The Suspect (2013) User Reviews

Well-executed and twisted spy movie with a little lack of originality

[kluseba · 8/10 · 2 November 2014]

''The Suspect'' is a South Korean action-thriller in the vein of several contemporary spy movies like ''The Berlin File''. The movie tells the story of a North Korean defector who has once been a top special forces agent. After years of loyal service to his country, he became the victim of a conspiracy and purge. While the defector was able to make it to South Korea, his wife and young daughter were killed. Filled with grief and anger, the defector is now working as a chauffeur for a warm-hearted chairman who wants to help the North Korean people by developing a chemical product that could improve agriculture and prevent future famines. One day before a crucial meeting in North Korea, the chairman gets assassinated by some obscure members of the South Korean intelligence service. The defector witnesses the crime and fights the assassins but he can't save his boss. The dying chairman though gives him his glasses which hide the formula for the chemical product. The defector gets now hunted by the South Korean intelligence service who accuse him for the murder of the chairman and want to get the formula. The manhunt is led by a tough colonel who wants to eliminate the defector at all costs but who soon realizes that his boss is hiding a sinister secret and that things are more complicated than they appear. With the help of an ambitious journalist, the defector wants to uncover the secret of the chairman's glasses, clear his name and fight the true murderers and also find the man who killed his family.

On the positive side of the movie, one gets a twisted and tension-filled story line. The movie is gripping and entertaining and never gets boring despite a running time of almost two hours and a half. The acting is solid and especially the defector, the colonel and the main villain are portrayed in authentic ways. The movie has some character development and spends enough time to add some depth by telling a few side-stories in form of flashbacks. The action scenes in the movie are of the highest quality and at least as good as similar contemporary Hollywood movies. One gets to see agile and yet brutal martial arts fighting scenes, brutal shootings and breathtaking car chases. Some of these scenes are unrealistic and over the top but they are definitely fun to watch. Despite all the action and brutality, the movies manages to keep a human core and comes around with a moving ending.

On the negative side, I must admit that this movie obviously picks up several ideas from past South Korean but also international spy flicks. The story line of the movie is not really original and several parts of the film are in fact quite predictable for genre fans. The script could have been more innovative in my opinion.

Despite this obvious flaw, genre fans should still watch this movie as it's among the better South Korean spy movies of the last years. It easily beats ''The Berlin File'' and is probably on one level with movies like ''New World'' but obviously less groundbreaking than ''Shiri''. For international fans, you will probably appreciate this movie if you liked the films of the Bourne franchise.

Bourne Identity meets Korean cinematography

[piljeon · 7/10 · 13 October 2015]

Impressive.. Mr.Won and Mr.Yoo...

I feel like the director is a big fan of the Bourne trilogy. The dry fight scenes without music, focusing on the raw sounds of a close quarter fight. The rattling camera angles, the zoom ins and outs. The car chase scenes and a pounding drum music. The earlier chase scenes with the monitors reminded me of the Subway chase in Ultimatum. I feel like some of the more heart-pounding scenes they could have added more ambient sounds and one shots of the civilians. (i would be either cursing or screaming if a car just drove by me in a tight alley)

Don't get me wrong I loved this film and Bourne, it was just something I didn't expect from Korean cinema and I was pleasantly surprised. The director took the best things from it and well integrated it into his own flavor.

Gong-Yoo really shined with the cold look of a trained specialist. He also showed signs of vulnerability and really sold the performance. I never thought he would do a film like this because of the 'pretty guy' impression I got from him in dramas such as '1st shop of coffee prince' however I did notice his talent for a more serious toned role such as in 'Silenced'.

Overall I am very satisfied after watching this film. It kept the very 'Korean' feel of the action film while taking bits from the template of Doug Liman's work.

Non-stop fights, intrigue, assassins and car crashes... Entertaining Action Movie.

[fahimafridi · 7/10 · 25 May 2014]

This is a solid action/thriller that should engage and entertain fans of Korean action cinema, Don't expect it to have the staying power of films like Cold Eyes or The Man From Nowhere, but The Suspect is well worth adding to your line-up of films to watch all the same. The story revolve around Ji Dong-cheol (Gong Yoo), a former North Korean super'spy who defected after being betrayed by his superiors and nearly killed. Working in South Korea as a chauffeur for a millionaire CEO, he finds himself framed for murder when his boss is assassinated by masked intruders. Ji goes on the run, being hotly pursued by a relentless government agent, Col. Min, who bears a grudge relating to a previous encounter between the two during an operation in Hong Kong which resulted in Min's being demoted. Also hot on Ji's trail is a female documentary filmmaker (Yoo Da-in) who's working on a project about defectors. Meanwhile, Jin attempts to discover the whereabouts of his missing wife and daughter who may have been killed by his former bosses.

