The list below is 5 Korean movies I have already watched or are on my watchlist. The “H” means the film is historical.
- Castaway on the Moon (2009)
- I Saw the Devil (2010)
- Swordbrothers: The Showdown (2011)-H
- Nameless Gangster (2012)
- Perfect Number (2012)
Kim Seung-Keun (played by Jung Jae-Young) goes to a bridge over the Han River because he is contemplating suicide. He jumps but instead of dying he ends up stranded on a deserted island in the middle of Seoul. Looks like it just wasn't his day to die. Once he gets adjusted to his new life, he decides living a solitary life is not so bad, even though he still wrote out a message in the sand “HELP”, just in case.
Kim Jung-Yeon (played by Jung Ryeo-Won) also lives a solitary life and never leaves her apartment. Her hobby is taking photos of the moon. But one night she happened to see “HELP” written in the sand and a figure of a man walking on the shore of the deserted island.
It's a very unusual way for two solitary people to connect.
♦ 2) I Saw the Devil (2010)
This K-drama is a gripping and suspenseful thriller. So-Hyun (played by Lee Byung-Hun, “Concrete Utopia”, “Mr. Sunshine”) is an agent for the NIS (National Intelligence Service). When his fiancĂ©e is murdered by a serial killer, he uses his KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities) as a secret agent to relentlessly pursue the killer. If he catches the murderer alive, the right thing to do is turn him over to law enforcement for trial and conviction. However, since he is a covert agent he might blur the lines between right and wrong, and misuse his “license to kill”.
This is a Korean historical period drama and the setting is Manchuria, China, 1619. Heon-myung (played by Park Hee-soon, “The Bequeathed”); Do-young (played by Jin Goo, “Shadow Detective”); and Du-soo (played by Ko Chang-seok) are three swordsman from Joseon who are forced to come to China by the Ming Dynasty. They tried to take refuge in a tavern but found themselves cornered by Manchu forces.
Do you love intense sword fighting scenes in historical K-dramas? Then you'll love this movie.
♦ 4) Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time (2012)
Set in the 1980s, this gritty crime drama follows a corrupt customs officer who rises to power in the criminal underworld. Choi Ik-Hyun (played by Choi Min-Sik, “In Our Prime”) is caught accepting bribes. He wasn't the only dirty officer but he is the one who took the blame. One night while still being employed as a customs office he discovers a stash of illegal drugs in a warehouse. Since he had to leave his honest job where he was dishonest, he makes up his mind to become completely dishonest. It turns out he's related to a crime boss, Choi Hyung-Bae (played by Ha Jung-Woo, “Narco Saints”), so they become partners in crime and take over the Busan underworld.
♦ 5) Perfect Number (2012) This film is a mystery thriller. Suk-Go (played by Ryoo Seung-Bum, “The Berlin File”) is a math genius. That's the highlight of his life. He's good with numbers, but not much else and lives as a recluse. Hwa-Sun (played by Lee Yo-Won, “The Great Queen Seondeok”) is his neighbor. He makes no effort to establish any kind of neighborly bond. She moved there because she was trying to escape her abusive violent boyfriend, only he found her.
Suk-Go hears sounds coming from his neighbor's house which are obviously the noises made when people are having a violent fight. Hwa-Sun manages to kill her ex-boyfriend. Suk-Go knocked on the door to ask if there was a problem and when he entered the house, he saw the dead body.
Hwa-Sun does not try to stop him from calling the police but she asked him if he would listen to her side of the story before making the call. Suk-Go decides to help her cover up what happened.
Hwa-Sun accepts his help but later she starts wondering “what's his angle”? She starts adding things up in her mind. Why did he help her? Does he have dark secrets? Is he a psycho who is worse than her ex-boyfriend? I mean … she didn't even know him and he volunteered to . Things don't seem to quite add up. It's not just math!
This movie is based on the 2005 novel "Yogisha X no Kenshin" ("The Devotion of Suspect X").
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