BADLAND HUNTERS

(director: Myeong-haeng Heo; screenwriters: Kim Bo Tong, Kwak Jae-Min; cinematographer: Bong-sun Byun; music: Kim Dong-wook; cast: Ma Dong-seok (Nam Sam), Lee Joon-young (Choi ji-wan), No Jeong-ee (Han Su-na), Ahn Ji-hye (Lee Eun-ho, ex-special forces), Lee Hee-jun (Mad Doctor); Runtime: 107; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Seung-min Byun; Netflix; 2024-S.Korea- in Korean with English subtitles)

“The cheesy B-film targets viewers who love ultra-violent fight scenes.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

S. Korean director Kim Young-sun is a former stuntman, who in his debut directs an earthquake dystopian action-pic, set in post-apocalyptic Seoul. It’s written by Kim Bo Tong and Kwak Jae-Min, and is a spinoff from Concrete Utopia, a prior S. Korean hit.

The relentless huntsman Nam San (Ma Dong-seok, A.K.A. Don Lee) and his partner Ji-wan (Lee Joon-young) rescue Nam San’s surrogate daughter Su-na (No Jeong-ee) abducted by a mutant mad doctor (Lee Hee-jun) amid all the chaos in the lawless badland. To do this the duo must kill off hordes of attacking zombies, as Nam San grits his teeth while chopping off their heads or shooting them in the head.

The cheesy B-film targets viewers who love ultra-violent fight scenes, and are taken with the magnetic screen presence of Ma Dong-seok. 

REVIEWED ON 2/2/2024  GRADE: C+