Tag Archives: Old Boy

The Chaser Review

The Chaser Review – The Chaser is a South Korean psycho thriller released in 2008. Eom Joong-Ho is a corrupt ex detective turned pimp. He is worried as two of his women have gone missing. He thinks someone is selling them and tries to track him down as he send one of his women Mi-jin to the customer who was the last to see the other two missing women.

The Chaser is yet another brilliant psycho thriller that is engaging throughout. Director Na Hong-jin has narrated a story that has a strong take on the corrupt politics in South Korea. The scene in which the Mayor comes out of the hospital and complaints why there is no press and then run away seeing an injured men walking towards the hospital is very cleverly done. The characterization is done very well, as per the theme of the story every character in the movie has their negative shade. Kim Yoon-seok has performed very well in the role of a corrupt ex-detective and a money minded pimp. The sound engineering for the movie is very well done. Not using background score but the use natural sounds from the surrounding is very effective in keeping the thriller on. Overall if you have enjoyed movies like Old Boy and I Saw the Devil you would like this one too.

Watchable

The Man from Nowhere

The Man from Nowhere – is a South Korean action thriller released in 2010. A pawnshop owner whose past whereabouts are unknown befriends and develops a bond with a little girl in the neighborhood. When she is kidnapped he would have to use his skills from the past and go the lengths to save her.

The movie is very thrilling and engaging right from the first scene. Although the plot is similar to Taken, the story has much more darker shade and some brutal action scenes. The narration is crisp and stays to the point and does not wander much. Won Bin’s performance is very commendable and is the strength of the movie. His hair style for the major part of the movie is mysterious covering half of his face. Director Lee Jeong-beom has cleverly used the police investigation angle to reveal his past rather than using clichéd sequence of him justifying his past. As his past is revealed you see his hair cut off and see his full face. It’s a simple but clever use of metaphor for the mystery surrounding him.

A Bollywood movie in the making based on this story is slated to be released in 2015. If you are fan of movies like Man on Fire, Taken,  Old Boy then this is a must watch for you.

Must Watch

Old Boy

Old Boy – is a South Korean suspense thriller movie released in 2003. A man named Oh Dae-su is abducted and imprisoned in a dark room for 15 years. In the meantime he learns his wife is murdered, he is the prime suspect for the murder and his daughter is adopted by a Swedish family. After 15 years he is released on the roof top of a tall building. He is out to find the reason why he has been tortured to this extent and vows to take revenge on his abductor.

The movie is known for its unique plot. It is strictly for mature audience for its content and it is gross in parts. The tone has been set like that to give the impact of the torturous life the lead character has gone through. As the movie progresses Oh Dae-su discovers the identity of the kidnapper and the story unfolds. The screenplay is done brilliantly and the climax would leave you dumb stuck. It is a movie that has the potential of keeping you disturbed and at the same time give a feeling of having watched a brilliant movie. The plot of keeping a man abducted in an unknown room for unknown reason has been used in various movies which had released later including the recent Tamil movie Ivan Vera Mathiri. Overall this is a must watch if you have open mindedness and have a strong heart.

Must Watch – not for the weak hearted