[Korea Movie Review #1] Inside Men - 2015

-. About the movie

Based on the webtoon "Insider-Men," this movie is a noir film about the intrigue and betrayal of politicians, the media, and chaebol (a proper noun used in Korea to describe wealthy entrepreneurs).

The movie centers on the complicated relationship between Jang Pil-woo, a member of parliament, Woo Jang-hoon, a prosecutor, and Ahn Sang-gu, a former gangster, as their desires, betrayals, and revenge unfold.

The movie maximizes immersion with its realistic direction and story, refined acting by each actor, and unexpected twists.

It is currently available on OTT (Netflix).

-. Plot

A presidential candidate and a tycoon make an off-the-books deal, and gangster Ahn Sang-gu helps them. And the mastermind behind the deal is Lee Kang-hee, a famous journalist who sways public opinion in South Korea.

Gangster Ahn Sang-koo, who wants to be more successful, is caught preparing a deal with their secret files and gets his arm cut off.

Woo Jang-hoon, a prosecutor on the verge of a promotion, finally gets his chance to investigate the finances of a presidential candidate,

He works with Ahn Sang-gu, a gangster who plans to take revenge on the people who made him a cripple.

Who will survive the scandal (politicians + journalists + tycoons) and who will uncover it (prosecutors + gangsters)?

-. Reason of recommendations.

Realistm.

The movie is not based on actual events, but the realistic settings, situations, and characters create the illusion of a true story with realistic dialog and staging. This realism also evokes strong emotions and empathy.

Social Issues

The show deals with representative social issues in Korea. It shows the birth of a huge force of politics+media+economy along with the problem of politicians' non-funding. It can help you understand real-life problems in various areas.

The actors' performances

Each actor in this movie has a distinct characteristic. In particular, the comedic elements are sprinkled throughout the movie without distracting from the heavy content.

Lee Byung-hun as political thug Ahn Sang-gu won the "Best Actor Award at the Blue Dragon Film Festival" for his performance in this movie, while Cho Seung-woo as prosecutor Woo Jang-hoon shows a different kind of intensity from his previous films. (From a first love-like image to a tough prosecutor)

The movie's impact

The movie is notorious for its buzzwords and memorable scenes.

-. Buzzword: "Why don't we go Mojito and have a Maldives?" (reverses the word order of mojito and Maldivian, a metaphor for an ignorant gangster).

-. Famous scene: When the actor "Lee gyeong-young", who played the role of a congressman, won the award for Best Supporting Actor at an awards ceremony, a movie scene was shown in the background where he was drinking naked in a bar.

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