Director: Hwang Byeong-guk
Starring: Kang Ha-neul, Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-joon, Ryu Kyung-soo, Chae Won-bin
Country of Origin: South Korea
Running time: 2hr 2min
A drugs informant is stuck between an overly ambitious prosecutor and a persistent narcotics detective in a murky world of subterfuge.
Lee Kang-soo (Kang Ha-neul) is framed and jailed for a drugs crime yet is bailed out by lawyer Koo Gwan-hee (Yoon Hae-jin) after helping him gain information on the inside to bring down a notorious drug trafficking ring.
Kang-soo’s sentence is shortened as a result and when released he’s employed as an undercover agent for the zealously aspirational prosecutor.
When young actress Uhm Soo-jin (Chae Won-bin) is connected to a major crime syndicate which involves the hubristic son of a presidential candidate (Ryu Kyung-soo) matters become more complicated.
Uncompromising detective Oh Sang-jae (Park Hae-joon) takes the lead on the case yet clashes directly with informant Kang-soo and prosecutor Gwan-hee when attempting to snare drugs baron Yeom Tae-soo (Yoo Seong-ju).
Both strive to bring down a blue meth operation – originating in North Korea and with links to Japan – which has spread from the underground to the Seoul elite.
In a perilous game of move and counter move, the unfazed detective not only investigates the suspect relationship between the attorney and his inside collaborator but also the mastermind behind the entire drug operation.
As each side tries to outfox each other it becomes increasingly difficult to know who to trust as both embark on a series of cross and counter cross manoeuvres.
Misdirection plays a key part as director Hwang Byeong-guk repeatedly throws us off the scent before a wonderful scene setting split screen clarifies everything in an enthralling final act.
It all unravels like an electrifying whirlwind carried by the sensational Kang Ha-neul whose cocky, effervescent portrayal of the titular character energizes the entire film.
The unnecessary risk taker with the big toothy smile is overflowing with confidence as the prosecutor’s liaison – a somewhat euphemistic term – and leads the life of Riley in bringing down drug dealers.
In a breakneck prologue, the bumptious informant recklessly steamrollers over a car containing a group of drug dealers with his flashy black Hummer. A heart-racing scene involving a precariously placed buzz-saw also shows the Midnight Runners (2017) star at his thrilling best.
Yet he’s a victim of his own ego. Instead of hovering in the shadows the broker with the dazzling grin openly flaunts his status as an expert criminal catcher.
Scheming prosecutor Gwan-hee, played with cunning brilliance by Yoo Hae-jin, barely conceals his true intentions as the relationship with his mole inevitably falters.
None of the main players can be faulted. Park Hae-joon’s depiction of a fearless detective comes to life in visually stirring action set-pieces, from a showdown through a busy subway station to a fish restaurant with a basement packed with pools of live eels.
Ryu Kyung-soo and Yoo Seong-ju portray villains at different ends of the social spectrum, one in the bubble of high society the other as the head of a transnational meth ring. Both are highly effective as the tension amps up, while Chae Won-bin’s vulnerable but spirited performance as an actress unintentionally swept into the infernal mess is equally impressive.
It’s worth taking a mental note of the supposedly insignificant details as director Hwang spares nothing in a grim presentation of a hellish drug underbelly.
From graphic scenes of drug addiction to acts of sadism which include torture and limbs set on fire there’s not much left to the imagination.
While not exactly comfortable viewing it doesn’t feel pointless – there’s no shock value just for the sake of it.
Instead, the real thrills come from the power play between the main protagonists as they attempt to gain the upper hand in a corrupt abode of the damned.
It’s also worth paying attention as the final credits roll for one last unexpected and decisive twist.
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Stephen Kasiewicz 