Yeon Sang-ho has continued to deliver acclaimed works, from the film Train to Busan, which he directed, to the Netflix series Gas Man, for which he served as executive producer and screenwriter. Hideo Kojima, meanwhile, is the game creator behind titles such as Metal Gear and DEATH STRANDING, captivating fans around the world with his singular creative vision. The two, who have known each other for some time, come together for a conversation prompted by Yeon’s latest film, The Ugly.
They discuss the pressure of taking on blockbuster productions, the tensions that arise when creative expression is driven by the demands of the market, and the creative freedom that can emerge from working with a limited budget. At the forefront of their respective fields, and constantly pushing beyond the boundaries of genre and medium, Yeon and Kojima reflect on what it means to create in the years ahead.
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What Makes Yeon Sang-ho’s Monsters Different
You two already knew each other before this, right?
Yeon Sang-ho：I was a fan of Kojima-san to begin with. I have THE ART OF DEATH STRANDING, the official art book for Kojima Productions’ DEATH STRANDING (2019), and I got him to sign it for me. He also gave me a jacket, which I wore all the time for a while.
Born in 1978. Film and animation director. In 2016, his film Train to Busan and its animated prequel, Seoul Station, became major hits. His Netflix series Gas Man (2026) is currently streaming. His latest film, The Ugly, is set to be released on August 28.
Hideo Kojima：I’ve been a fan of Director Yeon ever since Train to Busan (2016). When I visited his studio, I was surprised to see all these models of things that had appeared in his films, including charred human figures (laughs).
Born in Tokyo in 1963. Game creator. He made his directorial debut in 1987 with Metal Gear, which went on to become a series and establish the stealth game genre. In 2019, he released DEATH STRANDING. The franchise has since expanded in multiple directions, including the sequel DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH, a live-action film adaptation with A24, the animated project DEATH STRANDING MOSQUITO, and DEATH STRANDING ISOLATIONS, scheduled for release in 2027.
What is it about Director Yeon’s work that appeals to you?
Kojima：His films are full of strange beings, like zombies and monsters. My friend Guillermo del Toro (the Mexican filmmaker behind Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water, among others) also deals with monsters, but while they might seem similar in that sense, their approaches are completely different.
Del Toro is from Mexico and comes from a minority background in the United States. He identifies that position with the monster, telling stories from the perspective of those who are marginalized and oppressed. That’s what makes his portrayal of monsters so compelling: they have their own struggles, and they’re capable of loving others.
In Director Yeon’s work, on the other hand, these strange beings aren’t there to give us the monster’s perspective. Instead, it’s through the appearance of the monster that we begin to see the darker side of human nature. It’s a very different approach, and I don’t think there are many creators quite like him.
What did you think of Director Yeon’s new film, The Ugly?
Kojima：I thought it was fantastic. Unlike his previous films, there are no zombies or demons. And yet, it shows us something even more terrifying: the hidden side of human nature.
Given the English title, The Ugly, I initially thought it might be about lookism, which has become something of a buzzword lately. But it goes much further than that. There’s a son and his blind father, and the mother disappeared shortly after the son was born. The story is about searching for the “face” of that missing mother. Put simply, it’s a bit like Apocalypse Now (1980 / Francis Ford Coppola), but it ultimately takes you somewhere you don’t expect. I was already a fan, but this film made me even more jealous of Director Yeon’s talent.
Yeon： I really appreciate that. I was so happy when Kojima-san said he thought Train to Busan was great as well. A lot of time has passed since then, so I’m genuinely glad that we’ve now had the chance to meet in person like this and hear his thoughts on my new film directly.
