“Hi-Five” Theatrical Poster
Director: Kang Hyeong-Cheol
Cast: Lee Jae-in, Ra Mi-ran, Oh Jung-se, Park Jin-young, Ahn Jae-hong, Kim Hee-won, Shin Gu, Yoo Ah-in, Choi Eun-kyeong, Na Jin-su, Jin Hee-kyung
Running Time: 119 min.
By Paul Bramhall
Where audiences suffering more from superhero fatigue in 2025 than they were in 2022? It’s a question worth pondering, since the 3 years in-between is how long the Korean superhero comedy Hi-Five has sat on the shelf. Delayed from its original release after actor Yoo Ah-in was charged will illegal drug use in 2023, since his release from serving a five-month prison sentence in February 2025, it would appear the completion of his punishment has also served as the cue to release the past productions he was involved in. The Match hit screens in May 2025, a drama which cast Ah-in alongside Lee Byung-hun and had originally been set for release in 2023, and a month later Hi-Five also hit the screens, which had originally been planned for release even earlier in 2022.
Whatever your views are on Korea’s approach to celebrities who commit misdemeanours, its always a relief when a completed movie that was potentially going to have its release cancelled finally sees the light of day, particularly when the director at the helm is Kang Hyeong-cheol (Swing Kids, Sunny). Much like Choi Dong-hoon, Hyeong-cheol is one of Korea’s most consistent filmmakers when it comes to mainstream entertainment (and they also both share a Tazza connection, with Dong-hoon directing the 2006 original Tazza: The High Rollers, and Hyeong-cheol directing the 2014 sequel Tazza: The Hidden Card). Debuting in 2008 with the comedy drama Scandal Makers, Hyeong-cheol’s style of filmmaking has proven to be consistently popular with local audiences, and his latest bears all of his typical trademarks.
Involving the recipients of a recently departed superhumans organs, the mysterious donor’s abilities soon start manifesting themselves in their unsuspecting new hosts. Lee Jae-in (Hard Hit, Our Body) plays the taekwondo loving outsider whose new heart imbues her with immense strength and speed. Ahn Jae-hong’s (Time to Hunt, Missing You) struggling screenwriter finds his new lungs enable him to blow gale force gusts of wind. Yoo Ah-in’s (Burning, Seoul Vibe) pompous layabout has a pair of new corneas that allow him to control electro-magnetic waves, able to send texts and control electricity with the click of his fingers (or toes for that matter). Kim Hee-won’s (Unlocked, The Merciless) factory foreman has a new liver which gives him the power to transfer others wounds to himself, and finally Ra Mi-ran (Intimate Strangers, The Mayor) received the donors kidney, but insists all she’s noticed is her improved skin.
There’s something admirable in Hyeong-cheol’s approach to the superhero genre, blatantly refusing to bother with any kind of time-consuming backstory, and instead having 4 of the 5 organ recipients conspire to meet each other within the first 20 minutes. Intrigued by the appearance of a tattoo on their wrists (except for Mi-ran, who’s stuck with an unflattering tramp stamp on her lower back to comical effect), the 5 eventually come together, go to a chicken restaurant, and try to figure out what use their respective powers are. The lack of grandiosity is one of Hi-Five’s greatest strengths, subverting the usual epic feel that the superhero genre has become increasingly lumbered with, and instead opting to filter it through Hyeong-cheol’s lens of feel-good comedy.
The quintet’s research leads them to realise a sixth organ is possible to be donated, which its revealed has gone to a revered cult leader who’s been laying comatose on his deathbed. Kept alive by his greedy family, upon unwittingly receiving the donor’s pancreas, he suddenly wakes up and sets about resuming his role as a self-declared God, only realising when he gets into an argument with a former associate he has the ability to drain any living things life force by touch. Played by veteran actor Shin Koo (YMCA Baseball Team, Bluebeard), the more life force he absorbs the younger he becomes, eventually transforming into former K-pop idol Park Jinyoung (Christmas Carol, Yaksha: Ruthless Operations). Naturally, once he realises the other donors have inherited superpowers of their own, the temptation to absorb their powers for himself becomes his top priority, giving Hi-Five its all-important villain.
