Deliver Us from Evil

The screenwriter of Korean gems like The Chaser, The Yellow Sea and Confession of Murder tries his hand at directing and it is, as expected, the best Korean actioner of the year. Story-wise, the film may not be original and it's a cross between Taken, John Wick and I Saw the Devil, but I don't mind at all because that theme is perfect and never gets boring. The story focuses on a hitman (Hwang Jeong-min, who everyone who has been following Korea for at least the last 5 years knows) who on his last job takes out a guy, whose sadistic yakuza brother is now out for revenge, he is played by another Korean star, Lee Jeong-jae, who delivers a bad guy in a way that will be raved about for five years. The other plot is the kidnapping of children in Thailand, while the two central characters are at each other's throats, their clashes are the highlight of the whole film. There is quite a lot of action and it is shot breathtakingly. The cinematographer does a decent job, there is some very effective slow motion at times and the new revolutionary element of fast motion, which is used about three times here and I was blown away. The fights are rough, contact, dynamic. The film has an engaging pace, solid atmosphere, great acting, impeccable visuals. Pretty much everything works the way it should, and my only complaint is that the film shies away from violence a bit. The scene where the villain hangs a guy upside down and is about to dismember him like a pig is unfortunately out of frame, but maybe Korean audiences couldn't handle that or maybe we're in for an uncut version in the future. But 10 years ago, it wouldn't have been a problem. Either way, this is one that an action movie fan can't miss this year, because nothing better has come out. Story****, Action*****, Humor>No, Violence***, Entertainment****, Music****, Visual*****, Atmosphere****, Suspense****. 8.5/10. (09/28/2020)

Once again, a South Korean film overflowing with adrenaline and unafraid to go all out. Lately, I’ve been really enjoying these genre-specific films from this country because American films often (though not always) don’t push for innovative scripts and end up being disposable: watch and then discard. However, this film offers a solid experience revolving around two characters driven by different motivations. Sure, the plot centered around saving a little girl has been done at least a million times, but here it felt like a refreshing breeze. The protagonist is quite likable, and you root for him. When it comes to the action, no blood is spared. The fights and shootouts are top-notch, but the moments with the antagonist, a member of the Yakuza, are particularly satisfying, featuring intense carnage and precise choreography for each attack. The setting in Thailand and the surprising final twist were also delightful. Another bullseye. This could be the dark horse of this year’s pure action films. We’ll see if anyone comes up with a project that can top it. For me, it’s 80%. (10/12/2020)