If you've already seen Hellbound...then you must be as speechless as I am right now. The six-episode show is stressful, troubling, and really makes you think about the dire effects of blind fanaticism. It's honestly a must-watch!
Now it's time to get to know the creator and director of the series: Yeon Sang Ho. The Korean Film Council tells us that he was born in 1978 and was originally an animation director before he moved on to live-action films. His animated films include Megalomania Of D, The Hell, Love Is Protein, The King Of Pigs, and The Fake.
Curious about his work? Scroll down for the binge-worthy movies and shows Yeon Sang Ho directed and wrote:
1. Train To Busan (2016): Director
Yup, he worked on one of the best zombie movies in existence! In Train To Busan, a single dad and his daughter are on their way via train to Busan, where her mom lives. During the train ride, a zombie apocalypse causes the father-daughter duo to run for their lives amidst chaos and bloodshed. Is it for the faint of heart? NO, IT IS NOT.
Where to watch it: Netflix
2. Seoul Station (2016): Director and writer
In this animated prequel to Train To Busan, we see the beginnings of the zombie apocalypse. "At Seoul Station after sunset, an old homeless man, one of many, is seen as he gobbles up another. Soon, the streets around the area are covered with madmen. Hae-sun, a runaway teenager, breaks up with her boyfriend who forces her into prostitution. She leaves the shabby inn that they were staying at near the station and witnesses people being attacked. The attacked become attackers, increasing their numbers exponentially. The government declares a lockout of the entire area. The normal people run from the attackers, but without a place to run to." (via Korean Film Biz Zone)
3. Psychokinesis (2018): Director and writer
Psychokinesis is a drama-comedy, and it stars Ryu Seung Ryong. Here's the logline: "Seok-hun is a regular joe who works as a security guard at a bank. But he undergoes a strange transformation when he drinks water from a mountain spring. He's suddenly able to move objects with his mind alone." In the film, Seok-hun's daughter Rumi and her fellow shopkeepers are facing eviction because of a large construction company. The tides change when Seok-hun enters the picture and helps defend them.
Where to watch it: Netflix
4. Peninsula (2020): Director and writer
This movie is set four years after the events of Train To Busan! "Jung-seok, a soldier who previously escaped the diseased wasteland, relives the horror when assigned to a covert operation with two simple objectives: retrieve and survive. When his team unexpectedly stumbles upon survivors, their lives will depend on whether the best—or worst—of human nature prevails in the direst of circumstances." (via Well Go USA Entertainment)
Where to watch it: Netflix
5. The Cursed (2020): Writer
Yeon Sang Ho was on board as a screenwriter for this series. According to Soompi, it tells the story of "a teenage girl who has the ability to curse others with death using the characters of someone's official name written in hanja (Chinese characters), a picture, and a personal belonging. The girl, alongside a reporter with a strong sense of justice, stands to fight against an immense evil hidden behind a major IT company." He was also a writer for the movie The Cursed: Dead Man's Prey, which is an "extended version" of the drama.
Where to watch it: Viu
6. Hellbound (2021) : Director and writer
And this brings us to Sang Ho's latest work—the otherworldly and *stressful* Netflix series Hellbound. In the show, a new religious organization called The New Truth emerges. It claims that the "angel of death" who tells people the exact time of their death and the monsterlike creatures called "executors of hell" who kill and torture them are sent by God to punish sinners.
Before becoming a series, Hellbound was a webtoon created by Yeon Sang Ho and writer Choi Gyu Seok. For some behind-the-scenes photos and videos of the series, click here.
Where to watch it: Netflix
7. Monstrous (Coming Soon): Writer
Yeon Sang Ho will once again write the script for a drama that stars Shin Hyun Been, Goo Kyo Hwan, Kwak Dong Yeon, Nam Da Reum, Kim Ji Young, and Park Ho San. Monstrous is a supernatural thriller that will focus on "archaeologists who chase after monstrous cases that have never been heard of." It's expected to air in 2022!
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