If you're at all familiar with Lars von Trier's THE KINGDOM, that will give you an idea of what this film is like. If not, think of a mix of ER with THE X FILES, and you'll have an idea. I enjoyed the film, but it never seemed to decide what it really wanted to be - it was nominated for an international fantasy film award, and that aspect is definitely there.

Just a few things that struck me as peculiar:

1. The film began with a flashback by one of the main characters, although at the end there seemed no real reason to set it up this way - it was established early in the film that Min (Dr. K) and a female medical student were good friends.

2. Min (a 4th year medical student) seemed to be doing a lot of neurosurgery for a medical student - strange that all the bad cases came in when none of the regular doctors were around / available. But none of the patients he treated (3 or 4 acknowledged in the film) died - in fact, they all recovered even though the chief neurosurgeon said he wouldn't have touched them. Of course, for the plot/story line this had to be worked out but there wasn't much of an explanation for how Min was able to do this repeatedly (he got called on the carpet once).

3. The soundtrack - sometimes it served its purpose in the background. Other times melodious chiming tunes which drew incredible attention to themselves wafted through the theatre. Maybe there's a difference in Korean sensitivity in music, but I found it a little cloying.

But it was fun - kept my interest - the opening credit sequence and the medical techniques used in the film seemed very professional. If you're into medical drama and/or alternative medicine and/or paranormal events, you might want to give this a look.

Korean cinema is known for its mastery of genre, fluidly blending thriller, drama, and dark comedy with social critique. The post-1990s renaissance brought bold storytelling and masterful craft to the world stage, addressing class, identity, and modern anxieties with cinematic flair.

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

The fantasy genre features imaginative and often magical worlds, characters, and events. It explores realms beyond the boundaries of reality, featuring elements such as magic, mythical creatures, supernatural powers, and fantastical settings. These stories can take place in entirely fictional worlds or blend fantastical elements with real-world settings.

Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

The romance genre features the theme of romantic relationships and emotional connections between characters. These stories focus on the development of love, desire, and intimacy between protagonists, often exploring the challenges, conflicts, and triumphs that arise in their relationships.

Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)

Mysterious intern neurosurgeon Dr. Kang saves three young patients, even though the surgeries should not have saved the patients. Chief physician Dr. Lee becomes skeptical of the results so he sends video tapes of the surgery to America for analysis. Dr. Lee's niece, who is an anesthesiologist, Dr. Pyo Ji-Soo has strong feelings for Ji-Min, but keeps it to herself. One day, Oh Sae-Yun suffers from a brain tumor and is admitted to the hospital. Sae-Yun becomes involved in a hostage situation in the hospital, in which Dr. Ji-Min saves her. Since that time, Sae-Yun becomes interested in Dr. Kang. Sae-Yun follows Dr. Kang, who leaves the hospital late at night, and discovers Dr. Kang's secret. Sae-Yun, on the condition of keeping Dr. Kang's secret quiet, starts to date Dr. Kang. With the outcome of the tape analysis from America, Dr. Pyo discovers that Dr. Kang treats patients with his energy. The spirit of Dr. Kang's mother then asks Dr. Pyo to take care of her son.

The Biggest Movies and TV Coming in September

"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

2026 Fall TV and Streaming Watch Guide

&quot;The Gentlemen&quot; and &quot;Slow Horses&quot; return this fall, while the &quot;Reacher&quot; spin-off series &quot;Neagley&quot; makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

See who dazzled on the red carpet and took home gold at the 78th Primetime Creative Emmy Awards.

Primetime Creative Arts Emmys: Photos We Love

Ju Jin-mo, Yu Oh-seong, and Kim Woo-bin in Friend 2 (2013)

Kim Myung-min, Megan Fox, and Choi Min-ho in The Battle of Jangsari (2019)

Yoo Hai Jin and Kim Yoon-seok in The Classified File (2015)

Cha In-pyo, Kim Hye-su, and Kim Ha-neul in Doctor K (1999)

Doctor K

Photos2

Top Cast7

User reviews2

More like this

Related interests

Storyline

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed