous cultists.

‘Badland Hunters’ is the 100th Korean movie I’ve seen. I can’t express enough how impressed I am with Korean cinema. While the premise for ‘Badland Hunters’ might not be the most original, the execution thereof certainly is.

‘Badland Hunters’ is a post-apocalyptic film set three years after a devastating earthquake destroyed most of Earth. The survivors set up colonies, and they battle to survive the new world. To make matters worse, it hasn’t rained for months and water is scarce.

Nam San (Ma Dong-seok) and Choi Ji-wan (Lee Joon-young) are hunters who trade meat for items they find useful. Choi Ji-wan is secretly in love with Han Su-na (No Jeong-ee). One day, a group of people arrive claiming they have a safe zone in Seoul – an apartment building that survived the earthquake, and is protected by a military force. They prioritize families with children under 20, because children are the future of humanity.

From the beginning I questioned their good intentions. We then follow a group of people traveling to the safe zone and soon discover all is not what it seems. Soon after arriving at the apartment compound, Han Su-na becomes suspicious of the water they are given, and the activities of those with authority, especially Dr. Yang Gi-su, who runs the facility. Now, it is up to Nam San and Choi Ji-wan to save them. Along the way the team up with special ops air force sergeant Lee Eon-ho (Ahn Ji-hye).

What follows, is non-stop action and entertainment. ‘Badland Hunters’ just gets better and better as the story develops, with incredible action sequences. As the body count increases, the film gets violent and bloody, so prepare yourself! (Unlike the John Wick films, the violence is justified here, as it is the only way to kill the ‘monsters’.) There are even moments that fondly made me reminisce ‘V’, the TV series from the 80s. The film was actually also disturbing on many levels – morality being one of them.

‘Badland Hunters’ offers plenty of action and suspense and fantastic fight choreography. This is an insanely entertaining film! Ma Dong-seok once again delivers a fantastic performance as the protagonist. He is such a likeable “gorilla”!

In Korean.

Would I watch it again? Yes.