‘Jung_E’: The Upcoming Sci-Fi Korean Film

Artificial intelligence in fiction highlights how machine intelligence has frequently been featured in science fiction over the years as a narrative tool, whether it is positive, emphasizing potential benefits, or negative, emphasizing risks. Decades ago, in 1872, Samuel Butler’s novel Erewhon included the concept of artificial intelligence. Since then, a large spectrum of sci-fi stories featuring robot uprisings has examined the consequences of such intelligence. The most iconic is Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, portraying the ruthless HAL 9000 as opposed to R2-D2 from 1977’s Star Wars and the titular robot from 2008’s WALL-E.

This time around, acclaimed South Korean filmmaker and screenwriter Yeon Sang-ho has written and directed Jung_E, a science fiction film about a researcher at an AI lab who attempts to create a robot by cloning the brain of well-known mercenary Jung E, her mother. In the 22nd century, a lifeless, bleak Earth serves as the setting for the movie. The cause of this is climate change. In the middle of the mayhem, a battle breaks out within the shelter built for human survival. The ability to clone Jung E as a programmable robot will now decide the war’s outcome. 

Yeon is anticipated to reach new heights with Jung_E after receiving adulation for his adult animated films The King of Pigs (2011) and The Fake (2013), as well as for the live-action zombie flick Train to Busan (2016), its animated prequel Seoul Station (2016), and its live-action sequel Peninsula (2020), in addition to the first South Korean superhero film Psychokinesis (2018). I admire how the filmmaker characterizes his work by blending different genres, employing sophisticated direction and making social satire a key component. His portrayal of contentious issues that ruthlessly and insightfully probe human nature and societal realities is exceptional.

The official teaser of Jung_E opens and instantly attracts attention to the avant-garde universe of KRONOID, dedicated to making the world safer by unveiling its most trailblazing AI combat warrior. Kim Hyun-joo, as Jung E, a former commander of the Allied Forces and the subject of the brain cloning project, looks incredible. Along with Kim, the film will star the late actress Kang Soo-yeon as Seo Hyun, the team leader of the research center responsible for cloning Jung E’s brain and testing its fighting capabilities. The movie will mark Kang’s posthumous release. It will also feature Ryu Kyun-soo as Sang Hoon, the director of the institute who must succeed in the brain cloning experiment.

I’m anxiously awaiting some jaw-dropping action sequences, mind-blowing special effects, and entertaining creative frames, because the film’s aesthetics look so magnificent already. To be honest, I’ve invariably enjoyed the visual style of sci-fi movies because the juxtaposition of known and unknown elements fascinates me, and the way Korean cinema approaches the genre is excellent. With the release of Jung_E on Netflix on January 20th, I think the wait is finally over for anything as excellent as The Silent Sea, which I loved watching last year.