Sea Fog (2014) User Reviews

More solid work from Korea

[Josh_Friesen · 7/10 · 9 October 2014]

It is a really interesting time for Korean cinema. Chan-wook Park and Joon-ho Bong, South Korea's leading auteurs have successfully transitioned into the English language with Stoker and Snowpiercer, introducing a larger audience to their respective cannons. South Korean cinema is flourishing. Haemoo's success on the festival circuit and its selection as Korea's entry for the foreign language Oscar is probably due in a large part to Joon-ho Bong's credit as producer and screenwriter.

Haemoo (Sea Fog) is based on a stage play which is in turn based on a real event that occurred in 2001. Judging by the collective gasp in the VIFF screening I was in, I assume most were not aware of what event it was based on. All I will say is that the incident is shocking and traumatic; this is not a film for the squeamish.

The film centers on Captain Kang and his fishing crew. He is about to lose his boat due to lack of finances so in an act of desperation he agrees to the job of smuggling Chinese-Korean immigrants into the country. His crew is not told until they are at sea.

First time director Sung Bo Shim competently handles the film, employing a straight forward, no bullshit approach to storytelling that would make Clint Eastwood proud. The set pieces are solid, especially the ship itself, although the film would have benefited from a cinematographer who wasn't afraid to take a step back. The camera is often too close to the action and three uses of shaky-cam are three too many.

Haemoo has its flaws but it's properly paced and well told. The audience at the screening seemed to love it, simultaneously applauding loudly at the finish. I look forward to seeing what Sung Bo Shim does next, preferably with a slightly larger budget.

What you sea ...

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 4 July 2021]

... is what you get? You may expect certain things to happen, but I would think that if you haven't read too much about the story, at least the inciting incident will come as a shock. That doesn't mean that the movie has not prepared you for this, but it still is quite the shocker.

Having said all that, the characters are very well drawn. And while some things may feel like over the top (or over the board?), it all makes sense in the grander scheme of things. Very well acted and suspensful from start to finish. Although the ending may not be everyone's cup of tea I reckon (no pun intended).

If you are already a fan of Korean cinema, this will only underline that sentiment. If this is your first journey (again with the puns) into that territory (I do those on purpose don't I?), then you are in for a treat - might not be entirely a sweet one, but we wouldn't want to have it any other way (the majority of characters here will very likely disagree)

A thriller based on true story, I really loved it

[Misss25 · 7/10 · 2 April 2021]

I started watching it and thought it's all about an ordinary illegal immigration but guess what I was wrong and I just realized this in half way. Highly tensed, it kept me thinking what's gonna happend next!!

Are all the crew members gonna survive?

Are they gonna caught?

Is Dong sik gonna able to start a new life with that girl?

I would please to rate this 8/10 but I really dont like it's ending :)

Kudos to Korean Movie People

[MovieIQTest · 2 June 2015]

This film is another living proof to show the world how Korean movies could be so unique and so creative. If you turn your eyes to the recent Chinese movies, including those from Taiwan and Hong Kong, you might immediately be able to tell the day and night differences and how superior and transcendent are the Korean movies, their screenplay writers, their directors and their actors are just so superior to other Asian movie industries. Japanese movies used to be good, but after their anime crap dominated over everything, their movie industries just suffered a nose dive, most of their great movies were produced between 1930 to 1070, after that golden era, Japanese movies simply lost almost everything worth mentioning.

"Sea Fog" is another memorable Korean masterpiece. Those familiar actors were doing great in this bone-chilling film. A fishing boat, fishing bad luck, down and out captain, crew and those smuggling illegals, accident (a so appropriate American slang: "Shit happens"); so unpredictable and so unavoidable....

Then, there's one thing also proved that we are too human, too subconsciously trying to hide from the atrocity and tragedy by using sudden unexplainable sex to get a cathartic escape. I do understand that under some weird, dangerous, suffocating occasions, when the tension is too high to bear, if there is an opposite gender facing the same situation with you, both you and her or him, just might use love making as a safe harbor to escape the atrocious storm and to release the pressure right afterward. But still, when that moment happened in this film, I still couldn't help shaking my head and murmuring: "WTF!??", then suddenly I realized that episode was quite possible.

If you like this movie, please don't forget to check out another great Korean movie, "The Yellow Sea", that's another bone-chilling film that only the great Korean movie people could have achieved.

