The Time of Humans

HUMAN, SPACE, TIME AND HUMAN isn't quite a masterpiece on the level with Kim Ki-duk's earlier works in the 2000s, but I did enjoy it far more than I expected to. It's another allegorical tale in which a microcosm of Korean society is trapped on a ship. There are politicians, crew members, gangsters, soldiers, prostitutes and ordinary folk caught up in a tale that gets increasingly bizarre as it goes on. The repellent subject matter won't be for all tastes, but that's always been the case with this director who enjoys shining his torch into the darkest recesses of human behaviour. Quite big budget by Kim's standards, it's a little lengthy but it does hold the attention, and like all his work, it does have something to say.