Badland Hunters is the latest South Korean post-apocalyptic action film released on Netflix on January 26, 2024. It is directed by Heo Myeong-haeng and the screenplay is written by Kim Bo-tong and Kwak Jae-min. Produced by Climax Studio, Big Punch Pictures and Nova Film, it has a runtime of about 1 hour and 48 minutes.
The cast of the film includes Don Lee/Ma Dong-seok as Nam-san, Lee Hee-jun as Yang Gi-su, Lee Jun-young as Choi ji-wan, Roh Jeong-eui as Han Su-na, An Ji-hye Lee Eun-ho, Park Ji-hun, Jang Young-nam, Park Hyo-joon, Seong Byeong-suk, Jeong Young-ju and others
In the aftermath of a catastrophic earthquake that has left Seoul in ruins, chaos and lawlessness reign supreme in the city. Amidst this post-apocalyptic landscape, a teenage girl has been kidnapped by a deranged doctor, and it falls upon a brave and daring huntsman to embark on a dangerous mission to rescue her. Armed with his wits, skills, and courage, he sets out to navigate the treacherous and unpredictable terrain of the badland, where danger lurks at every turn.
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Badland Hunters Review
The opening scene of the film shows an unconscious doctor waking up abruptly and trying to inject something into his daughter’s body, who looks almost lifeless. However, he is stopped by his colleague and a team of military personnel because his actions are unethical. His test subjects were hundreds of young teenagers sacrificed to create a formula to bring his daughter to life. But before he can be arrested, the world crumbles down in shambles as a massive earthquake hits them.
The film takes a leap of 3 years, where the remaining humans have somewhat adjusted to new living conditions. There’s hardly any water, since there hasn’t been any rain and all they could fetch is dirty puddles here and there and purify it. Even for food, there isn’t any fresh produce without water and they rely on meat products and hunters like Nam-san, to get them. Since monetary assets are of no value, people seem to exchange clothes or food to buy other things.
Eventually, they get to know about a rumoured apartment which wasn’t affected by the earthquake and has all the amenities in place. However, only selected people could go there and before they knew it, a teacher and people in black suits invited 18-year-old, Su-na to come to live there. It’s a safe place especially for teenagers because they are the future and must be protected. Behind the mask of a safe place, it’s an experimental ground for the infamous doctor to continue his research on bringing the dead alive.
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In many ways, Badland Hunters could remind one of the 2023 film Concrete Utopia with the mention of a standalone apartment in the middle of a rumble, and how it’s highly protected from the outsiders. One could also call it a sequel, showing the aftermath of the disaster strike world and how people have adapted to it. Among them have emerged hunters like Nam-san and Ji-wan, who hunt down crocodiles for food. Nam-san is not particularly a hero but he protects the people he is close to – like Su-na and Ji-wan. Especially Su-na since she reminds him of his late daughter.
Through this film, Ma Dong-seok proves once again that he is best suited for action roles with a bit of humour in his mannerisms. On the other hand, Lee Jun-young showcases new colours through an almost childlike but skilled character. After playing a series of villainous roles in shows like Mask Girl etc, as Choi ji-wan, he challenged a new genre and aced it as well. Not much can be said about Roh Jeong-eui, since the role wasn’t something unique to what she has played previously.
Overall, it’s a fairly entertaining action-packed film with the elements of a dystopian thriller. Survival is not necessarily the core of the story but sheds light on dark human traits that take over in hopeless situations. The role of Doctor Yang Gi-su shows a contrast between empathy for one’s own and cruelty for others. In his eyes, he is simply a loving father but in a larger sense – nothing less than a monster. Badland Hunters is another addition to the list of Korean films that everyone will enjoy watching.
Rating: 3.5/5
Badland Hunters is available for streaming on Netflix.
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