South Korean cinema continues to surprise with its ability to blend different genres; and the new film “Good News”, arriving on Netflix, is clear proof of this. Directed by Byun Sung-hyun, it is a historical thriller, political drama and black comedy, inspired by a true episode that took place in 1970: the hijacking of a Japan Airlines plane by the Japanese communist faction “Red Faction”.
Good News: the plot
Set in 1970, the film tells the story of the daring operation to bring back to safety a passenger plane hijacked towards Pyongyang. Managing the crisis is an unlikely group: a mysterious intermediary known as Nobody, a young Air Force lieutenant and the head of South Korean intelligence. Bureaucracy can be a tough obstacle, state secrets can be insurmountable rocks, diplomacy hangs in the balance: the feature film alternates moments of suspense with scenes of grotesque humour, in which officials on the ground seem more dangerous than terrorists in flight.
Byun Sung-hyun’s direction continually plays on the double register of true and false, good and bad, constructing a story that certainly speaks of the past, but also of the contradictions of contemporary reality. At the presentation of the film the director declared: “I wanted the film to reflect the present because certain power dynamics never change, even when times change.”
Good News: the cast
The film boasts a cast of Korean names already seen elsewhere. Seol Kyung-gu, a veteran of local cinema, returns to work with Byun after “The Merciless”, “Kingmaker” and “Kill Boksoon”, and plays a mysterious and ironic man who pulls the strings of the operation. Hong Kyung, is the young revelation of series such as “DP” and “Weak Hero Class 1”, and gives life to an officer torn between ambition and fear. Ryoo Seung-bum, after the success of the series “Moving”, plays the role of the head of the secret service. The cast is completed by Yamada Takayuki, Shiina Kippei, Kim Sung-oh, Show Kasamatsu and Nairu Yamamoto.
Good News: when it comes out on Netflix
Following premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival and Busan Film Festival, “Good News” will be available worldwide on Netflix on October 17, 2025.
Good News: the official trailer
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