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SLIFF 2015 Review – SEA FOG – We Are Movie Geeks

Review

SLIFF 2015 Review – SEA FOG

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By nature of its title this film may conjure up comparisons to other nautical flicks, but your preconceived notions about its theme or plot will be quickly up-ended while viewing SEA FOG. Is it a disaster film like THE PERFECT STORM? Not really. Is it a horror/fantasy thriller like John Carpenter original THE FOG? No, but you might suspect this from the film’s producer and co-screenwriter Joon-ho Bong, the acclaimed filmmaker of THE HOST and SNOWPIERCER. Well, there’s no futurist vehicles or mutated monsters here. There are, however, lots of human monsters. Oh, and it comes from South Korea, set in 1998. The movie begins with a riveting credits sequence, showing a near-fatal accident that will be familiar to fans of TV’s “Deadliest Catch”. This is all business as usual to the men that work on the creaking, rusted-out fishing boat, the Junjin. Moments later Captain Kang (Yun-seok Kim) is steering the vessel towards the dock. not much of a haul this trip as he checks in with the boat’s owner. And the news gets worse. He may soon sell the Junjin. While his staff enjoys a brief shore leave, the desperate captain agrees to a quick cash job, one that could land him and his men in prison. When the crew gets back on board, Kang explains that they won’t be bringing back fish, they’ll be transporting people, illegal immigrant workers from China. Facing few options, the men reluctantly agree. Hours later, in the dead of night, the Junjin pulls up alongside another ship, and the “cargo” is transferred. Two of the illegals are women (“bad luck” at sea) causing havoc with the lusty sailors. Luckily the youngest lady is taken in and protected by the youngest shipmate who hides her in the engine room. The next day, a surprise inspection by corrupt authorities instigates a tragedy. Soon the young lovers are in hiding, as the crew turns on each other, and the captain descends into madness. And then the fog rolls in…

Bong has left the direction in the most capable hands of Sung-bo Shim who expertly balances the beauty and danger of work on board an ocean vessel. The Junjin almost become a character itself with her creaking floorboards and clanking, smoking engines. Shim takes the time to develop the sweet love story between the young couple who are quite the contrast with the crude, cruel sailors. But when the “incident’ occurs, the film goes into thriller (and a touch of horror) mode as the men frantically go into action. Action that leads to furious fights and scrambling for safety. The enveloping fog ratchets the tension up several notches. SEA FOG is no pleasure cruise, but rather a nightmarish journey into brutality and insanity.

SEA FOG screens at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac on Wednesday, November 11 at 9:10 PM and on Thursday, November 12 at 2:20 PM as part of the 24th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival. Purchase tickets here and here.

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Jim Batts was a contestant on the movie edition of TV's "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" in 2009 and has been a member of the St. Louis Film Critics organization since 2013.