User reviews

I found this movie on IMDb while searching for something good to watch. The Koreans have always managed to make good serial killers/kidnapper movies featuring a washed out and hardened detective frequently and this movie is no expectation.

The story starts when Eun-ju a, little girl is kidnapped from her school. Her mother visits Kim, an astrologer, who is not so well known by now. As per his calculation only a man born in a certain year and month can solve the case. Gong a hardened and honest to the core cop is then roped in by the rich parents and his fate collides with the the little girl and astrologer. They embark on a quest to find the kidnapper and get the girl back home safety against all the odds and their department which believes that the child has already been killed.

If you look at the story it wouldn't seem that interesting and different, and i agree. What sets it apart is the acting and the way the plot unfolds. The pacing of the film is brilliant and though it is not an action thriller that will keep you on the edge your seat it manages to hold you attention through out the duration. The kidnapper is not shown to be a super human and their aren't a lot of fighting sequences. But the even fewer and smaller action sequences have been done in a gritty and realistic way.

The only sore point for me was the inclusion of an astrologer and showing that his predictions were somewhat accurate. But i ignored it as this is supposed to be true story and some of it must have been based on real facts. Although i couldn't find any concrete material about the kidnapping when i goggled it.

That being said this is a very enjoyable film nonetheless and every korean thriller junkie should give it a go.

This film begins in Busan, South Korea with a young child by the name of "Eun-Joo" (Hwang Chae-Won) being kidnapped on her way home from school. Worried that the district police are more concerned with capturing the kidnapper than they are about rescuing his child, Eun-Joo's wealthy father (played by Song Young-Chang) uses his enormous influence to have an investigator named "Detective Kong Gil-yong" (Kim Yun-Seok) put in charge of the case. Unfortunately, this creates some dissension within the police department because Detective Kong is not a member of that particular district initially tasked with heading the investigation. Not only that, but Detective Kong's extremely delicate investigation also takes another twist when Eun-Joo's distraught mother (played by Lee Jung-Eun) consults a fortune teller by the name of "Kim Joong-san" (Yu Hae-Jin) who seems to have an ability to acquire intimate details of the kidnapping that might prove helpful. But the question on Detective Kong's mind is whether this fortune teller might actually hurt his investigation rather than helping it. Now, rather than reveal any more I will just say that, quite often, films that are "based on a true story" tend to be embellished to one extent or another. Sometimes beyond all reason. However, since some of the supposed facts to this story have only been recently released, there really isn't much I can say about this film's veracity. So, I'll leave it up to the viewers to make that determination for themselves. What I can say, however, is that I found this to be a very entertaining film which kept my attention from start-to-finish and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Above average.

What worked: The movie based on the true story is exciting since it had actually happened. This movie is one of those movies with a satisfying ending after hours of work on it. The movie had a good balance of Suspense and thrills, putting equal value to the drama. Overall, a good watch What did not work: Although the makers wanted to make a movie with a good mix of drama and thrills, I would have expected the movie to have more adrenaline rush pumping moments. The scenes could have been a bit more rustic and disturbing in terms of the mood and climate because the movie had moments that could have been much more . Final verdict: recommended for a light thrills

I will just say this.. Korea makes the best movies by far than any other country, especially there drama's and crime films. This movie takes you through so many turns and is so beautifully thought out that its just amazing it didn't receive more attention abroad.So much detail and focus on each and every character you wiggle in your seat trying to help but know you cant! I love these kind of films where every character is carefully considered and its just not one main character stacked on top of everyone's work.It gently drives your mind crazy throughout while breaking your heart in parts only to build your interest in there investigation. I will watch this movie again and again excited to share with family as well. I truly wish American film makers would set aside the comic books and get back to making REAL movies like this one!

I'm not a big fan of Yoon-Seok Kim and to my surprise he is very good here. I think sometimes is characters are too washed up so you stop caring for them. Sometimes it makes a perfect sense like in 'Hwayi: A Monster Boy' but sometimes like in 'Sea Fog' you just get irritated. Here the balance is right and I really enjoyed watching him. On the other hand Hae-jin Yoo is as good as it gets. I have a great sentiment to this actor who is like a good wine.