For some, the name Bong Joon-ho is enough to garner interest, whether he is directing, producing, or scripting. He has handled the latter two in Sung-bo Shim‘s (who co-penned Bong’s Memories of Murder), which has now been given its first U.S. trailer ahead of a domestic release. The trailer shows a fisherman down on his luck who once again engages in human smuggling between China and Korea. An official selection at TIFF back in 2014 and now finally landing in the U.S. this summer, the trailer promises a taut, beautifully shot thriller.
We said in our review: “Both atmospheric and claustrophobic, the thriller is expertly lensed by cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo (Mother, Snowpiercer) and tensely paced by editors Kim Sang-bum and Kim Jae-bum. The influence of Bong is apparent throughout the film, yet Shim’s direction is top notch and a text book example of misdirection. While the film’s first act never quite lets on just how horrific things will get as the captain (and crew) go down with the ship, Shim’s direction grows more confident as he expertly delivers genre thrills and moral dilemmas.”
See the trailer starring Yun-seok Kim, Yoo-chin Park, Ye-ri Han, and Sang-ho Kim, along with a poster, below.
Kang, a long time captain of the Junjin, is disheartened to learn that his ship has been sold by its owner, leaving Kang’s entire crew in danger of losing their livelihood. Swallowing his pride, Kang pays a visit to Yeo, a human trafficking broker, and decides to take on the dangerous job of smuggling illegal migrants into South Korea. When the Junjin arrives at the pickup point, a violent storm forces the boat to stall in the open waters, inevitably pitting Kang’s crew against the migrants. As tension and unrest spread throughout the Junjin, a dense sea fog envelops the boat, and tragedy unfolds in the mysterious depths of the fog…
After bouncing around U.S. festivals, Sea Fog hits VOD and Blu-ray on August 2nd.