Walk Up

Walk Up
Official poster
Hangul
탑
RRTap
MRT'ap
Directed byHong Sang-soo
Written byHong Sang-soo
Produced byHong Sang-soo
Starring
CinematographyHong Sang-soo
Edited byHong Sang-soo
Music byHong Sang-soo
Production
company
Jeonwonsa Film Company
Distributed by
  • Finecut (international)
  • Cinema Guild (North America)
Release dates
  • 11 September 2022 (2022-09-11) (TIFF)
  • 3 November 2022 (2022-11-03) (South Korea)
  • 24 March 2023 (2023-03-24) (United States)
Running time
97 minutes
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean
Box office$31,679

Walk Up (Korean: 탑; RR: Tap; lit. 'Tower') is a 2022 South Korean drama film written, directed, produced, photographed, scored and edited by Hong Sang-soo.

Plot

Walk Up follows filmmaker Byung-soo and his estranged daughter Jeong-su as they visit a building owned by Ms. Kim, share a meal, and meet others who live in the building. The same event is seemingly repeated several times in different variations. Byung-soo later begins a relationship with a woman in the building and moves into one of the apartments.

Cast

Production

Walk Up was filmed in black and white in Seoul in 2021. It was written, directed, edited, and produced by Hong, with music and cinematography by Hong. The production company was Jeonwonsa Film Company. Kim Min-hee served as production manager.

Release

Walk Up premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, where it screened out of competition. It was also shown in competition at the 70th San Sebastian International Film Festival on September 22, 2022 and premiered in the United States at the 2022 New York Film Festival. Walk Up premiered in theaters in South Korea on November 3, 2022 and in the United States on March 24, 2023.

The film is distributed internationally by Finecut and in North America by Cinema Guild.

Reception

Critical response

Walk Up has received positive reviews from critics, holding a 97% positive rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 29 critics, with an average score of 8 out of 10, and a score of 86 on Metacritic, based on nine reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Critics praised the film for being reflective and complex, and noted strengths in its acting, music, and tone.

Box office

Walk Up grossed $31,679 in South Korea.

Accolades

Award ceremony Year Category Nominee Result Ref.
San Sebastián International Film Festival 2022 Golden Shell Walk Up Nominated
Buil Film Awards 2023 Best Film Walk Up Nominated
Best Director Hong Sang-soo Nominated

References

  1. ↑ Garcia Mino, David (2022-09-23). ""Walk Up" (2022): con una copa de vino". Cintilatio (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  2. ↑ Fulvi, Giovanna. "Walk Up". TIFF. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Romney, Jonathan (2022-09-22). "'Walk Up': San Sebastian Review". Screendaily. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Bowen, Chuck (2022-09-28). "'Walk Up' Review: Hong Sang-soo's Synecdoche of Life". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Kiang, Jessica (2022-09-23). "'Walk Up' Review: Hong Sangsoo's Sly, Silvery Latest is One of His Recent Greatest". Variety. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
  6. ↑ Daniels, Robert (2022-09-16). "TIFF 2022: Prisoner's Daughter, What's Love Got to Do with It, Walk Up". Roger Ebert. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  7. ↑ Song, Seung-hyun (2022-08-03). "Hong Sang-soo's 'Walk Up' invited to two overseas film fests". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
  8. ↑ 강, 민경 (2022-08-03). [공식] 홍상수 감독♥김민희 제작 실장 '탑', 토론토·산세바스티안 영화제 초청. 한경닷컴 (in Korean). Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  9. ↑ Hudson, David (2022-07-29). "Toronto and More Fall Lineups". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
  10. 1 2 Brody, Richard (2022-09-29). "Three Highlights from the First Week of the 2022 New York Film Festival". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  11. ↑ Kim, Eun-jung (2022-10-28). "(Movie Review) In 'Walk Up', Hong Sang-soo unfolds metaphors of life in four-story building". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  12. ↑ Bramesco, Charles (2023-03-01). "Hong Sang-soo gets lost in the funhouse in the first Walk Up trailer". Little White Lies. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  13. ↑ Brody, Richard (2023-03-23). "Hong Sangsoo's "Walk Up" Signals a Break from Routine". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  14. ↑ Brzeski, Patrick (2022-08-09). "Cinema Guild Takes North American Rights to Hong Sang-soo's 'Walk Up'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
  15. ↑ "Walk Up". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  16. ↑ "Walk Up". Metacritic. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  17. ↑ "'Walk Up' Review: Hong Sangsoo Delivers A Delicate Portrait Of Age & Artistic Pursuit [NYFF]". The Playlist. 2022-10-02. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  18. ↑ Garcia, Lawrence (2022-10-01). "Walk Up — Hong Sang-soo [NYFF '22 Review]". In Review Online. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  19. ↑ Vestby, Ethan (2022-09-18). "TIFF Review: Hong Sangsoo's Walk Up is Relaxing in its Languid Rhythms". The Film Stage. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  20. ↑ "Walk Up". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  21. ↑ "Sección Oficial. 70 Edición 2022". Festival de San Sebastián. 2 September 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  22. ↑ Nam, Yoo-jung; Lee, Woo-young (August 27, 2023). 누가 받아도 될 정도로 훌륭한 후보들, 그중 최고는 누구? [Great candidates to anyone can accept, who is the best of them?]. Busan Ilbo (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  23. ↑ Bae Hyo-joo (October 5, 2023). 이병헌·김서형 주연상→'콘크리트 유토피아' 작품상까지 4관왕(부일영화상)[종합] [Lee Byung-hun and Kim Seo-hyung won 4 awards, including Best Actor Award → 'Concrete Utopia' Best Picture (Buil Film Awards) [Comprehensive]]. Newsen (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved October 6, 2023.