User reviews

I am a fan of good Korean thrillers, and I also have a soft spot for Kyung-gu Sol. The man is a pleasure to watch. 'No Mercy' is not as good as for example 'The Chaser', 'Memories of Murder' or 'I Saw the Devil', but definitely worth watching. Though for the most part the script is not highly original, it still glued me to my chair for two hours, and the end left me in shock. Some things you do see coming, some you don't, and this ending was absolutely perfect and more than I could hope for.

This is the debut movie by director Kim Hyeong-Joon, and IMO, he has put himself on the list. I hope to see some more of him in the future. Kudos!

This movie reminded me of "Se7en" and "Law Abiding Citizen", but it's still a amazing thriller. The mystery revolving around the kidnapped daughter kept me intrigued from beginning to end, although the twist ain't very original the way it's done makes it, it's own. And one heck of a incredible twist it is. The tension between the two character is very high and it really is engrossing to watch, the script writing is also very cleverly done as well. The more stuff the plot uncovers made me more interested bit by bit until the crazy and yet great ending. Some people may gripe about the ending, but I personally really liked it. It's suspenseful thriller that is really worth watching, in fact it's one of the best suspense/thriller I seen this year with a ending that will stay with you for a long time. I don't even want to talk about the plot since the less you know the better. Sure it has few flaws, but overall I highly recommend checking this movie out.

7.8/10

The pathologist Kang Min-ho, one of the first to apply rigorous scientific procedure in autopsies, working for some time with the police investigation. Just when his daughter is coming back from a long period of study in the United States, he was given the mandate to examine the corpse of a girl brutally mutilated. Kang applies to the case with diligence sailed, but his professional detachment disintegrates when connecting the late arrival of his daughter with alleged murderer. The prime suspect is a radical environmentalist, Yoon Jong-gang, who quietly admits that he kidnapped the girl, but he tells Kang Min-ho that his daughter will only be free, if your doctor will be able to clear him of murder and bring back to freedom. Kang is forced to tamper with evidence, in a desperate attempt to free his daughter.

Indeed, if viewed as a whole, the film directed and written by Kim Hyeong-joon is probably still a little under the films like, I saw the devil, Vengeance Trilogy, Memories of murder, but that does not mean his work is not to present the same sensation. Yes, you could say to this year's No Mercy which is actually less audible echo is one of South Korea's best thrillers. With a great cast, intelligent plot, incorporating elements such as investigation style of forensic investigators on the U.S. television series, CSI or Bones in the first minute and then immediately 'sharp turn' when entering the main conflict. The series of scenes race against time and combined with the ability to control the situations.

Kim Hyeong-Jun presented the resolutions which are well measured at frequent intervals, so we are surprised from one turn to the next, from one voltage level to the next point.

Not many movies dare to fundamentally depress their audience: NO MERCY is not a happy movie and hence it doesn't gear towards a commercial happy end. Instead the reward for the open-minded audience is a sharp story with a determined, rational and yet surprising (more or less) ending that doesn't compromise. So if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

Kim Hyeong-Jun was so kind though as to present us NO MERCY wrapped in gorgeous visuals and a formidable soundtrack – it's almost like a concession to ease the viewer's pain. Even if it doesn't really make NO MERCY more comfortable to watch – other than Kang at least the audience receives a bit of mercy after all.

I went into this film cold. I knew nothing except that it did well in Korea. I had watched 'The Children' earlier in the week and it took me a few days to dry my eyes out over that one...the Koreans are so damned good at making films to genuinely tug on the heart strings. I won't give this very intelligent film a synopsis, I'll leave that to others. I've just finished watching this at home in the dark on my own, and that's how I like it. Good Korean films need to be savoured and enjoyed with no detail missed. No one else in my household appreciates these films other than the usual home made fodder and that suits me fine. This is a tense and sad film with a decent enough story line that gradually builds to one hell of an ending. It kept me on the edge of my seat from about 30 minutes in. I had to leave it 20 minutes in for a few hours as I kept getting interrupted first time around. Then I almost decided to not bother with it and to watch something else. Whoa! What the heck was I thinking!!! My patience paid off big time. That ending is the best I've seen in ages...but I seem to say this more often when watching Korean films these days. Beautifully done guys....fantastic film...shall I call it a masterpiece...yep along with several others I've recently seen. Someone gave it 3/10 are you nuts?!?!?