In Short it all adds up to "fine Movie", which means a fun time can be had anyway. The super-charged pace, with its non-stop assassins and fights and intrigue and car crashes, will certainly never bore. Ultimately, The Suspect is a decent Korean spy entry that offers no challenges and leaves no lasting memories.

Unsuspected pleasures

[YohjiArmstrong · 9 March 2015]

THE SUSPECT follows the modern Korean style of throwing you into the middle of the action, and only then bothering to explain what is happening. Really it's two plots in one as the former Nork defector in Seoul seeks vengeance on those who murdered his family after he fled to the South, whilst he is pursued by the SK security services who want the McGuffin his boss gave him before he too was murdered. For two hours twenty this basically means an endless stream of adrenaline- fuelled chases and fights by car and on foot. They're brilliantly done, although the use of Bourne-style hyper-edited shaky-cam is sometimes annoying, but eventually exhausting and it's a relief when the film ends with a bang.

Intense....incredibly intense.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 14 August 2014]

"The Suspect" is an action movie that seems as if it were made by a team of folks with a super-severe case of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It never slows down, never lets up and is just about all action and fighting. For some, this will be an enjoyable adventure--but for someone who doesn't want this much intensity, the film will most likely produce sensory overload well before the film is complete.

When the film begins, you learn that Dong-chul (Gong Yoo) was once one of the best super-spied working for the North Koreans. However, several years ago, he defected to the South and is now working for a powerful CEO. However, out of the blue, an assassin shows up and kills the employer. Dong-chul happens to come into the room about this time and witnesses the assassin in the act. While he is not able to stop the murder, he is able to stop the man from making him the next victim. After all, he is a super-spy--the sort of high-energy super-killer that makes James Bond look like a wimp! What follows is a long search by the South Korean government for Dong-chul, as they think HE is the killer. However, as the film progresses it becomes obvious not only to Dong-chul but to the man assigned to bring him to justice that there is a third party involved in the case--some secret organization with an agenda of their own and which is behind the killing.

During the course of this movie, there are tons of martial arts fights which appear to be very lethal and ultra-violent, TONS of car crashes with some of the best driving sequences in film history as well as lots of blood and death. There is very, very little let-up and the only pauses seem to occur in order for the good guys to follow the leads concerning who is really pulling all the strings and why. Heck, the film seems to be almost nothing but action with a few tiny glimpses into what's going on as well as the identity of folks responsible for Dong- chul's family's death years ago. Whether you like all this really depends on you. If you are a super-hyper person who doesn't want a lot of plot and thinks that the average action film is way too slow-paced and the body count too low, you'll love "The Suspect". If you are looking for some action but more story and less intensity, then you might just want to skip this one. As for me, I found myself losing some interest towards the end. Sure, it was good but it just wore me out and went on too long.

By the way, if you do watch this one, you shouldn't be surprised that it's ultra-violent. A few of the scenes really made me wince and it's NOT a film to show children or your mother.

Solid espionage thriller with some flaws

[shinji-ikari-1 · 6/10 · 19 May 2014]

Pretty much a Korean "Bourne movie". Spies, secrets, double agents, betrayal, vengeance, action, you get it all. Solid performances from all the main cast. The writing is a bit of a B-grade but overall production values are top notch.

I got two main problems with it. First one is the runtime. For such a fast paced action thriller, it's at least half an hour too long.

But the main problem is the camera. It's not the usual slightly shaky style to underline the action. Remember the second Bourne movie? Yeah, well, this is worse. Much worse. In most shots, you won't know what's happening at all. They probably fixed a non-stabilized camera on a kangaroo and let him run amok through the city. My head actually started to hurt while trying to decipher what's going on on the screen all the time. Avoid if you're sensitive to these kind of things. It ruined it for me.

Action packed Korean thriller, too long to be perfect

[abisio · 7/10 · 9 July 2014]

The Suspect is the type of espionage thriller that starts very good but as usually happens with Asian movies, loses a lot of time with personal dramas and love / hate relations among enemies. The first half of the movie is so fast that it is almost impossible to follow (specially with subtitles). A dissident North Korean highly trained spy called Ji Dong-cheol; working as a chauffeur for an important industrial and political person, witness his boss assassination by a people of the South Korean Secret Service.

