Hard Day

I don't remember seeing another Korean movie recently. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if I realize later that this is my first one.

I'm European and my initial reaction, the first couple of minutes, was a quiet laughter because the language sounded funny. But soon after that the impossible plot and situations starting to unfold...

This is about a corrupted Korean homicide detective who drives his car on his way to attend his mother's funeral. What happens during his ride to the funeral home might happen to anyone, but his actions after the fact escalate in a way that is both funny and tragic. The plot thickens and he finds himself in a roller-coaster of crime, bad luck and bad decisions. The conclusion is satisfying though!

The direction is very very good. Adds to the thrilling sensation that many of the scenes have, but also has a definite black sense of humor. The main actor gives an exaggerate performance but maybe that's what this part needed.

Overall: If you come across it, watch it.

A great Entertaining South Korean film that is full of drama & thrills. Especially the portion of the film in which the hero tries to hide victim's dead body inside his mother's coffin.

The background score and the cinematography adds to the plot. There were some thrilling and tense moments that will put you at the edge of your seat.

With all the twists and surprises it is engaging throughout to watch. Excellent direction by 'Seong-hoon Kim'. The actor Sun-kyun Lee played the role of troubled cop superbly and with emotion.

The story is easy to follow but the mood is not serious or heavy because every now and then there is always something funny that make you chuckle/surprise or awe. Overall worth-seeing film. Thumbs Up!!!

A HARD DAY is another electric thriller from those top film-makers in South Korea, who know how to pack more laughs, action, and genuine suspense-filled set-pieces into their films than many a Hollywood rival. A HARD DAY tells a small-scale story about a cop on the edge; investigated by Internal Affairs for corruption, he accidentally hits and kills a pedestrian while out driving one night and must cover up the crime before he's discovered.

This premise is just the set-up for a film that comes off as a string of sometimes awesome set-pieces. The long sequence in the room with the coffin is a masterwork of tension, and if the rest of the movie can't quite equal that high, then it does a very good job nonetheless. A HARD DAY has everything you'd want from a thriller: dark laughs, shock scenes, violence, and some plot twists you definitely won't see coming. I particularly enjoyed the endless climax, which keeps you on the edge of your seat and leaves you breathless afterwards. Check it out!

I'm an avid South Korean movie watcher. It's getting to a point where I'm seeing a least 1 per week.

There's a reason for that, they're great movies, really great movies.

The funny twist that I see on many of these police movies is that the police corruption, including the main character is considered as a norm. There is no glorifying the main character as a hero, standing above the dirty sea untarnished. He is just as dirty as the rest.

Again, a similar plot lines that runs through here is the main character is not the most likable character. Also it's more a story on a man who just happens to be a police officer rather than a police story.

These are things that have popped up quite a few times in other South Korean thrillers I've seen and it still has not gone stale.

The quirky, dirty, off beat, stylized, South Korean action movie is incredibly refreshing when placed up against the rest of the world.

This is a great movie, doesn't get into my top ten of South Korean movies but it's getting harder and harder to get into that top 10. With all the fantastic movies out there a great movie doesn't make the cut.

Director Kim Seong-hoon's sophomore film A Hard Day arrives 8 years after his directorial debut, How The Lack Of Love Affects Two Men was released back in 2006.

Now, this film is a nerve racking roller-coaster ride, so the less you know going in the better. I shall attempt to introduce this film in one sentence: A comedy-action-thriller about the chaos that ensues after a detective is involved in a hit and run.

The film smoothly and skillfully balances the dark comedy, action and thriller elements, giving us ingenious set pieces (a particularly memorable one involving a toy soldier...) and also well-paced and effective suspense. The film does not waste a shot, let alone a scene to make audiences laugh, squirm and be intrigued through it's twists and turns. It's tightly-wound from beginning to end and will surely be one of the best times you'll have in the cinema (or in your home) this year.

Lee Seon-gyun (who you may recognize from Hong Sang-soo's films such as Nobody's Daughter Haewon) plays the lead role of detective Ko, a divorced father of a little girl who may not be the most ethical of cops. Lee carries the film, delivering a charismatic and humorous performance that makes us root for his character when he is faced with tough situations and pitted against Cho Jin-Woong's formidable protagonist. Kudos to Cho for interestingly pulling off a role that could have easily been bland.

This film was also filmed beautifully. It's gorgeous to look at, thanks to cinematographer Kim Tae-Sung, who gives us dynamic and impressive shots (one that immediately comes to mind is an overhead shot during a chase).

It's refreshing to see a South Korean film that's playful and never stops being fun, after the recent slew of superb but disturbing, dark thrillers such as I Saw The Devil, New World and The Man From Nowhere. Don't be fooled, this film has its dark moments. Most importantly, it holds one of the quintessential elements of movies: taking audiences on a ride that endlessly intrigues and keep them wanting more, having no clue where the next moment will take them.