The Fox Family is an extremely out there South Korean film that is superbly satisfying to watch. The film has you on the edge of your seat at all times as you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get from it, and director Lee Hyung-gon has done an absolutely brilliant job in putting together such an incredibly quirky film.
Only once every thousand years do foxes have a chance to become truly human, and to do so they must consume a human liver at the point of eclipse. With 30 days left until the eclipse, a family of foxes in temporary human form set up a circus in the hope of luring people in as they look to secure the livers that will grant them a human life. The circus idea doesn’t get off to a great start as the only humans they’re able to attract are children, with the children not taking long before they run away from the gruesome circus acts that the foxes have to offer. The foxes gain an easy human as an unaware Gi-dong (Park Joon-gyu) wanders in to the circus one night, he’s able to make sure his life is spared however as he convinces the foxes that he can help them get their hands on the livers that they require.
Unafraid of breaking down the genre barriers, The Fox Family is magnificently able to combine dark comedy with fantasy, with the characters often breaking down into song to provide a great musical feel. There are also slight elements of horror and an unusual love story thrown into the mix and with so much going on the film always has much to offer. The actors perform their parts well, the brilliance of The Fox Family lies in the magnificent direction of Lee Hyung-gon however and in the incredible writing talent of Jeon Hyeon-jin and Park Eun-ah. All involved in this film have every reason to be proud, and cinematographer Choi Jin-woong is someone definitely deserving of a mention here as the way that the film is presented on screen is just absolutely stunning.
The Fox Family has some incredible moments to offer, with one of the film’s most memorable moments a scene in which members of the general public have a break dancing dance-off with riot police whilst the fox family is out looking to recruit people for the circus. Not only is the film visually beauteous, but in terms of the storyline offered here the film also pleases. My one and only criticism of the film would be that it could have a stronger climax, whilst the ending may not be the best though I do feel that the film has a lot to offer in its journey there, and watching The Fox Family most certainly provides for a very satisfying viewing experience.
If you’re bored with formulaic run of the mill films then it’s definitely worth taking a look at The Fox Family; The Fox Family is definitely not a film that can be accused of playing it safe, and the approach to film taken here really does come across well on screen. The cinematography is stunning, the direction excellent, and the quality of acting does much to impress also. The Fox Family is a film that impresses on many levels, and watching this film at least once is something that I would most definitely 100% recommend doing.
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UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.
