‘Conjuring 3’ tops box office in first week

As summer has just started, a series of eye-catching thriller movies are coming up in a queue as well as a sequel to the earlier popular episodes and thriller films with some action scenes added to them.

Since premiered on Thursday, U.S. film “The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It” has garnered the attention of moviegoers. An exorcism-themed film is based on a true story of Mr. and Mrs. Warren working as exorcists. “Conjuring 1 & 2” recorded 2.26 million and 1.93 million tickets, respectively, in South Korea. The third episode continues to describe Mr. and Mrs. Warren’s story.

The movie begins with a suspect of a horrendous murder that happened in the United States in 1981, claiming the devil made him commit a killing. Proving the existence of the devil in the courtroom, Mr. and Mrs. Warren helps defend him. In just four days following the premiere in the South Korean market, the film garnered 340,000 moviegoers, topping the box office in the first weekend of June. What differentiates the third story from the earlier ones is that it intrigues cinema audiences by adding a couple’s love story and other emotional features.

Another overseas thriller movie coming up this month is “Quiet Place 2,” which is scheduled to premiere next Wednesday. The first episode describes a family fighting to survive extreme situations where they are attacked by an alien existence. The second one puts the bereaved family into deeper trouble as the father made sacrifice instead of his children. Evelyn struggles to survive and protect her children including a newborn baby. “Cash Truck” is released on Wednesday to offer action-based horror where the protagonist “H” starts disguised employment to discover clues in a cash escort service provider after losing his son.

South Korean action-based thriller film “Caller ID Restriction” opens on June 23, becoming the first commercial film for Jo Woo-jin who has built up on his filmography while playing impressive supporting roles in various movies. On his way to work with his children in the car, Sung-kyu, a bank manager, gets a call with a sender ID restricted saying that a bomb is installed in his car and if they stand up, the bomb will burst. What’s worse, Sung-kyu runs from the police as he is mistaken as a suspect who committed a terrorist act in the heart of Busan. The movie focuses on how he overcomes difficulties and crises.


Jae-Hee Kim jetti@donga.com