IMDb 7.1 2017 HD

The Battleship Island

The Battleship Island

2017
Action Drama History War
132 min NR KR
7.149 / 10
7.1 IMDB

During the Japanese colonial era, roughly 400 Korean people, who were forced onto Battleship Island 'Hashima Island' to mine for coal, attempt to escape.

Personnel // Cast & Crew

Director Lee Seok-sool / Ryoo Seung-wan
Starring
Hwang Jung-min / So Ji-sub / Song Joong-ki / Lee Jung-hyun / Kim Su-an / Kim Min-jae / Kim Joong-hee / Kim In-woo

How Viewers Describe This Film

Common themes and sentiments

harrowing intense epic brutal resilient desperate powerful grim hopeful action-packed emotional historical

Reviews

G
Genevieve Moreau
Apr 14, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

This epic Korean production, 'The Battleship Island', offers a potent, if sometimes conventional, look at a dark chapter of history. The film's visual design is striking, effectively conveying the oppressive atmosphere of the island. The cast, including Song…

A
Arthur Pendelton
Apr 14, 2026
4.5 / 5
4.5

'The Battleship Island' is a monumental achievement in Korean cinema, offering a potent blend of historical drama and pulse-pounding action. The film's commitment to depicting the grim realities of forced labour on Hashima Island is unflinching, creating a…

I
Isabelle Dubois
Apr 14, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

A technically impressive, if somewhat overblown, war drama, 'The Battleship Island' tackles a difficult historical subject with gusto. The performances are strong across the board, with Kim Su-an offering a particularly poignant turn. The film's strength lies in…

M
Marcus Bellweather
Apr 14, 2026
4.0 / 5
4.0

Directorially, 'The Battleship Island' is a grand spectacle, meticulously recreating the desolate industrial landscape of Hashima Island. The film's ambition is evident in its epic scope and the intense portrayal of its characters' plight. So Ji-sub and Song…

E
Eleanor Vance
Apr 14, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

This Korean blockbuster, 'The Battleship Island', plunges viewers into the harrowing reality of forced labour during the Japanese colonial era. The film excels in its visceral depiction of the grim conditions on Hashima Island, creating an oppressive atmosphere…

FAQs

Hashima Island, or Battleship Island, serves as the central, oppressive setting for the film. It is depicted as a desolate and brutal penal colony where Korean labourers were forced to mine coal under inhumane conditions. The island itself becomes a character, representing confinement, exploitation, and the bleakness of the Japanese colonial era. The narrative hinges on the characters' desperate desire to escape this isolated and unforgiving environment.