Save The Green Planet (2003): Violent Delusion or Cosmic Conspiracy

ByFabian Bullitt

2003 • Jang Joon-hwan • 1.85:1 • Jump to Gallery ↓

Jang Joon-hwan‘s Save the Green Planet! follows a mentally unstable beekeeper who becomes convinced that extraterrestrials are secretly controlling Earth. Thinking that a high-ranking corporate executive is one of them, he kidnaps him and subjects him to increasingly extreme interrogations in a homemade bunker in an attempt to extract information about an impending invasion.

An extreme example of the genre-shifting tradition of South Korean cinema, the film moves continuously between slapstick comedy, heartbreaking social drama, psychological thriller, and body horror. Mixing “B-movie” sci-fi aesthetic elements with a gritty, hyper-realistic depiction of violence, it takes us on a journey through the twisted mind of its protagonist, represented by the cluttered, claustrophobic basement set filled with bizarre homemade gadgets and mannequin parts.

Save the Green Planet! is a cult film that looks like a science fiction thriller and delivers a nihilistic meditation on the fate of humanity. It digs into a sickening world to find its emotional core. It is a wild ride of a film that is unsettling at times.

Technical Specs:

  • The Story: A mentally unstable young man becomes convinced that an arrogant businessman is an alien plotting humanity’s downfall, leading to a kidnapping that spirals into a harrowing blend of delusion, torture, and tragic empathy. Read my review of Save The Green Planet.
  • Actors: Shin Ha-kyun, Baek Yoon-sik, Hwang Jung-min, Lee Jae-yong, Lee Joo-hyun, Ki Joo-bong, Kim Dong-hyun.
  • Director: Jang Joon-hwan
  • Year: 2003
  • Cinematographer: Hong Kyung-pyo
  • Origin: Korean Cinema
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
  • Genre: Black Comedy / Sci-Fi / Crime
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