Streaming review: Kang Ha-neul explores the benefits, and cost of video streaming

Streaming (2025) takes the point-of-view (POV) film genre to a new level, whilst giving it a modern twist.

Like the famed Taiwanese horror film Incantation (2022), it allows you to be in the characters’ shoes, rather than just viewing events from a third-person perspective.

Streaming (2025) allows audiences to follow the plot by watching the main character’s live streams. It follows Woo Sang (Kang Ha-neul), a flamboyant and charismatic streamer specialising in uncovering cold crime cases.

It’s a different side of Kang that viewers see here, as he usually plays radiant and bright characters. Woo Sang here, on the other hand, is slightly more enigmatic, always seen in a suit, and plastered with tattoos.

In the film, he is the top streamer in the “Mystery” category on streaming platform WAG, a title that not only brings fame and glory. But also a load of money.

The film opens with a puzzling scene, with a female streamer jumping out of her apartment window. We are then introduced to a series of other cases, where people are found dead on the streets, each with a piece of their clothing cut off.

With the case brought to the attention of Woo Sang, he terms the perpetrator a “hemline killer”.

In a bid to uncover the truth, he starts a stream with fellow streamer Matilda (Han Sung-yun), backtracking on how the crime occurred. That is, until his hyper-realistic roleplay gets out of control. And he later uncovers a disturbing truth.

Seeing Kang Ha-neul play a more morally grey and mature character is a breath of fresh air. Mostly righteous while uncovering these cold crime cases with a dose of humour, the film also explores how he tows the fine lines of morality later in it.

Streaming is now showing in Golden Village cinemas.