When I stumbled upon the 2021 South Korean thriller "Bisang Seoneon" (aka "Emergency Declaration") here late in 2022, of course I opted to sit down and watch it immediately. I am an avid fan of Asian cinema, and usually there is a lot of good movies coming from the South Korean cinema. Sure, I had not heard about "Bisang Seoneon" prior to sitting down to watch it, but that hardly mattered.
Writer and director Han Jae-Rim put together a very enjoyable and entertaining script and storyline for the movie, and it was quite a thrill ride. If you enjoyed the classic movie "Outbreak", then you will definitely also enjoy "Bisang Seoneon".
They had a great cast ensemble put together for the movie, and the actresses and actors put on good performances to bring the movie to life on the screen. I was initially thrilled when I saw that the movie had Lee Byung-Hun on the cast list.
And with the recent pandemic situation the world has been through, the storyline in "Bisang Seoneon" just packs a bit more of a punch that lands closer to home, doesn't it?
While "Bisang Seoneon" is a rather enjoyable movie, it could have benefitted from a more round-handed trimming in the editing room. Running at 141 minutes, this is quite an ordeal to sit through. Yeah, it was entertaining, but it was just a tad too long.
My rating of "Bisang Seoneon" lands on a six out of ten stars.