I personally love Korean movies,and this one was a pleasure to watch. Thriller,anxiety,mystery,clever lines,good actors(brought me chills)...nice picture..great story.Could not even go to the toilet,did not want to pause the movie.

It has many twists,and a lot of shocking scenes. Left me thinking and haunted for hours.I could really see some things coming,but it did not matter.the ending was perfect.Already watched this 3 times!Not the typical American-crime- thriller you have watched... not a waste of time for sure.ah..those Koreans.. they know how to make your day! Beautifully done!fantastic film.

I heard a lot about this movie and guess what none of it is false. It surprised me when the killer told the professor to temper the evidence that the time I thought maybe he was just trying to prove himself innocent hence he could get outta here. But never thought things gonna turn like this..

I have watched many Korean thrillers like chasers, memories of murder, and of course oldboy. I thought I have nothing to expect more from them after watching these great movies. Oh boy! How wrong I was! This movie started with a mysterious murder and the investigation was carried by the detectives very efficiently. Within no times they found the murderer with all evidence. Then I wonder what else to show! And there was a lot to show. The show was just started. A journey through corruption, love, memories, sorrow and most likely VENGEANCE. New stories and twists start to unfold and in every single twist you will be delighted! But the purpose of the movie is not to delight you. It serves you shock, depression and leave you haunted for several of hours, even days! The acting is powerful, directing is good, story is awesome. One of the better things of the movie is the music. I don't know why this movie is so underrated, if it would made in holy wood it could easily placed in the top 250 list of IMDb. Do you a favor and go through the movie, but don't do this if you are not open minded and cannot take shocking things.

Revenge is a quite common theme among Korean films. So here comes another gruesome work with plenty of disturbing scenes. For this reason, this film is not advisable before dinner, unless you do have an appetite for flesh-cutting and dismembering.

Just like other films of the same genre, this one opens with a horrifying yet curious crime scene, of which I would not like to go into details in this review (since I have made up my mind to click on No for the spoiler question below). You may be able to predict some of the following storyline, but I am also pretty sure that there will be some elements that can surprise you. As always, in the end the motivation for the murder is revealed, and the film is going back to the beaten path of retribution.

I expected this to be another Memories of a Murder, but I was so wrong to expect this much from this tedious - albeit admittedly gruesome - movie. Where Memories of Murder had mood and a carefully written plot, No Mercy is full of all kinds of flaws in logic, of dumb twists in the plot and bad acting.

The heavy handed tone in which the movie preaches all sorts of teachings about truth, vengeance, etc reminded me of better movies, such as Symoathy for Mr Vengeance, or even the (overrated Oldboy).

The cinematography is less than I've come to expect from South Korean movies, and the acting is too dramatic for the movie's own good.

The lack of actual thrills (then again, the gruesome imagery works every now and then) make this movie a forgettable affair.

Oh, and don't get me started about the Se7en-inspired final.

This is NOT the best South Korean cinema has got to offer.

I don't know, what's with the Korean people about vengeance, but they are damn good at it. At the beginning of the movie I was expecting 'who is the murderer' kind of a thriller. However it goes deeper than that. The motive of the crimes is so obvious, yet the method is unique. Sure there are some distractions like the annoying detective who is angry with everything. Nonetheless the movie is quite good at distracting the viewer and surprising them in the end. It is definitely worth watching. But be warned, you shouldn't be expecting some Old Boy here. Korean movies are not a genre by themselves, so don't be fool enough to compare them with each other just because they are Korean.

It is not the most unforgettable of the batch that we had during the 2000's, such as MEMORIES OF MURDER, THE CHASER or I SAW THE DEVIL and this topic takes advantage of the serial killer scheme that spreads all over the planet, whatever the country. I don't crave this kind of stories but once in a while you can have good surprises. The main weak point is the length, far far too long for the two third and excellent for the last one.

It's good that Joon-ho Bong's "Mother" is getting some exposure and generally positive reviews. A very fine film, but I prefer "No Mercy" because it's a bit more engaging from the get go and has a more absorbing premise. There's a very good external review on IMDb that outlines the plot synopsis and general characteristics of this film. For those who wish to watch the film without much knowledge, I'll give you a mini-review here.

