The Suspect (2013)

Betrayed and on the run, a North Korean agent tries to uncover the volatile secrets hidden inside the eyeglasses of a dead man.

Director:

Shin-yeon Won

Writer:

Sang-yoon Lim

Stars:

Jong-ryol Choi, Yoo Gong, Jae-yoon Jo

3 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Jong-ryol Choi
Yoo Gong	...	Ji Dong-cheol
Jae-yoon Jo	...	Cho (as Jae-yun Jo)
Sung-ha Jo	...	NIS director Kim Seok-ho (as Seong-ha Jo)
Eui-sung Kim
Seong-gyoon Kim	...	Lee Gwang-jo
Hee-soon Park	...	Min Se-hoon
Won Poong-Yeon	...	Kim Seok-Ho's underling
Da-in Yoo	...	Choi Kyeong-hee

Storyline

Dong-chul (Gong Yoo) is the best field agent in North Korea - until he is abandoned during a mission, his wife and daughter murdered. Hunted and on the run, torn between grief and vengeance, he takes a job as a night driver for the CEO of a powerful corporation. The chairman is brutally assassinated - but gives Dong-chul a pair of glasses before he dies. Now, he's on the run again. Accused of murder, wanted for treason, and desperate to uncover the volatile national secrets hidden inside the glasses. Dong-Chul wants the truth. And he'll start a war to get it.

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Genres:

Action | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan] Official site [South Korea]

Country:

South Korea

Language:

Korean

Release Date:

10 January 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Suspect

Filming Locations:

Seoul, South Korea

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$86,137, 10 January 2014, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$218,693, 10 January 2014

Company Credits

Production Co:

Green Fish Pictures, Musa Productions, Showbox/Mediaplex

Technical Specs

Runtime:

137 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Yoo Gong was eventually cast, and the protagonist's name "Ji Dong-chul" is similar to the actor's birth name, Gong Ji-chul.

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Goofs

[All goofs for this title are spoilers.]

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Connections

References Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)

User Reviews

Intense....incredibly intense.

"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.