Once again, our coverage of Bucheon International Film Festival (BIFAN) reviews is cowritten by Film Festival Editor Joseph Perry and Guest Contributing Writer Chris Weatherspoon.
A man of the world, guest reviewer Chris Weatherspoon has lived in South Korea for “quite a bit.” A huge fan of all cinema, Chris also works locally in the entertainment industry, and knows what he is talking about . . . alright!?
Descendent (U.S., 2025); review by Joseph Perry
Official BIFAN synopsis from program notes written by Kim Kani: Sean, a school security guard in a small town on the outskirts of Los Angeles, is struggling with the looming reality of fatherhood. Haunted by childhood trauma and weighed down by the pressures of his job, he feels utterly unprepared to become a parent. One night during a routine shift, he witnesses a mysterious, glowing object in the sky. After that encounter, Sean begins to suffer from disturbing visions — strange images, apparitions of alien beings, and relentless nightmares. His pregnant wife, Andrea, grows increasingly anxious as she watches Sean unravel.
Writer/director Peter Cilella’s Descendent is an intriguing character study that combines the fears of imminent fatherhood with science fiction elements. Viewers are clued in early on that protagonist Sean Bruner (Ross Marquand) has issues from the past, and these initially are subtly hinted at but revealed as the story unfolds. Sean’s pregnant wife Andrea (Sarah Bolger) tries her best to be supportive, but as Sean’s psychological state and life in general declines after what he believes is an alien abduction — other characters insist he simply fell off of a roof — she can only take so much.
The heart of Descendent is rooted in drama, which is very well acted by its two leads and the fine supporting players, written, and directed. Science fiction enthusiasts hoping for clarity on whether extraterrestrials actually abducted Sean may be left wondering as Cilella presents that aspect rather ambiguously — though the images of Sean’s perception are frightening and eerily realized.
Cilella has crafted a film that boasts a captivating protagonist on a troubled journey of self-reflection. Descendent is well worth a watch for the qualities I have described, though some viewers may come away frustrated by the obscurity regarding its science fiction elements.
RLJE Films releases Descendent Aug 8, 2025 in Limited Theaters and Aug 15, 2025 Nationwide & VOD.
The Square (South Korea, 2025); review by Chris Weatherspoon
Official BIFAN synopsis from program notes written by Kim Kani: Borg, the First Secretary of the Swedish Embassy stationed in Pyongyang, stands out with his blond hair amid the sea of black hair in the city. His diplomatic status offers him protection, but at the same time, makes him a constant subject of surveillance. The fact that he is secretly involved with Bok-joo, a Pyongyang citizen working as a traffic officer, makes their relationship all the more precarious. With only a short time left before he must return to his home country, Borg’s meetings with Bok-joo — crossing borders, systems, and ideological walls — grow more desperate and heartfelt as their inevitable farewell approaches. But one day, after a strange man catches sight of them together, Bok-joo vanishes without a trace. On a cold winter day just before the New Year, Borg sets off to find her, leaving behind what little time he has left in North Korea. In the process, he begins to sense something unusual about Lee Myeong-jun, his longtime interpreter. As Pyongyang prepares to welcome the New Year, will Borg and Bok-joo be able to reunite in the square once more?
The Square, Kim Bo-sol’s 73-minute debut, is a haunting, elegant, animated drama set in Pyongyang. Using minimalistic, rotoscoped animation, the film portrays a North Korea that feels cold and isolating with barren, desolate cityscapes. The story centers on Isak Borg, a tall, blond Swedish diplomat whose striking appearance makes him immediately stand out in the crowd. Despite his status, his romance with local traffic officer Bok-joo is forbidden and the two struggle to keep their relationship a secret. However, this is easier said than done in an authoritarian state like North Korea, where everyone is under constant surveillance. Their relationship is further threatened when Borg learns that his post in Pyongyang will soon end, forcing him to return to Sweden. In a perfect world, Bok-joo would be able to join him and they would live happily ever after. However, Pyongyang is far from a perfect world.
