8th Raspberry Film Festival Reveals Korean Cinema’s “Worst” of 2024

The 8th Raspberry Film Festival has unveiled its picks for the “worst” in Korean cinema for 2024, highlighting films and performances that have disappointed both critics and audiences. Organized by Sports Kyunghyang, the event surveyed 51 movie journalists to determine the recipients of the “Worst Film,” “Worst Acting,” and “Worst Manners” awards for films released between December 2023 and November 30, 2024.

Worst Film

1st Place: ‘The Plot’ (Director Lee Yo Seop)

• With 15 votes, ‘The Plot’ was lambasted as “a bottom-tier genre film that obliterated all entertainment value” and “the worst possible result with a good original story and talented actors.”

2nd Place: ‘Amazon Bullseye’ (Director Kim Chang Ju)

• Garnering 12 votes, this film was criticized for being “so bad you’d need some Whal Myung Su (carbonated herb drink) after watching it” and for its outdated humor, described as “a retrograde comedy completely out of place in today’s era.” Additionally, it faced accusations of racial insensitivity with comments like, “Setting it in a fictional country doesn’t mean it isn’t racist.”

3rd Place: ‘Project Silence’ (Director Kim Tae Gon)

• With 11 votes, this film was seen as a waste of resources with remarks such as “A delusion that money alone can save a film,” “A misuse of actors and capital,” and “An example of CJ ENM’s poor content foresight.”

Other films that also garnered attention included:

• ‘Wonderland’ (Director Kim Tae Yong)
• ‘Dead Man’ (Director Ha Jun Won)
• ‘Devils Stay’ (Director Hyun Moon Sub), each receiving 10 votes.

Worst Acting

1st Place: Kang Dong Won in ‘The Plot’ (11 votes)

• Kang was critiqued for “a monotonous performance with no emotional depth,” with comments like “Sometimes he seems good, but then awkward again. After 21 years, audiences are still confused about him as an actor” and “Without improving his skills, he’s just getting older, and I don’t see what competitive edge he has as an actor. These days, plenty of people are tall.”

2nd Place: “None” (10 votes)

• The panel chose not to award a second-place, highlighting a lack of notable poor acting performances.

3rd Place: Ju Ji Hoon in ‘Project Silence’ (8 votes)

• Ju Ji Hoon’s performance was described as “His over-the-top acting made me want to escape the theater” and “How many years has he been acting? Overdone performances like this ruin films.”

4th Place:

• Song Joong Ki in ‘My Name Is Loh Kiwan’ and Song Seung Hun in ‘Hidden Face’ both received 7 votes. Song Joong Ki was noted for “inconsistent acting” and his Yanbian accent, with comments like, “This was the best he could do?” and “He is even more easily compared to Lee Sang Hee.” Song Seung Hun was criticized for “a flat performance overshadowed by his co-stars” and “an unnecessarily consistent ‘terrible’ acting ability.”

Worst Manners

1st Place: Jung Woo Sung (22 votes)

• Jung Woo Sung’s controversies included paternity issues with model Moon Ga Bi and inappropriate direct messages to female celebrities. The public reaction was harsh with remarks like, “I had no idea he was ruining his reputation like this. Taking responsibility for the child is his own duty, but how is he going to rebuild the 30-year untouchable image that shattered in just three days?” and “‘12.12: The Day’ was a defining film in my life, but you ruined it! I won’t be revisiting it ever again.”

2nd Place: Youn Yuh Jung (18 votes)

• Known for her casual and sometimes rude behavior in interviews, including asking journalists’ ages, comments were, “Even for a veteran, there’s a line when speaking during interviews,” “If you get annoyed at every question, when are we supposed to do our jobs?” and “Why does she keep asking journalists their ages?”

3rd Place: Jeon Do Yeon (4 votes)

• Criticized for her demeanor during the promotion of ‘Revolver,’ especially in an interview where she discussed her appearance on tvN’s ‘You Quiz on the Block’ with Yoo Jae Suk. Reactions included, “Her unwavering attitude of taking a light-hearted joke to the extreme,” and “Using Yoo Jae Suk for promotion but refusing to accept jokes.”

Other mentions included:

• Kwak Do Won (9 votes) for a DUI incident while promoting ‘Firefighters’, with comments like, “He caused harm to the film ‘Firefighters’ with his drunk driving controversy.”
• Gong Yoo (4 votes) for his past comments on former President Park Chung Hee and perceived tone-deaf responses.

Final Thoughts on the 8th Raspberry Film Festival

The 8th Raspberry Film Festival has once again stirred controversy and discussion within the Korean film industry, providing a platform for critique and reflection. These awards, while negative, highlight areas where the industry might need to focus on improvement, from script development to actor performances and public relations.

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