Ji Dong-cheol is able to fight the killers, so before dying, his boss gives him a pair of lenses with some secret information (the Mc Guffin).

Of course, Secret Service blames Ji Dong-cheol for the assassination and and start chasing him all over Seoul unsuccessfully. A retired Special Forces, is summoned to capture Ji Dong-cheol; but there is some old history between them.

The first half of the movie, the action is NON-STOP; however during the second half, personal past issues of the main characters are explained via flash backs or dialog; slowing down the action (and the main story line too much). There is still plenty of action and violence filmed in a way only Hong Kong or Korean movies can; but the interest decays.

It is common for Asian movies to include some over-dramatic moments but in this case, the pace changes too much and the events depicted are not that believable or properly developed.

In brief; a decent Korean action thriller with could have benefited for a 20 or 30 minutes trimming or with better written script and a director capable of handling drama without boring.

Another gem from "South Korean Cinema',

[nikhilraj1990 · 10/10 · 18 March 2015]

This one is an improvement over similarly themed "The Commitment" and "Secretly Greatly". I'll not spoil anything. For those, who are looking for a non-stop "spy thriller action ride", this one is a must watch. The movie never stops anywhere.

Overall rating of 6.9 is really low for this cleverly written and directed movie. Also, the performances of the actors are really good, specially "Gong Yoo".

Like other top South Korean movies, screenplay was top-notch, also the direction is great in 'conversation between characters' as well as in car chase and other action scenes.

For me this is a really underrated South Korean flick.

Fast paced with great action.

[paulclaassen · 7/10 · 13 June 2018]

Fast-paced and energetic, this Korean 'Bourne' is thrilling and exciting. The film's editing and photography is awesome. The film is very, very intriguing and there's a lot of information to digest which can be confusing at times. Ultimately, though, this is a fantastic action adventure with great acting by Yoo Gong (Train to Busan). Wonderful ending!

Another day, another Bourne copy, and it's a good 'un

[Leofwine_draca · 9/10 · 29 November 2014]

THE SUSPECT is another in a long line of Bourne-influenced spy thrillers from South Korea, films that predictably mine North/South tension for their thrills. This one has much in common with THE BERLIN FILE in its tale of a North Korean defector who finds himself pursued by both the bad guys and authorities in his quest for vengeance.

The worst thing about this film is the slightly confusing, complicated nature of the narrative - at least, when you watch it for the first time. It actually tells a simple, two-fold tale: there's a straightforward revenge narrative here mixed in with a mystery involving a conspiracy so that the viewer spends his or her time trying to work out who the bad guy is. The first half of the film is particularly muddled but it does all become clear towards the end, although it's probably a film you'll need to watch twice to get full enjoyment from. In fact, I did just that, and found myself enjoying it much more the second time around once I knew what was going on.

THE SUSPECT is a very well made movie and it's absolutely action packed. There are car chases, fights and shoot-outs galore here, all dealt with with maximum intensity and captured in loving detail by the director. The cast are also strong in their roles, and as with a lot of these movies, there's a strong emotional core which gives it heart as well as muscle. However, be warned: this is a film that employs extreme shaky-cam throughout, so if you're not a fan of that particular style then this probably isn't the movie for you.

convincing actioner for adrenaline junkies

[Radu_A · 7/10 · 9 December 2014]

If you're a fan of over-the-top action movies of the 80s à la Arnie, with tons of fistfights, endless car chases, truly evil villains and implausible plot twists, then the past decade has been pretty boring for you. Hollywood has substituted fights with CGI and silly but funny spy flicks with interchangeable boring superheroes, Hongkong martial arts legends have aged beyond being able to convincingly deliver hard-hitting blows, and Bollywood action movies aren't for everyone because of the singing.

Korea however still delivers pretty solid and technically brilliant action entertainment which keeps the CGI on a level with the acting. 'The Suspect' is probably the best recent example. If there was an international award for most insane car chase, it deserves it - twice, in fact, for a game of chicken where nobody chickens out, and the creative use of a pedestrian stairway. I haven't seen this many demolished cop cars since 'Gator'. It would also deserve the international award for the vilest villain, complete with satanic snickering, and the bad-assest agent, who is introduced pulling a beyond-belief stunt straight out of James Bond. Star Gong Yoo performed most of the stunts himself and studied Systema for the fight scenes, making them far better than anything coming out of Hongkong lately.

