Sector 7 [2011]

February 2, 2012

If you’re looking for something different and you like monster movies, Sector 7 is a good choice. This is not a great movie but I simply cannot help myself when it comes to these types of science fiction horrors. I mean, the story is set on an oil rig in the middle of the sea where something strange seems to be happening. Not only the plot is formulaic but also pretty much everything else. So, try not to take it too seriously and just enjoy the craziness.

And yes, before you say it, I considered moving this movie to the so bad that it’s good section. There’s this childish honesty about it and I simply didn’t have the heart to do it. Sector 7 is the first South Korean 3D and IMAX movie, so try to be considerate. So, exactly five years after The Host or Gwoemul we get a movie that tries to replicate its success. Some special effects are pretty silly and some look positively terrifying. Like our monster that’s straight out of someone’s nightmare.

With a $10 million budget, this isn’t some cheap production and it certainly doesn’t look like it. However, when it comes to character development, this movie is a stereotypical mess. People make all kinds of wrong decisions and act so strangely that you will be staring at the screen wondering what the fuck is going on. The actors did a terrific job despite all of this, especially our lead Ha Ji-Won. She actually got motorcycle and scuba licenses just for this movie and didn’t use stunt doubles.

An oil rig called The Eclipse is located in a vast emptiness of the ocean. With diminishing returns and almost no future, its crew has lost its motivation, and due to these substantial losses, Captain Jeong-man is sent to the rig to wrap up things. Hae-jun, an equipment manager at the rig is certain that they will find oil there, and this decision is something that really pisses him off. However, all their plans will change when something appears near the rig. Something big and nasty.

After the intense opening sequence pretty much nothing happens in this movie for about half an hour. They talk, drink, eat and race bikes. Yes, you didn’t know that bike racing is a very popular sport among oil rig workers? Then we get our first glimpse of the monster and it was glorious.

From that moment on, the chase is on. You know how it goes, tight corridors, all kinds of weapons, traps, and other shit. I felt like this part had a video game structure, with clear goals and objectives. And we get a surprisingly huge amount of the creature, much more than in similar movies.

I’m not going to lie, a huge part of the charm of Sector 7 are the cultural differences. You can feel this is in action scenes and dialogues. Plus, they’re all speaking Korean, of course. If you’re a fan of creature features, this might offer a welcome break from the stuff we’re used to seeing in Hollywood productions. And if you’re looking for similar movies, do check out Deep Rising or The Faculty.