Ryu’s rumpled performance delightfully embodies a man who can’t think any bigger than that. And while “Psychokinesis” was inevitably subsumed into the endless shadow of “Avengers: Infinity War” (the most ambitious crossover event of all time! The big difference here is Yeon’s focus on how ordinary these characters are, and how Seok-heon’s newfound powers reveal the powerlessness of the regular people around him. “Psychokinesis” fully embraces the ridiculousness of its premise, creating the rare superhero movie where people refuse to accept what they’re seeing. There are no featured audience reviews for Psychokinesis at this time. ), this exuberant Korean import is convincing proof that the genre doesn’t always have to be about saving the world, or guarding the galaxy, or stopping a purple space Brolin from snapping his fingers and erasing half of humanity. Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Seok-heon isn’t a genius, or a billionaire playboy, or even a small-time crook who’s secretly got a six-pack. Audience Reviews for Psychokinesis. As in many of the most popular 21st century South Korean movies, every supporting character is given their own spark of life — no bit part is taken for granted. Alas, Roo-mi’s career is being cut off at the knees, as a mob-run construction company wants to demolish her neighborhood to make room for a shopping mall, and they’re sending in some goons to pressure current tenants to leave. It’s the kind of trendy but tasty under-the-radar joint that Anthony Bourdain might visit for his show. Copyright © 2020 Penske Business Media, LLC. Even in the monolithic Marvel Cinematic Universe, many of the best movies are the ones that think globally but act locally. Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. “Psychokinesis” doesn’t leave you with much more than a bittersweet feeling about it all, but it’s an appropriately different takeaway from such a refreshingly different superhero movie. He can make cards float without any string; he can make a necktie dance like a snake charmer. The dynamic between Seok-heon and Roo-mi is as heartwarming as it is simple, their newfound bond presented as something of a consolation prize for two people in a society that doesn’t really care about them. It’s not the kind of power that could bring about world peace, but it might be enough to bring justice to a neighborhood in need. For all of the spandex social-realism at the heart of this superhero origin storytelling, “Psychokinesis” — like “Train to Busan” before it — really just uses the violence of class warfare as the backdrop for a comedy about a dad trying to make things right with his daughter. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. For all its modesty and silliness, “Psychokinesis” unfolds with the familiar structure of a superhero origin story: Seok-heon discovers his strange abilities, tries to make up for his previous mistakes, and eventually gets caught up in a third-act fight that reveals his powers to the world. He’s just a middle-aged moron who happens to be in the right place at the right time (as for everyone else we see drink from that magic spring … maybe they’ll come back in the sequel). ‘Soul’ Aims for Oscar Glory as Disney Shifts to Streaming, but Not All Films Deserve the Same Release, How Closed Theaters, Drive-In Movies, and Netflix Supremacy Are Shaping Oscar Season, ‘Chicago 7’ Vs. the World: How Aaron Sorkin’s Awards-Friendly Epic Jolted a Strange Awards Season, Introducing ‘Deep Dive’: Damon Lindelof and His Team Go Behind the Scenes of ‘Watchmen’, ‘Succession’: How Editing Helps Every Dinner Scene Come to Life — Deep Dive, Becoming Hooded Justice: The ‘Watchmen’ Craft Team Analyzes the Emotional, Pivotal Scene – Deep Dive, 40 Must-See New Movies to See This Fall Season, The Best Movies Eligible for the 2021 Oscars Right Now, Jessie Buckley Won’t Explain ‘Ending Things,’ but She Will Reveal What Terrified Her Most. The likes of “Black Panther” and “Spider-Man: Homecoming” are so effective because they look inward rather than out, using power as a lens through which we might better understand the people who wield it, and not the other way around. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. There is a definite sense that this story could have been turned into something better. A demented corporate mob boss who offsets her demure appearance with an iron fist (and excited bursts of expletives), Director Hong briefly shocks “Psychokinesis” back to life once it becomes clear that Yeon isn’t going to give the film’s central relationship the dimension it deserves. The movie is light on deep laughs, but it’s always funny to watch the actor go through the contorted motions of trying to move things with his mind; clenching his fingers, shaking his hair, even warbling his tongue. ... Best Netflix Series and Shows. In a very strange coincidence — or a concerted act of counterprogramming — the smallest superhero movie in recent memory hit Netflix on the same day that the biggest superhero movie ever made exploded into theaters. Shin Roo-mi (Shim Eun-kyung) runs the hottest fried chicken restaurant in all of Seoul. Yeon Sang-ho’s “Train to Busan” follow-up might lack the focus, complexity, and imagination to compete with those recent genre standouts, but — in the age of Thanos — it sure is refreshing to see a superhero movie that hinges on the fate of a small business. As luck would have it, he recently drank spring water that’s been tainted by a strange meteorite, and he’s developing the ability to move things with his mind. One amusing sequence finds a cop watching cell-phone video of Seok-heon’s powers and refusing to believe the footage isn’t fake. Best of all is Jung Yu-mi as Director Hong, the closest thing the story has to a big bad. But Yeon, who managed to turn the zombie apocalypse into a slapstick farce, has little interest in dredging up the tragedy of it all.