Interesting drama

[grantss · 6/10 · 14 May 2017]

The captain of a South Korean fishing trawler is offered his biggest payday yet. All he has to do is pick up a bunch of Chinese refugees off the mainland of China and bring them to South Korea. He takes the job and initially everything goes well. However, the plans are thrown into disarray when tragedy strikes...

Interesting drama. Plot starts and develops well. The event that changes the course of the plot is shown in a semi-sympathetic light towards the crew and captain and you get the feeling it is going to be story about how the crew manage to evade the authorities, and smooth things over with their paymasters.

However, from a point the movie takes a romantic turn, and an idealistic turn, and this reduces it from a crew vs the authorities movies to a much more conventional good guys vs bad guys film. The multi-layered shades of gray is replaced a one-dimensional black- and-white. This takes the lustre off the movie to an extent.

Is still reasonably entertaining in the end, but had the potential to be something great.

the outbreak of the evil part of human nature is a little too abrupt and short

[yoggwork · 6/10 · 20 February 2019]

Generally speaking, it's OK. But the difficulties ahead are a little thin, and the outbreak of the evil part of human nature is a little too abrupt and short.

Over Melodramatic. Could've Been Much Better.

[redrobin62-321-207311 · 6/10 · 11 September 2018]

Maybe it's a South Korean trope - saturate the sad scenes with so much background strings that syrup practically drips down the screen, and one I'd just have to willingly accept. But tropes can sometimes be hard to bear if you're not used to them, such as the one in India where most of the films, even if it's a horror or thriller, devolves into a song and dance scene somewhere along the way.

"Sea Fog" is a superb production with A+ values - top notch cinematography, set design, and lighting. The acting, unfortunately, was weak in parts as it fell into a common trap of exaggerated expressions. What really subtracts from the power of the film, however, is the unnecessarily burdensome and annoying love story as well as the syrupy and over-loud background music. Take out those two elements that the film would be a joy to behold. AS it is now it's a chore to sit through.

Striking and harrowing

[I_Ailurophile · 10/10 · 3 July 2021]

This isn't the movie I was expecting - it's so much better.

The tonal shifts in the film are jarring, throwing the audience off from our expectations. Early exposition introduces the crew of the ship and makes a display of the human element as they first bring the immigrants on board and show them kindness. This contrasts sharply with early moments of conflict as tempers flare, to say nothing of the dramatic turn within the second half.

For as dark as it is, and well made, 'Sea fog' is deeply, terribly engrossing.

It's notable that the film was co-written between director Shim Sung-bo and celebrated film-maker Bong Joon-ho, who both similarly collaborated on Bong's marvelous 'Memories of murder.' The same grim atmosphere that pervades the latter film is just as inescapable here, if not more so, as the picture progresses. Where earlier scenes almost let us believe that 'Sea fog' is built as a sentimental human interest story along the lines of Disney's 'The finest hours,' that illusion is quickly dispelled in the second act.

It doesn't seem especially remarkable, at first, in any way. But Shim's eye as a director waits for the titular sea fog to roll in, literally lending atmosphere to the film, before he pointedly stirs it into his feature with tension as thick as the murky air. The cast roars to life with the onset of great violence and desperation, and every performance is truly riveting as the complexity of each character, and their altogether horrific personalities, are brought to the forefront.

While all excel, I'm especially enamored with the display of acting from Kim Yoon-seok, who portrays the stubborn, sole-minded captain with an unexpected range that's increasingly captivating as the feature rolls toward its conclusion. Then, too: Han Ye-ri, as Hong-mae, and Park Yoochun, as Dong-sik, share chemistry as scene partners that's greatly alluring. This is especially true in a tender scene that marks the transition from the second to third acts. Both bear such swirling, conflicting emotions in their countenance that, together with the swelling, affecting chords of Jung Jae-il's fantastic score, a scene that should be rousing and touching in a romantic sense instead feels direly tragic and heart-breaking. For as much as 'Sea fog' makes an impression from start to finish, not least of all at the climax, this scene in particular is one I am simply not going to forget.

The production design is arresting, with the scent of fish and sea air practically wafting through our screens along with the din and grit off the boat, to say nothing of the gloom of the fog. That deepening vapor is employed as pathetic fallacy in 'Sea fog,' to an extent that's maybe a bit heavy-handed, but it feels far more natural than arbitrary. The sheer quality of the storytelling and film-making herein makes this an essential watch, to say nothing of the fact that it's based on real life events.

