Badland Huntersis a sequel to last year’sConcrete Utopia. The two film’s connections are tenuous at best. They share only two plot elements. The movies have no actors, writers, directors, or even distributors in common.Concrete Utopiaisn’t evenavailable on Netflix. Their production company, Climax Studio, seems to have linked the projects with little concern for their wildly differing tones. Those who’ve been holding off watchingBadland Hunterscan check it out without fear. It stands on its own.
How doesBadland Huntersend?
The big twist inBadland Huntersis technically spoiled in the first five minutes. Doctor Yang Gi-su operates the apartment complex as a base of test subjects for his immortality experiments. He separates kids from their parents, indoctrinates both groups into cultish adherence to his mission, and harvests fluids from children’s pituitary glands. He has his daughter’s upper half alive in suspended animation, where he can continue to use her DNA to warp soldiers into nigh-immortal zombies. The basement is loadedwith his failed experiments, and almost every warrior in the apartment complex regenerates from most harm. When the cultists take Su-na from the Bus region, she believes she’ll be educated and protected. She becomes a test subject as her surrogate father, Nam-san, and her smitten friend Ji-wan cross the wasteland to track her down.
Nam-san and Ji-wan find a former soldier, Eun-ho, along the way. They strike a rowdy gang leader’s compound to learn about Gi-su’s stronghold. They steal a chest of firearms from his domain. Nam-san, Ji-wan, and Eun-ho attack the apartment complex, fightingthrough armies of zombiesand soldiers. Gi-su draws fluids from Su-na to inject himself, but she reveals that she never drank his tainted water, which acts as a necessary catalyst for his experiments. Gi-su starts vomiting as his skin warps. Eun-ho escapes a fight with her former commanding officer, but Nam-san decapitates him. Ji-wan and Nam-san force Gi-su to retreat, leaving a hand grenade behind him. The explosion destroys his lab but leaves the heroes alive. Gi-su opens fire on the community’s parents with an assault rifle, accidentally killing his daughter. Nam-san shoots him dead. Eun-ho promises to reopen the community with a genuine focus on ethical science. Itmiraculously starts rainingfor the first time in years. Nam-san, Ji-wan, and Su-na return to their home as local heroes, but Nam-san still avoids the affections of the woman in gold.
107 minutes
Streaming On
Netflix
Badland Hunterstakes place after a catastrophic earthquake ruinsmost of South Korea. The survivors huddle into crude societies, hunt for their food, and barter for various goods. One of the most skilled hunters in the destroyed city is Nam-san, a mysterious, taciturn superhuman who keeps his community safe and well-fed. He takes an ambitious youth named Ji-san under his wing. Ji-san has a crush on a local girl named Su-na while Nam-san views her as a daughter. When a well-dressed cadre of mysterious preps arrives to take her away, they reluctantly let her go. Nam-san and Ji-san discover their evil plan and set out to save Su-nafrom a mad scientist.
What isBadland Hunters' Rotten Tomatoes Score?
Badland Huntershas a healthy 89% positive rating from ninereviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Audience reviews are slightly less impressive, with a 62% positive rating from fewer than 50 amateur critics. Though the film hasn’t enjoyed a lot of coverage, most who’ve reported on it have been positive. The average score from the nine credited reviewers is a healthy seven out of ten, marking an imperfect but entertaining experience.
Badland Huntersis a post-apocalyptic actioner with enough bizarre creative decisions to keep it compelling. The cast delivers solid dialogueand wonderful stunt work. The writing is serviceable but occasionally hilarious. The first-time director could easily have a fascinating future in action films. WhileBadland Huntersshot to the top of Netflix’s top ten, it could be a sign of things to come. Fans could see more worldwide spotlights for Ma Dong Seok or wide releases for Korean action movies. All of these outcomes would be a positive result ofBadland Hunters' short-term success.
