Comedies to Dominate Cinemas over Chuseok

Three out of the four movies set for release over Chuseok are comedies as distributors hope that Koreans will look for light relief in gloomy economic times.

The most anticipated film is "Dr. Cheon and Lost Talisman" starring Kang Dong-won, which is about a fake exorcist who who tries to solve the case of a young girl suffering from demonic possession.

The movie is the directorial debut of Kim Seong-sik, who was assistant to Bong Joon-ho on "Parasite" and Park Chan-wook on "Decision to Leave." Kim said the movie "is a mix of comedy, action, mystery and fantasy that appeals to all the ages, making it a perfect choice for a family night out." 

"Cobweb," which received a 12-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival in May, is a black comedy about a director who believes his movie will be a hit if he reshoots the ending and recalls the star, who has already left the set. Song Kang-ho, who plays the lead, said, "The film is witty and entertaining with cleverly crafted funny elements." 

The sixth installment of the "Marrying the Mafia" franchise, which has been running since 2002, is by no means a surefire hit. The first installment drew 5 million moviegoers, but the fifth one just 1.16 million. As in the previous installments, the sixth outing features the graduate of an elite university who ends up marrying a gangster's daughter. It remains to be seen if the formula can be revived again.

The relatively serious outlier is "Road to Boston," a biopic about runner Suh Yun-bok, who was the first Korean to participate in the world's oldest marathon race in Boston in 1947, shortly after World War II, and won the race.

All hit theaters on Wednesday, a week after the release of "Marrying the Mafia."