This was only Shim's first full-length feature film, and still to date his only credit as director, but he has absolutely proven his worth. The accolades and nominations it received are very well deserved, and by all means it was a fine submission for the Academy Awards that sadly was not selected. I began watching with a particular idea in mind of what I was about to see, and I've been blown away with the experience I got instead. 'Sea fog' is an outstanding movie, highly recommended for all comers.

High sea... and fogs

[tenshi_ippikiookami · 7/10 · 19 March 2017]

"Haemoo" (or "Sea Fog" in its English title) is a movie that will be better enjoyed if you watch it without knowing anything about its plot. The story is surprising and full of nice (well, interesting) plot twists, and the viewer will not know at any moment what may happen next.

There is an economic crisis in South Korea, and captain Kang Chul- joo decides to take a dangerous assignment: bring illegal immigrants from China into the country. He needs money and he doesn't want to lose his ship and his lifestyle. And then...

"Haemoo" does a great job in being various things at the same time: a gripping thriller, an action movie, a critic of South Korea's society, an analysis of the situation of weakness illegal immigrants find themselves in..., and delivers a very strong story with great acting, amazing direction, and an ambiguous and threatening mood.

The only points that could be criticized is some repetition of situations, and a couple of decisions the characters take that make not much sense (or better yet, are too fast too unexplained). An unnecessary (but not bad) short coda could also have been cut out.

There are movies you watch to forget, and movies you watch to remember. Watch Haemoo to remember.

[TribalWho · 9/10 · 10 September 2014]

(TIFF'14 Intro) Director Sung Bo Shim introduced the movie's afternoon screening and stuck around for Q&A session afterwards.

(Review) I consider Snowpiercer to be one of the best films to come out of 2013, and Joon-ho Bong's co-scripting duties on Haemoo was what attracted me to Haemoo. While first time director, and co-script(er) Sung Bo Shim took over directorial duties for Haemoo, it is with Snowpiercer that the film will most draw comparisons. Although they couldn't be more different in terms of scripting, plot, or even the message they aim to get across, they are both a gritty, bleak look at humanity's darker side, and in both cases, play their conflicts out in locations that mirror the messages the films are trying to get across. As Snowpiercer traces a revolution that begins in the bleak lower classes back carriages of the last remaining train on Earth, moves through the empowered, and autonomous middle class cars and ends at the apathetic, electronically numb upper classes carriages, the audience are treated to a class warfare fueled journey through the entirely of our world.

Bo Shim, here, plays his tale out on a small fishing vessel, and a desperate captain, who decides to transport human cargo when business runs slow. As in Snowpiercer, the fishing vessel, and the ocean it travels on, reflect the mental state of the crew. Clear waters and sunny oceans start their journey, dark stormy waters mark their arrival to pick up the new cargo and as the crew start breaking and coming to terms with what they've been forced to do, the Haemoo (sea fog) sets in, blinding our screens, and trapping the vessel in ethereal limbo. Bo Shim takes visual clues from Joon-ho Bong and dresses up the three areas of the ship according to their roles: the uppers decks are gray and steely, the fish hold (a very bad place) is dark and bleak, and the engine room, the only 'sanctuary' for a large part of the film, is decked in shades warm yellow and brown. The film looks stark and visceral, and everything, from the script to the acting, helps get that across.

All the sights and sounds would be a waste without a solid script to back it up, and the movie does not disappoint. Haemoo throws average, ordinary, salt of the earth people into desperate situations that shatter, twist and test them. The movie's first act traces the lives of these fishermen, on and off land, and shows them going about their lives. The writing in these parts is so authentic that it's hard not to view them as real people, with real, crappy jobs by the time they head back off to sea. It is through these unremarkable and slow sequences (a charming little love story on the boat takes the better part of the first hour) that the script manages to put us at ease and catch us off guard when the s**t hits the fan. And it does hit the fan. I won't spoil anything for you, and while there's hardly any on screen violence, Haemoo was more effective as a horror movie than last night's screening of Rec 4. The final act culminates in one of the most haunting sequences you will see this year on the big screen, and ends with a perfect ending: unapologetic, chaotic, confusing, without closure. Real.

Before the film began, one of the film's protagonists (also in attendance) said she hoped that the movie will stay with the audience long after it's over. I find it hard to imagine anyone walking away from this film unscathed. How could ordinary people do these acts? Was there something dark inside them all along? Perhaps the things they were forced to do shattered their minds? Perhaps there something dark and twisted in everyone? These are questions I should stop asking myself, but I can't. Haemoo is a masterpiece, and excels in getting under your skin and affecting you on a very primal level. This is a movie you need to watch, and with an excellent score to boot, one you should want to.

