Set in a post-apocalyptic Seoul, Badland Hunters opens three years after a massive earthquake obliterated the city, turning it into a lawless wasteland cut off from the rest of South Korea. Society has collapsed into tribal-like factions. Mutated creatures roam the ruins. Water, food, and medicine are precious.
Nam San, a battle-hardened survivor known as a “Hunter,” leads a band of rugged warriors who protect civilians from both mutants and criminal warlords. He’s a man of few words, driven by honor and haunted by the family he lost.
Read also: CODE 8: PART II – NETLIX ACTION MOVIE REVIEW
Meanwhile, in a hidden underground facility, the sadistic and brilliant Dr. Yang Gi-su experiments on human subjects, trying to artificially engineer immortality. Using DNA extracted from radiation-resistant mutants, he believes he can create “perfect” humans but instead he’s creating monstrous super-soldiers.
The movie kicks off when Su-na, a teenage girl who lives peacefully in a refugee village, is kidnapped by Gi-su’s men. Her blood type and genetic markers make her ideal for his experiments. Su-na’s grandfather pleads with Nam San to rescue her, and despite the odds, he agrees.
Read also: TRANSFORMER ONE – ANIMATED MOVIE REVIEW
Nam San and Ji-wan trek deep into the ruins of Seoul, where they face mutant ambushes, cybernetic drones left from the old world, armed guards loyal to Gi-su. As they infiltrate the lab, they discover other children and civilians being held in cages, tortured, and used for horrific biomedical research. One of Gi-su’s failed experiments breaks free a monstrous half-human mutant that devastates both sides.
The climax is a brutal showdown in the collapsing biotech facility. Nam San sacrifices his arm in combat with the mutant. Ji-wan gets the surviving children out, and Su-na helps disable the AI keeping the lab running.
Read also: Inside Out 2 – ANIMATION REVIEW
In the end, the lab is destroyed, but the wasteland remains. San becomes a reluctant folk hero. Su-na and Ji-wan commit to building a new refuge for survivors. It ends with a panoramic shot of the destroyed Seoul skyline hope emerging amid ruins.
Director: Heo Myung-haeng
Cast: Ma Dong-seok (Don Lee), Lee Jun-young, Roh Jeong-eui, An Ji-hye, Park Ji-hun, Jang Young-nam
Runtime: 1h 47mins
Watch trailer here
