The Book of Fish

In 1801, with a new king on the throne, the scholar Jeong Yak-jeon is sent into exile on the island of Heuksando. There he meets Chang-dae, a young fisherman with a deep knowledge of the sea and an admiration for Confucian learning. The two men begin exchanging what they know, and their conversations lead the scholar to compile a written record of the island's fish and marine life. The film is a historical drama set during the Joseon era and was shot in black and white.

The Book of Fish was released in 2021. It is directed by Lee Joon-ik, whose earlier films include King and the Clown (2005), The Throne (2015) and Anarchist from Colony (2017); it stands as the seventh of the eight features listed for him, followed by My Father's Table (2026). The screenplay is by Kim Se-gyeom, and Sean Kim produced. Sul Kyung-gu plays Jeong Yak-jeon, with Byun Yo-han as Chang-dae, and Lee Jung-eun, Min Do-hee, Cha Soon-bae and Kang Ki-young among the supporting cast.

On IMDb the film holds a rating of 7.5/10 from around 1,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 7.8/10 from roughly 40 votes. Both figures point to a generally positive response, with the smaller TMDB sample suggesting more devoted viewers.