One night, a young sailor disappears. The old captain reports that the sailor fell into the sea, causing an uproar in the village. The sailor’s mother waits by the dock every day for her son to return. It soon comes to light that the sailor’s Vietnamese wife will receive an insurance payout. At the center of this turmoil is the stubborn old captain. The title is the only thing that’s typical in this film. Director Park Ri-woong, who made a strong debut with The Girl on a Bulldozer (2022), surpasses his previous work with his second feature, The Land of Morning Calm. Park Ri-woong’s discovery of Yoon Joosang is as fresh as Bong Joon Ho’s discovery of Byun Hee Bong. The film moves forward with relentless momentum. With a taut narrative and editing that never slackens, it drives straight to the peak. The Land of Morning Calm is a bulldozer of a story, pouring out the poignant tales of the loser, the poor, and the outsider into this small fishing village. (JUNG Hanseok)