Sanyangeui sigan
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When Jun-seok is picked up by his buddies Ki-hoon and Jang-ho after three years in prison, it takes him a while to understand how much South Korea has changed following the recent financial crisis. The glittering world of consumerism that he left behind has turned into a dark, post-capitalist desert, in which young men don’t really make any plans for the future anymore. The won is now worthless anything, and the cash loot from their last heist has disappeared into thin air. However, Jun-seok has brought a dream with him from his time in prison that he is determined to hold onto: he longs to escape with his friends to Hawaii, to the warmth and the turquoise sea, to start a new life there. To this end he persuades them to join forces for a risky raid on a casino. The trio has nothing to lose. The robbery succeeds. But what they didn’t expect was that it would incur the wrath of infinitely more powerful criminals. A chase through this dystopian world ensues. In Sa-nyang-eui-si-gan, Yoon Sung-hyun successfully transposes the classic thriller genre into the near future, at the same time delivering a powerful visual reckoning with the social realities of present-day South Korea. (Berlinale)
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Netflix has taken on this South Korean drama, and I must say the result is quite impressive. I was intrigued that the film is set in the future, though a slight drawback is that the creators didn’t fully explore this futuristic world. It’s a pity. The story starts off quite slowly, with the first third mainly introducing the main characters. However, after the actual heist, things begin to escalate dramatically. I enjoyed the cinematography and editing, which made the film a standout experience, as well as the use of lighting (such as the sequences in the darkened hospital and the apartment complex at the end). Another major highlight is the realistically sound gunfights (so don’t turn up the volume too high); Michael Mann would be pleased. Regarding the central story, it might not offer a mind-blowing plot twist, but that didn’t bother me. The ending is adrenaline-packed, and I’m interested in the possibility of a sequel. I wouldn’t mind at all and would gladly watch a second installment in the future. For me, it gets 75%.
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The Koreans got off to a flying start. I didn’t really grow fond of that bunch of idiots, but the robbery was great. Then one thing followed other in a fast pace, developing the way you would expect it to. And I wasn’t offended by any means. And I still felt the properly dark and tense atmosphere typical for Korean thrillers, which the boys and girls from this peninsula are so good at creating. I must say that I was quite satisfied with the overall result.
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Netflix and South Korea together again! The film is set in the near future where Korea is experiencing an economic downturn, the Won has dropped to zero and crime on the streets is on the rise. A group of friends with nothing left to lose take advantage of this and decide to rob a local gambling hall. Little do they know, however, that the owner will send after them a cold-blooded hunter who has only one job (KILL!). Nicely shot, with an interesting idea, a great villain, very authentic shootouts and quite a bit of suspense, but it bothered me that they didn't get deeper into the outlined world, and they could have spiced it up with some fighting, which I found lacking here. But it's still standard and decent Korea that's worth a look. Story***, Action***, Humor>No, Violence***, Entertainment****, Music***, Visuals****, Atmosphere***, Suspense***. 6/10.
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