Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- harrowing
- urgent
- angry
- historical cinema night
- korean film night
What critics said
Critics found the film a forceful rendering of Korean wartime trauma, praising its camera work and large-scale action while finding its violence and theatrical plotting uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Korean conscripted workers endure brutal exploitation in Hashima's coal mine under Japanese rule.
The Korean laborers plot and execute a daring escape from the island mine and its armed authorities.
The coal mine, crowded island settlement, soldiers, and escape sequence are presented through large-scale action set pieces and forceful camera work.
The story centers Korean suffering under Japanese occupation and the enduring scars of that wartime history.
Films like The Battleship Island, and why
The Handmaiden
historical wartime resistance, occupation trauma, and large-scale action spectacle
1987: When the Day Comes
korean historical oppression, resistance, and emotionally intense ensemble drama
Empire of the Sun
conscripted labor, wartime brutality, and desperate survival under military occupation
The Age of Shadows
period action drama centered on collective resistance against authoritarian violence
Movie Details
- Director
- Ryoo Seung-wan
- Release Date
- 2017-07-26
- Runtime
- 132 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (300)
Cast
- Hwang Jung-min
- So Ji-sub
- Song Joong-ki
- Lee Jung-hyun
- Kim Su-an
- Kim Min-jae
- Kim Joong-hee
- Kim In-woo
- Shin Seung-hwan
- Lee Kyung-young
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Battleship Island about?
- On Japan’s Hashima Island, Korean conscripted laborers transform shared suffering into a perilous wartime revolt and escape.
- What is The Battleship Island like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Battleship Island as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Battleship Island violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Battleship Island as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Battleship Island?
- Critics found the film a forceful rendering of Korean wartime trauma, praising its camera work and large-scale action while finding its violence and theatrical plotting uneven.
- Which films are like The Battleship Island?
- Films with a similar feel include The Handmaiden, 1987: When the Day Comes, Empire of the Sun, and The Age of Shadows.
- How long is The Battleship Island?
- The Battleship Island runs 132 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Battleship Island?
- In United States, The Battleship Island streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
