A few decades back, in the early 2000s, Korean cinema captivated many restless moviegoers. Directors like Park Chan-wook with his visceral, daring style, Bong Joon-ho with genres ranging from Memories of Murder to later Parasite, and Kim Jee-woon with his bold genre twists shook audiences. Not long ago the world watched in awe as Squid Game became a global phenomenon, and many pointed out that the brilliant energy behind that series originated with this generation of remarkable filmmakers.
These are writers who remain prolific but have had to make room for bright successors. Apprenticeship is a common path. Take Jason Yu, for example. After university, he assisted Bong Joon-ho on Okja, a charming eco-dystopian tale about a girl and her super pig. He learned the ropes by watching every phase, from pre-production through post-production and into promotion. He recalls that the job of an assistant director in Korea is typically temporary, on loan to the next project. He followed Bong closely and realized, only later, how much he had absorbed when he began making his own films.
There’s no one sleeping here
The first film, To Sleep, premiered in Official Fantasy Competition and later became a standout hit at the Korean box office. It sits at a crossroads of black comedy, horror, and drama. A newlywed couple experiences that the balance tips when the husband starts talking in his sleep, followed by alarming sleepwalking episodes. The wife fears for the baby she is expecting. Medical solutions offer little relief, and something beyond logic seems to be at play.
Initially Yu aimed for a light, commercial project, but personal experiences began to shape the film. He explains that while drafting the script he was about to marry his long-time partner, now his wife. The reflections on marriage and companionship surfaced, yet he did not want to produce a cynical take. Married life, to him, is about mutual support and deep affection. An external obstacle then enters the story, not arising from any one fault, and the result leans into a broader truth about relationships. Yu notes that the work comes close to spoiling, as the lines between romance and reality blur.
During development, Yu trusted his instincts rather than chasing specific references. His understanding deepened after festival interviews revealed influences such as Roman Polanski’s Seed of the Devil and William Friedkin’s Bug—a couple’s nightmare, structured in three acts and set in tight spaces.
Korea on our billboard
To Sleep is not the only Korean title drawing attention at Sitges. Concrete Utopia, a disaster drama crafted by Um Tae-hwa, is in the running for South Korea’s Oscar submission for best international feature. Other notable titles include Smugglers, a sweeping thriller from veteran Ryoo Seung-wan, and Child, Park Hoon-jung’s latest work, who wrote I Am the Devil. Kim Jee-woon’s meta-cinema reaches new heights in Spider Web, highlighting a director widely recognized for bold, self-referential storytelling.
According to festival sources, the return of Korean cinema to Sitges mirrors a shift in sales and distribution policies. The festival’s leadership notes that a period of platform-driven releases had limited festival coordination. A renewed trust in independent distributors who buy and champion titles for each territory helps streamline festival negotiations. The majority of films in Sitges now have dedicated national distributors, easing access to select titles for festival showcases. The Spanish distributor in Barcelona recently brought a small Korean production to audiences, similar to how Parasite gained traction in various markets. This evolving landscape reopens festival doors and strengthens Korea’s presence on the international stage.