While the film begins as a tragic romance, it slowly transitions into a quiet spy thriller as Borg desperately tries to solve the mystery behind Bok-joo’s sudden disappearance. While Borg is the narrative focus, it’s his coworker, the loyal but lonely interpreter Myeong-jun, who undergoes the deeper emotional arc. It’s through his eyes that we feel the ache of longing while he silently observes the joyful intimacy between Borg and Bok-joo. This internal conflict comes to a head in the film’s climax when Myeong-jun must choose between loyalty to the regime and human empathy.
Director Kim Bo-sol demonstrates remarkable control and restraint. Scenes often unfold in vast, empty squares, creating feelings of emotional distance and reinforcing the story’s theme of surveillance and voyeurism. The subdued palette enhances the sense of cold loneliness and dread. However, the animation occasionally reveals subtle warmth, like red flush on the characters faces, to highlight feelings of emotional connection amidst the bleakness of Pyongyang. In the end, The Square shows us that even under an authoritarian regime, emotions may be monitored, but they cannot truly be controlled.
Heavens: The Boy and His Robot (Singapore, 2024); review by Chris Weatherspoon
Official BIFAN synopsis from program notes written by Kim Kani: Set in a galaxy fractured by war, The film follows a young boy named Kai, who grows up longing for the parents he lost during a past space war. Living on a quiet farm, he spends his days studying Mecha engineering. Determined to find his mother, Kai joins the Mecha Corps, plunging into the heart of a new intergalactic conflict. Despite suffering from asthma, which limits his physical capabilities, he perseveres through intense training alongside his small combat robot, “Little Dragon,” gradually forming bonds with his fellow cadets. As Kai navigates the realities of war in his own way, he begins to question what kind of choices the war-scarred generation must make for the sake of the next.
The Heavens: A Boy and His Robot is a heartfelt, ambitious sci-fi adventure that blends classic mecha tropes with subtle Christian themes. Written, directed, designed, scored, and even acted by Rich Ho, the film is clearly a passion project, one that took over a decade to complete, and that devotion shines through, even when budgetary limitations show.
Set on a future Earth where humans have harnessed black hole energy, the planet has become a rare stronghold due to its water supply. The film opens with a dramatic mecha battle between Earth’s forces and Martian colonies. Kai (played the director’s son Elija Ho as a child and Jonathen See as a teenager), the young protagonist, watches as his father joins the fight to protect Earth. He seemingly perishes in the battle, though his fate is left ambiguous. His mecha remains in orbit, and his final words, “Believe, I will return,” echo with theological weight. The film leans into a father-as-God allegory, underscored by faith references like Soli Deo Gloria and other subtle spiritual cues.
Years later, Kai’s mother also departs for space and never returns, leaving him to grow up in foster care. Inspired by his parents, Kai enrolls in a mecha academy and is placed in a squad of rookie pilots: the musclehead who only speaks gibberish, a hyper-competitive show-off, and a neurotic neat freak. They’re led by a gruff sergeant major who is especially hard on Kai.
Unfortunately, we don’t get much depth from these characters. One of the film’s key weaknesses is its overreliance on voiceover instead of dialogue, which limits emotional development and natural character interaction.
Still, there’s heart. After the rookie pilots complete their training, which of course includes your typical montage of scenes featuring hard discipline and slapstick humor, they’re assigned their personal mechas. Kai’s own robot, Little Dragon, is smaller than the others but together with Kai’s determination, the two manage to overcome a series of challenges, physical and mental, before finally being allowed to join the battle against Mars.
Kai’s bond with his smaller, underdog robot adds warmth, and the mecha battles are lively even when the CGI is rough. The DIY production design is especially impressive; during the credits, Ho reveals he used trash to create the science facility, and it works surprisingly well.
Heavens: The Boy and His Robot isn’t perfect, the plot gets fuzzy, and the character work is thin, but for faith-based audiences and fans of classic mecha stories, it’s an inspiring underdog tale about purpose, belief, and never giving up.
Descendent, The Square, and Heavens: The Boy and His Robot screened as part of Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, which ran from July 3–13, 2025 in Bucheon, South Korea.
