The Koreans sure know how to make a darn good revenge movie. Kim Jee-Woon, who along with the likes of Park Chan-Wook and Bong Joon-Ho, ranks as one of the most sought after filmmakers working in the country today, has made another interesting entry to that club. The film begins memorably with a petite and vulnerable young lady being brutally murdered by a mysterious vicious-looking drifter (Choi Min-Sik). The girl’s fiancé (Lee Nyung-Hun), who’s a highly skilled special agent, vows to avenge for the murder, and thus ensues a fascinating game of punches and counter-punches between the two blood-thirsty men and a wildly topsy-turvy ride through hell. With each passing moment the movie becomes more and more violent and crazy like the continually upping of the tempo of an orchestra, so much so that it was severely censored for its extreme violence and shocking climax; suffice it to say, the film is not meant for the chicken-hearted. In fact, by the time the movie ends it becomes nearly impossible to differentiate between the “good guy” and the “bad guy”, and therein lies the success of any good revenge thriller. The film boasts of memorable performances by the two men – Choi’s turn as the deliriously vile psychopath was absolutely stupendous, and formed the perfect complement to Lee’s laconic and seemingly placid cop. Interestingly both these actors had already been part of superb vengeance flicks – Oldboy and A Bittersweet Life, respectively.
Director: Kim Jee-Woon
Genre: Thriller/Crime Thriller/Psychological Thriller
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea