Netflix delivers once again when it comes to exciting entertainment from South Korea: Starting now, you can watch Don Lee as he annihilates “zombies” and alligators.
He was one of the very few highlights in the spectacularly failed Marvel extravaganza “Eternals” by the acclaimed director Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”): the South Korean giant Don Lee, better known to his fans by his Korean name Ma Dong-seok.
Mostly, he gets to portray the taciturn but often sensitive block of a man who prefers to let his fists do the talking. Whether it’s “The Outlaws,” currently available at no extra cost in the Prime subscription via Amazon, “Unstoppable,” “The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil,” or “The Roundup,” also available for streaming in the Prime subscription: Whoever gets beaten up by him will need their kimchi in pureed form in the future.
The 52-year-old is – due to lack of comparisons – the Bud Spencer of the East; only his films are much more violent and definitely not intended for children’s eyes. Not even a funny German dub in the best colloquial German would help.
Ma Dong-seok first caught the attention of Western audiences through the zombie smash hit “Train to Busan.” Especially for genre fans, South Korean works, with their high production quality and Western-oriented storytelling style, not only provide an easier entry into the Asian film and series market, but also offer a successful alternative to the usual (Hollywood) fare.
And if you’re craving a bit of variety again, Netflix has just added the right film to its lineup since January 26, 2024: In the post-apocalyptic action thriller “Badland Hunters,” you can expect a Seoul completely destroyed by an earthquake, deadly alligators, and even deadlier zombie-like creatures. And in the midst of it all, Ma Dong-seok as the experienced hunter Nam-san brandishes his machete. Sounds more than promising, doesn’t it? But see for yourself in the trailer:
“Badland Hunters”: “Mad Max” in Korean Many years have passed since a gigantic earthquake turned the South Korean metropolis Seoul into a wasteland. The survivors have accepted this new and harsh reality, à la “Mad Max,” and have reorganized themselves. It’s survival of the fittest. When someone close to him is abducted by the insane Dr. Yang Gi-su and is to be used for experiments, the experienced hunter Nam-san (Ma Dong-seok), together with his buddy Choi ji-wan (Lee Jun-young) and Special Forces member Lee Eun-ho (An Ji-hye), embarks on a risky rescue mission.
“Badland Hunters” by director Heo Myeong-haeng is set in the same universe as the previously produced and significantly more sophisticated “Concrete Utopia” and is also based on the popular webtoon “Pleasant Outcast” by Kim Soongnyung. However, here the story focuses entirely on explosive action, numerous extremely bloody massacres, and its main character, played by the larger-than-life Ma Dong-seok.
Director Heo Myeong-haeng’s directorial debut clearly shows that he previously earned his bread as a stuntman in the film industry. He knows how to perfectly showcase his lead actor and ensures with an unforgettable, brutal machete fight towards the end that even hardcore genre fans will have their eyes bulging. For a movie night with plenty of junk food and ample drinks of choice, “Badland Hunters” on Netflix is definitely recommended.
