The Tiger (South Korea, 2015, Well Go USA, Blu-ray, NR, 139 min.). In this unsuspectingly poignant film, the viewer actually builds sympathy for the tiger that is being hunted. It is known as the last tiger or the “Mountain Lord” of Mt. Jirisan, now that local hunters have killed its mate and two cubs. The tiger has a surprising connection to retired hunter Chun Man-deok (Choi Min-sik of “Oldboy,” “The Admiral: Roaring Currents”).

The film is set in 1925 during the Japanese occupation of Korea, already two decades old. Chun has moved to a hut on the mountain with his son Seok (Sung Yu Bin). In the prologue we see that Chun was once the region’s best and most dignified hunter. We later learn that things changed after his wife’s death, attributed to a tiger attack.

Obsessed with tiger skins, Japanese government official Maejono (Osugi Ren) decides to kill all the tigers in the country, with the extermination an act to destroy the occupied country's morale, as tigers are the symbol of its national spirit. However, his plan does not go well as one elusive tiger remains. Chun repeatedly refuses to help the Japanese, saying he has retired from hunting.

The Japanese military has been working with a group of local hunters, led by Gu-kyung (Jung Man Sik of “The Trip Around the World”). They were the ones who killed the remaining tiger’s mate and two cubs and now are trying to use the body of one of the cubs to lure the tiger into a trap.

The tiger proves to be extraordinarily intelligent, as well as strong and fierce. During the several expeditions to slay the tiger, including a late one using Japanese soldiers who blow up most of the forest, the tiger kills dozens.

In Gu-kyung’s last attempt before the use of the military, Chun’s son Seok joins the hunters, as he wishes to reap part of the monetary reward so he can marry his girlfriend and move to town. His girlfriend suddenly has become trothed to a shopkeeper’s son as he would have a better future.

The most extraordinary part of this affecting film concerns Seok’s interactions with the tiger, which reveals a touching backstory between Seok’s father and the tiger. All of which leads one to root for the tiger during its showdown with the military.

The film, which is slightly overlong, was directed and written by Park Hoon-jung, who wrote “I Saw the Devil” and wrote and directed the crime drama “New World,” which also starred Choi. Grade: film 3.75 stars

Rating guide: 5 stars = classic; 4 stars = excellent; 3 stars = good; 2 stars = fair; dog = skip it

The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (South Korea, 2019, Well Go USA, Blu-ray, NR, 109 min.). This unlikely action film is based on a true story. After barely surviving a violent attack by an elusive serial killer (Kim Sungkyu of “Tunnel,” “The Outlaws”), fierce crime boss Jang Dong-soo (Ma Dong-seok of “Train to Busan,” “The Roundup”) finds himself forming a partnership with local Detective Jung Tae-seok (Kim Mu-yeol of “Forgotten,” “Space Sweepers”) to catch the sadistic killer known as "K.”

What makes the partnership unlikely is that Detective Jung has been forever busting Jang’s gambling operations. However, Jung is the one who has tied together three recent stabbing deaths as the work of one killer, even though his superiors refuse to believe him. However, the attack on Jang follows the pattern of the victim’s car being rear-ended before the killing. However, while pooling information – Jang is the only survivor and has seen K’s face and car – Jang and Jung are racing against each other, as Jang wants to kill the serial murderer and Jung wants to bring him to trial.

In addition to the twists and turns between Jang and Jung, the film has some excellent action sequences, including their two-man fight when a rival crime figure tries to kill the perceived-weakened Jang and a late three-car chase. The film is written and directed by Lee Won-tae (“The Devil’s Deal”).

Extras include a brief making-of (3:30) and a look at the characters (1:40). Grade: film 3.75 stars; extras 1 star

Customs Frontline (Hong Kong, Well Go USA, Blu-ray, NR, 115 min.). Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department officers Chow Ching-lai (Nicholas Tse of “New Police Story,” “Bodyguards and Assassins”) and Cheung Wan-nam (Jacky Cheung of “Once Upon a Time in China,” “Bullet in the Head”) share a close student-mentor relationship. On a case involving seized smuggled arms, Chow is sent to take part in a joint operation with Interpol to recover the stolen arms and capture a reclusive arms dealer. However, the older Cheung makes a drastic decision that complicates the case even further.

The film, directed by Herman Yau (two “Shock Wave” films, “Ip Man: The Final Fight”) and written by Eric Lee and Erica Li (both of “Shock Wave 2,” “The Legend Is Born: Ip Man”), begins with a deadly boat battle over fishing rights, which leads to war between the fictional African nations of Loklamoa and Hoyana. The mysterious Dr. Raw (Amanda Strang of “Final Romance”) is suppling both sides with arms, including the ones stolen from the Thai military that get seized early in the film by Hong Kong Customs.

The Hong Kong storage area where the smuggled arms are being held is violently attacked by both armed men on the ground and in a helicopter, with the arms successfully re-stolen and some painful deaths of Hong Kong agents. It is one of the film’s best action sequences, including an aerial stunt by Tse as Chow. Tse acts as the principal action choreographer on the film and his Chow also is present, with a female Interpol agent, when an Loklamoa army camp is bombed from the sky.

Other action highlights are when, during a car chase, four cars box in a fifth, and the late out-of-control freighter smashes through a dock-side restaurant and another building. There also is a fight in a mini-sub as it fills with water.