Highly Overrated

[peter-spengler · 6/10 · 3 April 2021]

I watched the film because of the very positive reviews. I like Korean movies and the story sounded interesting. Hence when I watched the view there was not a single surprise. Everything happend as I expected. No twists at all and no interesting story. Dialogs were basic if not bad. Acting was partially ok. The film copied a lot from jaws and rhe storm as well as from aliens and a lot of other movies. Foreboding was delivered with a sledge hammer. Acting according to highest professional standards in the West was poor. Hence Asian actors always have this weird facial expressions. Humor also doesn't work with me.

Well that was incredible

[coolkane · 9/10 · 2 May 2015]

This film BLEW all my expectations out of the water , I knew nothing about it going in and enjoyed every single second of this incredible piece of Korean Cinema.

The intensity and tone of the film is one of the best things I can say about it , you could cut the tension with a knife and my hands were sweating the whole time ! The score and editing was impeccable , particularly the score being reminiscent of huge blockbusters (all though this is a lot more adult and brutal than an American blockbuster as usual with Korean Cinema). The cinematography was absolutely incredible , considering this took place on a boat , there was practically no shaky cam throughout the entire thing and instead the viewers are treated to some gorgeous visuals and beautiful smooth and steady shots. Only negative thing I have to say about Haemoo is the fact that a few times , it felt a little bit cliché with its character moments and plot decisions (very rarely) .

I could not believe my eyes when I saw the ratings online , they deserve to be much , MUCH higher.

Disgusting

[jindann · 1/10 · 30 May 2021]

Unless you like watching the most abominable side of human being, stay away. It just so gross in every way which is a pain to watch from start to finish, atrocious movie that's highly overrated.

Absolutely Incredible - Go In Blind!

[TheFilmGuy1 · 9/10 · 10 September 2015]

Holy hell, Haemoo (or Sea Fog) knocks it out of the park. South Korea proves that it still has the ability to pump out some absolute gems.

I'm not gonna say much about this except that it's about a crew of South Korean fishermen who take on a group of illegal Chinese immigrants on their boat. The film makes you think that it's going to be one way, and it does something completely different. That's all I will say because anything more will spoil the incredible surprise I experienced. If that core concept sounds interesting, see this film. Try to avoid other peoples comments and reviews, as they may not be as into the film as I am and find nothing wrong in spoiling things. Also, it's apparently based on real events, and I recommend you not look that up either, as it will obviously spoil it.

Kim Yun-seok gives an incredible performance here. He really steals the show, but that's not to take away from the great performances that the rest of the cast gives. It's just that he is so great at portraying the character and the changes he goes through that he will blow you away.

This film is so damn good. It really surprised me, and I would put it up there with all the rest of the must watch South Korean films. If it sounds interesting, or you like South Korean movies, check this out immediately.

(Side note, that damn ending was so good.)

Sometimes Shocking, Sometimes Beautiful, Haemoo is a Rare Film that Deserves Viewing

[totalovrdose · 8/10 · 5 January 2016]

Haemoo is one of those few films, where to reveal too much while discussing it, would completely ruin the intensity of the story. If you're anything like me, you'll go into the film assuming it will be similar to 'A Perfect Storm', and you will instead find yourself in the middle of something else entirely. Kang (Kim Yun-Seok) is not only a man at the end of his tether, but the captain of fishing vessel Jeonjiho, a bucket of bolts and disrepair, in need of immediate overhaul. The owner, who he reports to, wishes to sell the vessel, though Kang's bond with his ship, which is stronger than any he has with the people in his life, leaves him desperately trying to keep that which has been in his family for generations. Unable to afford the hefty price of buying the vessel, he agrees to illegally transport Chinese-Korean stowaways, from a prearranged location at sea, to the mainland.

Dong-Sik (Park Yoo-Chun), the youngest and newest member of the Jeonjiho, is one of only a couple crew members who initially expresses issue with this plan, though the lacking quantity of fish, and the need for money, causes everyone to unanimously agree. When moving the illegal immigrants onto the vessel, the beautiful Hong-Mae (Han Ye-Ri), falls into the ocean, Dong-Sik jumping in to save her, thus beginning a strong bond that ties them together.

The inexperience the Jeonjiho crew have in transporting stowaways, alongside the lustful attraction several of the men have towards a number of the women, results in the build up of tension, as several crew members try to take advantage of the situation. Despite the dangerous conditions, and the threat of being boarded by security, Haemoo explores how sometimes, the greatest threat when you're out at sea, are the people around you.