'The Suspect' is also likely to be the most heavily edited film I've ever seen, feeling like a non-stop two-hour roller-coaster ride - keep a good distance from the screen or you'll feel dizzy. The hero is of almost superhuman abilities, survives a thousand gunshots and stab wounds, and is of course motivated by revenge - so better don't expect much of a story. But for sheer action romp fun, 'The Suspect' can't be topped by anything Hollywood turned out of late.

A Masterpiece Action with Emotion

[dimpleh-72851 · 10/10 · 11 December 2019]

Why action is required and why it is important, it is about father and husband, it is called true action because there is the biggest cause- family. No overdose, on over emotion, on over action. Everyone will like this movie because it is for everyone.

A HAZY SHADE OF BOURNE...!

[masonfisk · 6/10 · 4 May 2023]

A South Korean action film 2013 which borrows heavily from the Bourne films. When a North Korean defector's, played by Gong Yoo, contact is murdered, all eyes obviously turn on him which prompts him to run avoiding the law, in the form of an old adversary who was scarred by him years before & a covert agency which committed the murder (& several more) are seeking secrets written on strips of embedded plastic on the contact's eyeglasses. Yoo enlists the help of an eager journalist/documentarian, played by Yoo Da-in, to clear his name but guns & bullets are the name of the game as Yoo tries to save the day. W/the by now rote scenes of a pursuant being tracked via CCTV in a room full of monitors & techies, this sometimes overly plotted affair may've worked if the action were streamlined & notional outcomes weren't so pedestrian but some good hand to hand fights do come to the fore & are exciting but the muddled treatment makes what good there is, hazy.

Doesn't really pack a punch

[KineticSeoul · 5/10 · 3 October 2014]

What this movie is, is a compact version of other modern Hollywood action movies. And that isn't necessary a good thing. I could tell they were aiming to make a great action movie and I really could see the effort, especially when it comes to the cinematography. Even if the camera work is all over the place, especially during the action sequences. The thing is, if you are a audience member that is already in tune with most Hollywood action movies will see a lot of similar bits in this one. Especially the "Bourne" movies which I actually saw quite a bit of similarities from. Yeah, some of the action set pieces was cool to watch, but nothing really new and it has been done before. Even the character interaction and acting does come off a bit pretentious and over the top. Like they were trying so hard to mimic characters from Hollywood movies. I could tell the director is a fan of Hollywood action movies, but this one does come off as a mediocre emulation at best. When it came to the drama aspect of the movie, it felt way too drawn out without development that made me care. The effort for substance just wasn't effective. Overall, this is a watchable action flick but nothing original. Yes, you can emulate while having originality. I thought the cinematography for the most part was topnotch for a Asian movie.

5.5/10

THE SUSPECT

[0U · 4 February 2020]

The two stunning set pieces, both involving car chases, are so inspired and teeth-grittingly determined that they make the case for the possibility of individual heroism in a harrowingly venal world.

Hollywood action spectacle via Korea

[markdancedcrazy · 6/10 · 1 September 2016]

Eager to please big budget action in the vein of the Bourne or Mission Impossible franchises. A North Korean double agent evades a South Korean triple agent while searching for the true killer of an important government official, who is also responsible for the murder of our hero's family. There's also a secret chemical weapons formula being chased by both sides.

None of this matters, of course, because the story is an excuse for lots of spectacular fight scenes and even more spectacular chase scenes; a quite satisfying amount of cars are damaged in one lengthy chase. Characters speak mostly in exposition as they stare at computer monitors or hold phone conversations. Our hero is somewhat dull and uncomplicated, and one wishes the story was actually focused on the two primary antagonists -- who could easily carry their own movie.

Overall solid entertainment in the style of Hollywood action blockbusters.

disappointment

[kriszti-39900 · 6/10 · 21 October 2020]

I had probably too high expectations and therefore I felt a huge disappointment. There is this exceptional agent who can simply survive everything. He is the best of the best and he is invincible. He drives 2 cars to total wrecks without getting a scratch. It was too unbelievable. He is about to get executed but of course he manages to get rid of his ropes. The same happens in the end. There are no handcuffs that could hold him back. And the ending was also rather syrupy.

Excellent Korean Action Film with a Great Star

[AJ_McAninch · 8/10 · 21 February 2021]

I agree with comments about sometimes sloppy camera work, but otherwise I enjoyed this film for the third time as much as the first. The cast is great, the action superb (Koreans match and sometimes eclipse every other country now, including the States), and Gong Yoo is always one of my favorite actors, no matter what genre he takes on. As a world class actor, he really is not surpassed by anyone. But it's that final scene we fall in love with that takes the film to another level. I'll just stop there.

