Badland Hunters is a sequel to this Korean disaster movie

If you enjoyed Badland Hunters, Netflix’s new post-apocalyptic action movie starring Don Lee, we have good news: it’s actually a sequel to another South Korean film.

Punch them, and they will come: this has been the overriding philosophy of Lee’s career as a movie star, whether he’s taping his fists and clobbering zombies in Train to Busan, or… well, beating up anyone foolish enough to think they can square up against him.

Lee (also known as Ma Dong-seok) is the lead of Badland Hunters, Netflix’s latest Korean must-see that’s somewhere between The Last of Us and Mad Max. He plays Nam-san, a ruthless warrior who fights his way through Seoul after a teenage girl is kidnapped by an evil doctor looking for another test subject.

It’s been a popular title on Netflix over the weekend, echoing past K-dramas’ success on the platform – but if you want to know more about the story, you’re in luck.

Netflix’s Badland Hunters is a sequel

Badland Hunters is a follow-up to Concrete Utopia, a South Korean disaster movie released in 2023.

Based on the second part of the “Cheerful Outcast” webtoon by Kim Soong-nyung, the film follows the immediate aftermath of the Seoul earthquake, with the city’s residents fighting for survival in the only standing tower block.

Badland Hunters was helmed by Heo Myeong-haeng, a martial arts choreographer – and the movie’s pulpy, violent tone and bombastic action speaks for itself. Concrete Utopia was still a blockbuster, but it was also considered a possible Oscars contender, having retained a rare 100% Rotten Tomatoes score after more than 50 reviews.

“With brilliant performances and a balanced, harrowing story to propel it, Concrete Utopia isn’t just one of the best films of the year: it may be the best disaster thriller in years,” Inverse wrote, while Variety’s review reads: “It’s a fractious, blood-soaked drama about the will to survive that feels like Earthquake crossed with Lord of the Flies. What’s gripping is that you watch it and think, ‘If I were in this movie, what would I do?'”

However, if you’re keen to check it out, it’ll cost you… just $5.99 to rent via Rakuten Viki, a platform specializing in Asian content. “As the appetite for Asian entertainment continues to grow with US audiences, this is a significant moment for Rakuten Viki as we look to raise the bar in offering the latest and most buzzworthy titles to fans,” Jaehee Hong, the platform’s SVP of content, said in a statement.