A forensic pathologist and a young detective investigate the motives surrounding a dismembered corpse. Han Hye-jin (of "Jumong") is fantastic in the supporting role as the neophyte but talented detective who banters with her boss. The creative aspect of this film is that tension is established between the protagonists as one of them (identified early on) works against the investigation and attempts to contaminate or cover up the evidence. The characters are well-developed and the scriptwriting is clever. There are also some excellent dead body effects and one of the most convincing autopsy scenes in recent memory. This movie blends certain elements of "Seven" and "Out of Time" together to create a fantastic suspense/thriller that is quite simply unmissable.

Essential viewing. Watch it!

In this edgy, tightly-crafted crime thriller,pathologist Professor Kang Min-ho is retiring to spend more time with his beloved daughter. But when a beautiful, young woman turns up mutilated, he is drawn into one last case.And this case will be the most toughest thing he will do in his life. Revenge story that will take all new level this time and will give more psychological impact. No matter what u will think in between that u will be guessing a lot but the ending is more darker than what u will be expecting in between. One of the cop in it who is always angry and keep shouting to one of his lady colleague will give you few laughs as well am sure..

so watch this crime thriller movie because the ending will not easy to digest..

Previously, I was fortunate enough to watch classics like "Se7en" & "Oldboy" without any spoilers. Now, I'm glad I watched "No Mercy" without knowledge of the ending.

Sol Kyung Gu plays Professor Kang in this movie, who tries his best to exonerate murder suspect Lee Sung Ho to save his daughter. (Kang's daughter is held ransom by the latter) Although Sol Kyung Gu's best acting has to be in "Peppermint Candy", his performance as a desperate Professor Kang in anguish here is not far behind. Some scenes remind me of his role in "Voice of A Murderer".

Ryu Seung Bum was impressive as the murder suspect Lee Sung Ho here who managed to present a different antagonist from the pure psychopathic evil John Doe in "Se7en". Meanwhile, Han Hye Jin as the female police cop was not bad, besides being attractive eye candy.

There is much to be liked about "No Mercy". The plot is captivating. The main cast is strong. Storytelling is good. However, it is not without flaws either. The pace of the first half could have been faster. The female lead has unbelievable luck in finding key evidences. The male lead could have smelled a rat much earlier, being a top forensic.

"No Mercy" is not for everyone, as this movie contains disturbing elements. But if you can stomach it, you are in for a mind-blowing ride.

Before Engaging in Revenge dig urslelf a grave. Screenplay holds with great performances and a strong climax.

Could have been great. I'm quite disappointed at how they mangled the amazing premise to make this "just another whodunit movie". This South Korean vengeance thriller/crime/mystery film over indulges in melodramatic techniques and convenient (not to mention out of touch with reality) story and plot devices. The film is not quite that gripping despite its subject matter since you could have seen the ending from miles away. Add incoherent parts to the mix that are intentionally glossed over just to move the story along and you get yourself a viewer squinting at irritation and frequently saying at the screen: "What?!", "They didn't think of that?!", "Why is he there?!", "Move and stop him you moron!".

All the intrigue and mystery abruptly ends just after 30 minutes of the movie. It's like they wrote the first 30 minutes of the movie to pique your detective mind then came up with the ending and filled what's left with whatever they could think of - as long as they arrive to the that particular ending, it doesn't matter if it's nonsensical or formulaic or both. When I got to the ending, I was just bored. I was saying to myself "Of course this would happen." The ending didn't have the same effect like watching the endings of other really haunting South Korean thrillers like Memories of Murder and Chaser to name some.

This movie being 4/5 melodrama, 1/5 predictability and a statistical anomaly of danger and originality is why I gave it a rating of 5/10. Seriously if your a viewer with serious tastes on your mysterious maniacal culprits then you better shy away.

You can't watch an Asian movie without being surprised. In this film, the director creates a story of revenge, one of the famous stories of the Cinema of Asia. without burning for the movie but what caught my attention is the dramatic plot that makes you directly lift the film two degrees. level of astonishment in the film creates inside your impressions, contradictory feelings between love, compassion, madness and screaming. This film is great by all standards.