The delayed release means there are likely to be inevitable comparisons with the 2023 superhero themed 20-episode series Moving, despite it being originally planned to be released earlier, however thankfully Hi-Five still stands on its own. There’s a likeable chemistry between the 5 leads, and the pace rarely lets up, making it a brisk 2 hours (especially for those who are drama series allergic like myself and struggle to find 20 hours!). The lightness of tone suits the narrative perfectly, with a highlight being a vehicular chase sequence involving a car full of the cult leader’s lackeys in pursuit of Mi-ran’s humble yoghurt cart, being pushed to ridiculous speeds by Jae-in while the other 4 cling on for dear life. The action feels like a Looney Tuns inspired mix of Arahan meets Kung Fu Hustle, and what other movie in 2025 is going to revive the Rickrolling phenomenon, with the whole sequence set to Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up!?
An unexpected highlight comes in the form of Oh Jung-se (Cobweb, Killing Romance) as Jae-in’s overly protective taekwondo teacher father (an observation the productions marketing department must agree with, since it’s his image that replaces Ah-in’s on the poster). Clueless to his daughter’s new abilities, and unknowingly putting himself in harm’s way more than once, a scene where he uses his taekwondo skills to take on a small army of cult followers feels like classic Hyeong-cheol. Executed with unseen assistance from Jae-in, who uses her powers to lend a helping hand, the wholes scene feels like a throwback to the more slapstick style of comedy Korean cinema leaned into during the 2000’s.
Another element of Hi-Five which feels like a throwback is the occasionally awkward mix of comedy and abrupt departures into rather dark territory. It’s a very Korean cinema-specific trait to blend light and breezy narratives with dark tragedy (see Officer Black Belt – light hearted buddy comedy vs. violent paedophiles) or histrionic filled melodrama (see I Can Speak – cranky old woman learning English comedy vs. forced prostitution during the Japanese occupation), and while Hyeong-cheol’s latest doesn’t go as heavy as either of these examples, it still rears its head enough to be noticed. In particular the circumstances around what led to Mi-ran’s organ transplant are a particular downer, and it’s the same circumstances which are used for a post-credits scene which will either raise a smile, an eyebrow, or possibly both.
Events eventually lead up to a finale that pits the 5 against Jinyoung, who comes with an advantage of having partly absorbed the powers of Yoo-in and Hee-won. Like any modern superhero movie, the fact that CGI is at a point where literally anything imagined can be portrayed is both a blessing and a curse, and somewhat regrettably the final showdown eschews the smaller scale comedic feel for an attempt at an epic battle between the 2 sides. It’s competently executed, and who doesn’t want to see some superpowered taekwondo? However at the same time the sight of bodies flying across the screen at hyper speed and buildings taking on structural damage feels like something we’ve seen plenty of times before, and the whole battle goes on for a tad too long. On the plus side though, we do finally get to understand what Mi-ran’s superpower is!
Overall these are minor issues in what’s a highly entertaining slice of popcorn cinema. We do get occasional glimpses into the origin of the powers, with a couple of brief scenes showing a cave from ancient times that houses a mysterious being, however these are never elaborated on to mean anything significant, leading me to speculate if Hyeong-cheol intended Hi-Five to be a franchise starter (in which case, the Ah-in issue may unfortunately have derailed any chance of a sequel). Whatever the case may be, as a standalone piece of superhero cinema, I’ll take Nine Girl, Tank Boy, Fresh Girl, Bluetooth Man, and Battery Man any day of the week over yet another cookie cutter Marvel or DC outing. In an era where superhero productions often drown out the voice of the director at the helm, perhaps the biggest compliment I can give Hi-Five is that it feels like a Kang Hyeong-cheol movie through and through.
Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 7/10
I enjoyed the trailer, and I feel like I’ll have a good time with Hi-Five.
Lots of people out there have a very jaded and cynical attitude about comic book films (I prefer to call them that) They certainly don’t have to like them, but I’m always telling these people that if they don’t like those movies, they should stop watching them.
I feel like many people are at a point where they think whoever likes comic book movies must be a person of low character. I like a lot of them, and I’m often critical when I want them presented in the best way possible, but they’re certainly not all the same and my favorites do a lot to distinguish themselves from others or they keep a consistent enjoyable tone.
I’m sure those people would dismiss Hi-Five as well, and accuse the Korean film industry of copying Marvel Studios. Maybe if enough American comic fans learn about this movie, it’ll get more promotion and appreciation.