Between being in a sapphic cinema mood and then needing to catch up on 2025 films my watchings this week have followed an understandable progression, so watching a random 2003 Korean film must seem strange if you do not immediately know why this film makes sense for me to watch today, you will understand tomorrow.

This was an odd one. The film starts not exactly en medias res, but also devoid of any setup to inform the viewer of the world in which the film exists. Primarily following Byeong-gu (Shin Ha-kyun) who appears to not exist in the reality of the people around him. Convinced that aliens exist in the everyday world disguised as human, he along with his partner Su-ni (Hwang Jung-min) kidnap an important executive, Kang Man-shik (Baek Yoon-shik) whom the believe is an alien with a direct line of contact to the alien’s prince.

I will admit that as an American cinephile I have seen my fair share of Korean films, however, they are primarily the ones that get exported to the US which are skewed heavily to the arthouse variety. Save the Green Planet! is not a traditional high art film but is instead an example of the Korean cinema that is created for the Korean masses. Director Jang Joon-hwan plays with tones in a way that is unfamiliar to a US audience but blends soap, action, horror, martial arts, and science fiction in a way that is undeniably entertaining. Complete with dated, cheesy special effects and extreme overacting, the film would make for an excellent camp movie night.

Over the top entertainment aside, the film has an aspect that needs to be addressed. While Kang Man-shik’s fiancé is mentioned at times, Su-ni (and Byeong-gu’s comatose mother) is the only woman who appears in the film and her characterization is unfortunate. Su-ni acts extremely childlike. She plays with dolls and is obsessed with the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. This combined with the childlike demeanor results in her coming across as someone developmentally disabled. Byeong-gu’s treatment of her, and the films eventual fridging of her feels rather problematic and does hamper the experience of watching the film.

Wild and undefinable, Save the Green Planet! fits most of the criteria to exist among the great cult movies. Unfortunately, its treatment of women leaves a sour taste in one’s mouth and prevents it from getting a full-throated endorsement.