This review contains spoilers
Drew Goddard’s The Cabin in the Woods (2011) has inspired dozens of films to this day. The closest Korean film with similar themes is probably Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018).
Once someone starts watching Handsome Guys (2024), it’s impossible to miss the reference. It is one of Korea’s own adaptations of the film, except with a funny twist. It’s Korean title is 핸섬가이즈, a Korean transcription of the English name.
Officially, it is a remake of the Canadian film Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010), which predates The Cabin in the Woods by one year. However, both started filming in 2009, so it is best to consider them contemporary.
Korea has produced some of the finest horror comedies in the world. There have been endearing films like the rom-com horror comedy Spellbound (2011) and Show Me the Ghost (2021). None of them have failed to dazzle audiences.
Handsome Guys is not really meant for a solo late-night watch. It doesn’t have many jump scares, although the ones it does have are executed perfectly. It is best watched with friends and family on a leisurely afternoon.
The Plot
The film has three protagonists: Kang Jae-pil, Park Sang-goo, and Kim Mi-na. Together, they expel the demon Baphomet from Earth in the end. Lee Sung-min, Lee Hee-joon, and Gong Seung-yeon portrayed them, chronologically.
Like every other “cabin in the woods” story, here too, a group of friends ventures into a forest for a vacation. They encounter a cabin possessed by Baphomet and meet tragic ends. Well, given how the film portrays the deaths, it is probably best to call them tragicomic.
The cabin comes with a history as well. It originally belonged to an American priest. Baphomet appeared in the village six decades ago and went on a killing spree. The priest tried to exorcise it and succeeded only temporarily. He left behind a book that predicted Baphomet would resurface exactly 66 years and 6 months later—and it unfolds exactly as foretold.
Baphomet’s character starts off as a mad goat that possesses humans. The mysterious diagram in the basement features a picture of a goat as well. On their way to the forest, the group’s car accidentally hits a black goat, unleashing the spirit into the world.
There’s not much more to the plot than this, except the Tom-and-Jerry game that ensues afterward. Kim Mi-na overhears Sung-bin, the leader of the group, telling another member how he plans to “toy with Mi-na” before going abroad. Frustrated, she leaves the resort and accidentally falls into the water. Jae-pil and Sang-goo rescue her, but everyone else believes they kidnapped her and arrives at the cabin to “rescue” her from the duo. That’s when all hell breaks loose.
When Murder Feels Funny
Handsome Guys features a funny ghost and a funny series of murders. It’s best to say the deaths of the entire group are a series of accidents instead.
They are all killed by Baphomet, who eventually possesses Sung-bin. But the film shows every death in the most humorous way possible. Although the scenes are often gross—with one involving a young man jumping into a woodchipper by mistake (just like in the Canadian original)—they never fail to evoke laughter.
There is a police duo in the film as well. One survives in the end while the other turns into a zombie. The way the surviving officer tries to take down Baphomet with his baton is simply hilarious.
If there is one thing the movie lacks, it is seriousness. The screenwriter wrote almost none of the characters in a serious mood, except Sung-bin. After turning into Baphomet, he meets his own gruesome end—yet it still makes the audience burst into laughter.
The Actors
All K-drama fans remember Lee Sung-min for playing the head of a chaebol family in Reborn Rich (2022). Here, he appears in a completely different type of role that’s funny through and through.
His embodiment of Jae-pil is absolutely praiseworthy. Even audience members who don’t speak Korean can tell how hard he worked to deliver the accent a character like Jae-pil requires. With that accent, Jae-pil is portrayed as a nonbeliever, while Sang-goo repeatedly insists on praying.
Ultimately, Jae-pil too becomes a believer. But religion has just a minor role to play in the plot, only as much as it requires.
Lee Hee-joon and Gong Seung-yeon also deliver strong performances. Both Hee-joon and Sung-min received nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor at a number of festivals, and they deserved them.
A Movie to Watch with Popcorn in Hand
There are films that don’t offer deep meanings or philosophies. Their aim is simply to entertain—and Handsome Guys scores a solid 10 out of 10 on that front.
It has a runtime of 1 hour and 41 minutes, and almost every moment is thoroughly enjoyable. It is meant as a spoof of every horror movie inspired by the “cabin in the woods” trope. In one scene, it shows a clip from Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, too.
Horror comedy is a challenging genre that requires its own mastery of the craft. Director Nam Dong-hyup demonstrates it in every frame. This is also his directorial debut, which earned him the Best New Director prize at the Director’s Cut Awards 2025.
Film can be many things, but above all, it is meant to entertain. Critics are absolutely correct in saying that when it works with clichés, it takes the game to a whole new level. It never feels cliché-ridden for a single moment. The cinematography is as picturesque as it gets—as with most Korean films.
Altogether, Handsome Guys is the perfect package of laughter and amusement. For anyone looking for a refreshing film to watch and enjoy, it is a must-watch. And whether it is better than the Canadian original or not is a question best left for everyone to find out themselves.
