A Frozen Flower

In the Goryeo period, the young king, subordinate to the Yuan court, has been in a long relationship with Hong Lim, the commander of his guard. Unable to father a child, and needing an heir to hold the throne, he orders Hong Lim to sleep with the queen. The order is obeyed, and then something real forms between Hong Lim and the queen, and the palace turns into an engine of revenge. Yoo Ha runs the film between historical drama and erotic thriller and treats power through desire: the moment the king gives the order he ends his own relationship. The costume and palace design are careful and the fights are hard. The level of sexual content was widely argued over on release in Korea. Who it is for: viewers who like Korean historical drama and stories about power and desire. Who it is not for: anyone uncomfortable with explicit sex and severe violence.