Themes concerning love, friendship, trust, greed and fear are interwoven into the plot, the tension slowly escalating with such precise execution, that viewers will literally find themselves inches from the screen, hanging onto every action. Though there are occasional sex scenes, and moments of violence, the film is neither bloodthirsty, nor extreme in their depiction, these instead being used to heighten the story-line.

The acting is especially convincing, and it is the talents of the crew that especially increases the level of panic, fear and dread that grips the film. Despite characterization being only in short supply, the emotional depth and poignancy surrounding the leads engages us, especially as the film begins to traverse into darker territory.

A very dark, sophisticated and powerful dramatic thriller, Haemoo shows humanity at its best and worst, and though the theme of hope is continually in a state of flux, I certainly hope you watch this film; if not for any other reason, then for the wide variety of emotions Haemoo is guaranteed to offer.

unusual and thrilling

[christopher-underwood · 9/10 · 31 August 2022]

A very unusual and thrilling and harrowing story that is not at all what is likely and I certainly was surprised. I was so glad I watched this and had thought that the sea fog would not clear and I wondered just how much would be that wonderful. At the start the shipping out at sea and we imagine the fishing would be scary but this is just the beginning. It becomes a real problem but the crew then think the money will make it all right but they can only imagine what is going to hit them. The ship on deck and below are splendid and as it starts to go really bad it is so amazing and sad. A splendid film and very unusual.

Very dark and violent movie about people pushed to the limit

[siderite · 9/10 · 3 January 2024]

If South Koreans make movies like this, I wonder what the North Koreans will do when they get out of the mess they are in. Don't get me wrong, this film was very good, but it is an impossible film to enjoy.

The story is relatively simple: the crew of an old fishing boat take on a people smuggling job in order to save their ship. And then things happen. They are not sea monsters or hyperviolent criminal gangs or something else that you might expect, but their own human nature when faced with the end. What started up as a seemingly united crew of good people trying to make ends meat by helping each other turned out something else when their humanity was slowly but thoroughly stripped away.

The acting is very good, the characters well fleshed out, the pacing is a little slow, but then it may be intentional, as you have to watch through all the terrible things that happen in slow motion. A very dark story written by a guy who seems to write either very dark stuff or children stories :)

If you want harrowing drama, this is the film for you.

Exemplary

[Leofwine_draca · 8/10 · 26 December 2021]

Another exemplary Korean drama/thriller, based on a harrowing true story. I had no idea, having avoided reading up beforehand, so I enjoyed the surprises here a lot more than I would have done. As usual the production values are very strong and the characters and acting portrayed just right. The first half feels like a realistic drama but the second half is where all the action, suspense and thrills hit, and they don't disappoint.

What else you want from this film/

[ulviozguven · 9/10 · 2 May 2021]

Yesterday I watched it in Tv . I am not concerning about some people rated very low.

This film has no mistake, very balanced and realistic.

Intensity -- defined by example.

[emw-08192 · 10/10 · 26 January 2024]

One hell of an intense film ride.

It's clear from the start that nothing good is forthcoming for the Captain whose entire life is already circling the drain. Desperate times call for desperate measures/risks.

The scenes of the crew at work provide a sense of ordinary people barely getting by. Smuggling people seems like a no brainer--until it happens. There's a lot of ethical and moral issues raised here very quickly. Reactions to events reveal sides of the entire crew which otherwise wouldn't surface except in such a context.

Consider what is the 'nature' of a rescuer who never hesitates.

The words, "Trust me," become a huge deal in this story.

It's like the simplest definition of karma plays out here with the sea as a force humans can't control. All anyone can control is their self. Great film.

Darker Titanic

[kothapallibalaganesh · 8/10 · 27 February 2022]

Haemoo holds a great potential to become a Masterpiece but ends up on a much assuaging note baffling us with its emptiness.

The film slowly grows into its original form and presents a spine chilling second act. But the screenplay rushes the audience to jump into scenes with offering much needed calmness to dissolve the tone & gore of the film. It succumbs to the consequences entailed in the middle of the sea thus letting it's audience digest the depth hastily. Which unfortunately doesn't create impact that's required to fully appreciate the film.

The characters appear undecided, not fully explored but the actors compensate with their performance.

In conclusion, Haemoo is surely a good film with great VFX and tone.

Worth a while.