The sole extra is a making-of featurette, which includes the aerial stung (7:23). Grade: film 3.25 stars; extra 1.25 stars

Parable (South Africa, 2020, R2R/Darkside Releasing, Blu-ray, NR, 89 min.). Directed and co-written by Beer Adriaanse of “Wonderlus,” TV’s “Hotel”), this horror film has a different take on demonic possession.

The film opens with a kiss between teenage Esther (Jane De Wet) and her girlfriend Zoe being broken up by Esther’s father, who then ships her off to a Christian conversion camp, where Esther is to receive treatment to cure her homosexual tendencies. Leading the camp is the Reverend Randy Day (Michael Richard) of the cowboy hat. Rev. Day has Esther tied up to a makeshift stockade and begins a cleansing ritual, but rather than exorcising a non-existing demon, he manages to summon an actual demon.

Rev. Day then farms out Esther to former drug addict Julian (Thapelo Aphiri), who is housed in the gated Eye of Africa security estate. There, a trio of teenagers – Danny Meaker as Loyd, Carla Classen as Lina and Jay Hlatshwayo as Kasper – get involved after Kasper starts dreaming about Esther, who pleas for him to free her. Kasper apparently got scratched by demon-possessed Esther when the car she was in was stopped at the estate’s security gate.

Julian is very much against this apparent kidnapping, and even less so as the demon uses Esther to bite his ear. Even more worrisome is most of the people at a costume party get controlled by the demon and then, zombie-like, attack the house where Julian is holding Esther. It seems the demon also wants to use those people later for their blood, to build its power. Grade: film 2.75 stars

The Witch Game, aka Juego de brujas (Argentina, 2023, Trinity/Darkside Releasing, Blu-ray, NR, 86 min.). This dark fantasy horror, written and directed by Fabián Forte (“Legions”), involves an occult virtual reality game that requires teenage gamer Mara (Lourdes Mansilla) to become a witch in one night to presumedly save her sister Sofia.

Mara is rebellious and wants little to nothing to do with her family, as her parents have canceled a planned party for her upcoming 18th birthday. She also has just dumped her boyfriend Marcos (Sebastian Sinnot) for getting too handsy.

Mara receives a package, left on her family’s doorstep by a stranger. Thinking it is a birthday present, Mara tries to open the package, pricking her finger in the process. Her drop of blood is enough to open the wooden box. Inside the box are a pair of gloves and virtual reality gaming glasses. When she puts them on, she sees Aram, a self-proclaimed powerful witch who offers to help Mara get a magical wand of power.

Sofia, three years younger, has been taken to an alternate realm by a powerful demon, and three self-proclaimed guides -- Leonel Arrieda (Ezequiel Rodriguez), Astrid Kyteler (Virginia Lombardo) and Bea Magyar (Natalia Grinberg) -- show up to help Mara strengthen her occult powers so that she can defeat the demon and get her sister back.

The film, which is confusing at times, quickly turns dark as one of the three guides tries to kill Mara. Then Mara is required to kill a human and bring them back to life to consolidate her power. Naturally, Marcos becomes the chosen one, and it is the best bit in the film. The film does have a hell of an ending. Grade: film 2.5 stars

Operation Undead (Thailand, Well Go USA, Blu-ray, NR, 110 min.). The film begins by introducing 10 junior officers, all of whom soon become zombies thanks to a biological weapon brought ashore by the Japanese, who are trying to invade Siam. Unusual for a zombie film is that these now-cannibals can still talk and reason. The weapon, Fumetsu, was developed between 1939 and 1944.

In much of the film, the Japanese are trying, unsuccessfully, to destroy all evidence of their zombie creation, using a Destroyer Task Force, which, by the way, proves no match for the new creations. Meanwhile, the zombie soldiers are trying to get back to their families. The film actually develops sympathy for the undead – even if their faces are horrible looking. Much of this is due to Thai brothers Mok (Awat Ratanapintha) and Mek (Chanon Santinatornkul), one of whom becomes a zombie.

Witten and directed by Kongkiat Komesiri’s (the “Khun Pan” trilogy), the film transcends well-trod territory with food for thought as it explores literally dehumanizing effects of war. The film is set during Thailand’s traumatic World War II involvement. A mid-closing credits scene sets up possible sequels. Grade: 3 stars

Abigail (Russia, Well Go USA, DVD, NR, 110 min.). Although the film, which ultimately turns out to be a steampunk fantasy, is Russian, it was recorded in English and features Londoner Eddie Marsan of Showtime’s “Ray Donovan” as character Jonathan Foster. The vocals are a bit weird and flat though for many characters, but clearly, by reading lips, one can tell English was spoken on the set.

The film is set in a remote city that has been walled off to stop the spread of an infection. During flashbacks we see Abigail’s father (Marsan) dragged from his home, never to be seen again by his daughter. It is a time when the some of the infected are put to death. Later, it is revealed that Jonathan had been working with the same authorities who arrested him. Eight or 10 years later (both timespans are mentioned), grown-up Abigail (Tinatin Dalakisishvili) still has hopes of finding her father, as another man taken the same time as her father has returned as an inspector for the authorities. Early on, we see that Abigail is special, as she levitates over her bed while sleeping.

Well, it turns out that those “infected” actually have magical abilities and there is a whole subculture of them living hidden in the city. Ultimately, both sides have debates over the haves and have-nots with regard to magical abilities. Abigail falls in with the “infected,” who are led by Bale (Gleb Bochkov), who is planning an uprising against the authorities.

The film, which at times seems cobbled together, has far too many coincidences, but does have an interesting look, especially towards the end, when it embraces its steampunk touches, including a giant airship. Grade: film 2.5 stars