Great Action Movie!

[covington_c · 10/10 · 23 June 2022]

Sure, it's easily comparable to the Jason Bourne series, b/ that it is doesn't diminish the overall quality & intensity of the movie. Acting is excellent, plot is solid, exciting action sequences, & outstanding car chases! The fast moving camera cutaways, in the fight scenes left a little to be desired, b/ they definitely add to the intensity of the movie. I certainly wish there were more of this kind of action movie being made! Definitely deserves a higher rating!

Great movie

[foffaelnashar · 10/10 · 8 June 2019]

Very good acting and ending i love it Gong yoo very good actors and all staff was great great story like it so much

Potential intrigue ruined by overwrought plot and hammy acting

[grantss · 4/10 · 9 October 2016]

Ji Dong-Cheol is a South Korean agent working undercover in North Korea. He is now suspected of being a double agent and the South Korean government want him eliminated. They send in their top counter-spy, an old adversary of Ji Dong-Cheol's. He now has to stay alive and prove his innocence.

Had the potential to be an intriguing John Le Carre-style spy thriller. However, the plot is overwrought and ultimately uses style to cover up its lack of substance.

Some of the acting is pretty woeful too. The Colonel was massively over-acted, to the point that even John Wayne would have found the performance over the top. Lead performance by Yoo Gong is fine though.

On the plus side, some great action sequences, but that is pretty much what the director was aiming for all along - the style-over- substance approach.

Excellent action flick, in the line of the Jason Bourne movies.

[pereiradorogerio · 8/10 · 12 May 2021]

I usually don't watch much Korean cinema, but I love action movies and so, when I read the reviews on this one, I decided to give it a try. And I wasn't disappointed in any way. Solid action, with fight scenes that are not martial arts based, but instead are more like the Bourne franchise, brutal and practical. Very tense moments of manhunt, and two excellent car chases, rivaling with the best that Hollywood puts up. Acting is solid and characters are well developed, the background stories consistent, without breaking the action and never slowing down the movie. The plot also makes perfect sense and you don't need to suspend your brain or logic, nor is it necessary to waste a lot of dialog to explain things. I can say that I am pleasantly surprised by this movie and I hope that Korean cinema can gives us more films like this. A solid 8.

Is there a part 2?

[familywilde · 9/10 · 28 February 2022]

We really enjoyed the film. Lots of action and twists! Some very enjoyable car chases. Gong Yoo is amazing actor and the rest of the cast is great as well. I would love to see gong yoo in part 2!

Officially Obsessed

[tribaltelevision · 10/10 · 16 July 2020]

With K-Thrillers now. This one has a lot of action to follow and emotion as well. But the ending is incredibly done so well worth the longish run time. So very clear in these Korean films the theme and the arc the characters go through. Two plots going on which made it a bit challenging but it all wraps up in the end. Pleasing to the eye actors.

Wonderful action movie, in fact, a treat!

[robertemerald · 9/10 · 4 April 2020]

A lot of the reviews compared The Suspect to Bourne movies. That's more than fair. The story is similar (corruption in high places), and especially the fighting and the action sequences remind one of Bourne (it's not really kung-fu). There's two brilliant car chases that would easily be in a car chase top ten and some classic images, such as a tense scene on a cargo boat seen from above, the hero hanging from a cliff or actually being hung, and the hero rooftop-flying through densely populated suburbs of Seoul. It's just about entirely in Seoul though, so doesn't have the international pedigree of Bourne or Bond. The score is similar to Bourne or the Christian Bale Batman movies, though doesn't ever move to high energy popular tunes as with the Moby car-chase sequence in Bourne. The Suspect is very easy on the eye, with good looking actors, wonderful cameras and editing, and plenty of great shots of many aspects of a crowded Seoul. It has a huge cast, is fast and non-stop, and is definitely big budget. There are mind-boggling crowd and traffic scenes. It's just as professional and interesting in its skullduggery one on one scenes too. I'd love to give it a 10, but for someone whom doesn't speak Korean, well, the story was really complicated, to a point where most of us might still have questions as to what the essential secret actually was, and a lot of the dialogue was snarling sarcasm. Maybe that was an aspect that really appealed to specifically Koreans. The ending had me, brilliantly, in tears. It was totally original and well worth the extra length of the movie. On my dvd there were a few promos for other similar Korean movies. I've also heard from the radio that Korea is now producing some wonderfully original and engaging TV dramas (look up Netflix), and not just in the action genre. All up The Suspect is very good news indeed.