“Badland Hunters” is a Korean post-disaster film directed by Heo Myeong-hang, touted as a sequel to “Concrete Utopia” (2023), which represented South Korea at this year’s Academy Awards in the International Feature category. This Netflix film features stars Ma Dong-seok (Don Lee), Lee Hee-joon, Lee Jun-young, and Roh Jeong-eui. Following the success of “Utopia,” what does the sequel bring to the table?
After a catastrophic event in South Korea, Seoul transforms into an arid and desolate region known as Badland. Residents band together to survive amidst minimal water and food resources, contending with wild animals and bandits. Nam Sam (Ma) and Choi Ji-wan (Jun-young) function as animal hunters, bartering their catches with district residents. One day, a group of foreigners takes a young girl, Su-na (Jeong-eui), and her grandmother to an apartment building, the only structure left standing in the city ruins, for a supposedly better future. A military group led by Dr. Yang Gi-su (Hee-joon) conducts trials on teenagers and children to create a serum with the potential for immortality.
In relation to “Concrete Utopia,” the plot of “Badland Hunters” lacks a connection to the previous characters, except for the shared setting of the apartment building (103). If the timeline is traced, it appears to be set long after the events of the first film. However, some aspects remain unexplained, with inconsistencies in the flashback segment, leaving viewers questioning the timing of the great chaos depicted in the first film.
Leaving aside these discrepancies, let’s focus on “Badland Hunters.” The story introduces sci-fi elements with the existence of a serum created by Dr. Yang. This introduces mutants into the narrative, posing a new challenge for the protagonists who now face adversaries that cannot be easily defeated. However, this addition does not bring significant depth to the story, merely serving to spice up the action. Don Lee, previously portrayed as an unbeatable force, now confronts these mutants, akin to the zombies in typical post-apocalyptic films. Unfortunately, this fails to offer anything novel or exciting, feeling repetitive for Don Lee’s character. The narrative lacks sufficient drama to evoke sympathy, and as an action film, it falls short in terms of impressiveness and entertainment value.
“Badland Hunters” explores only a small, unoriginal territory within the post-disaster genre, relying on the star’s iconic punch. The combination of post-disaster, survival, and sci-fi elements has been explored countless times, demanding innovation to stand out. From zombie disaster films like “28 Days Later” and “I Am Legend” to esteemed action series like “Mad Max,” each brings its unique flavor. Whether a film leans towards a solid humanist side or not is a script choice. As an action film or drama, “Badland Hunters” could have been a more compelling example.
