12.12: O Dia

Wow... This electric political thriller by Kim Sung-su is a masterwork in the genre and the single best I've seen since The Spy Gone North (or maybe The Man Standing Next which is, coincidentally, a great companion piece to this film). Like in Kim's Asura, both Hwang Jung-min and Jung Woo-sung star in the main roles, and they kill it.

The film follows infamous events in 1979. When corrupt general Chun Doo-hwan incited the coup d'état that aimed to overthrow the current leadership. Korean audiences are familiar with the event, but everyone else should do a bit of light reading to get up to speed with the era's political situation, just to avoid possible confusion while watching. Otherwise, this is dynamic, seriously impressive filmmaking that will grip anyone who enjoys the political drama/thriller genre and shows an interest in historical events.

Both Hwang and Jung are great in the main roles, and they're aided by a small army of capable supporting actors who perform admirably. Chun is quite a despicable figure from Korea's past and Hwang embodies him as a charismatic but scheming villain not unlike his mayor role in Asura. Jung's commander Lee, in contrast, evokes pathos as a man willing to stand his ground in the face of tyranny, despite everyone's pleads.

This is a lengthy, talky film that begins as a slowly boiling pot that gains considerable speed by the halfway mark and never lets up. It's very involving and brilliantly shot, with explosive violence that occasionally erupts after long buildups, making it all the more effective. The coup's initial stage is skilfully filmed as several events happen all at once, and is arguably one of the film's high points.

Huge recommendation for what is definitely among the best Korean films of 2023.

The best Korean movie in the last year and one of the best movies I have ever seen , After I finished it I watched "A taxi driver 2017 " its events after four months of the events of 12 12 the day to see what's the impact of these 9 hours and what they did in a whole country for 8 years , it was horrific and people suffered alot this time .

The direction is great, make me nervous until the end, director kim sung su is one of the best Korean directors especially after this movie , the screenplay was great too , it shows alot of events happend in only 9 hours without any false and with alot of tense .

The acting is amazing from all actors but Hwang jung min is in another level, The scene in the bathroom is crazy , I think all the awards best actor this year are done.

12.12.: The Day, originally published as Seoul-ui bom, is a South Korean historical action-drama that takes place in the late seventies and early eighties in South Korea as it follows the assassination of President Park Chung Hee, the declaration of martial law and a coup d'état unfolding on the day referenced in the title. This movie closely analyzes the rivalry between Lee Tae Shin, the courageous commander of the Capital Garrison Command, and Chun Doo Gwang, an influential security commander with a pitiless attitude. This suspenseful movie is gripping from start to finish, no matter how much you know or you don't know yet about South Korean history. It's interesting to note that very similar events are currently unfolding in South Korea in late 2024 and early 2025 and here's hope that citizens are wise enough to not repeat the terrible mistakes that occurred during Seoul Spring in 1979 and 1980 and led the country into a brutal eight-year long dictatorship rather than to democracy, freedom and modernity.

Other than the gripping story and the valuable lessons that should be learnt from it, one has to point out the excellent acting in this film. Jung Woo Sung convinces as an idealistic commander in a role he didn't choose who successively gets abandoned and betrayed by friends and partners alike. Hwang Jung Min excels as sinister leader putting friends and foes under great pressure who doesn't hesitate to go to extreme lengths to achieve his dystopian goals.

This wonderful movie also works so well thanks to the excellent job by director Kim Sung Soo who uses calm camera work, excellent lighting and atmospheric settings to recapture the dreadful events unfolding throughout one single evening and night at the heart of South Korea's capital.

The director's excellent work is complemented by a tense soundtrack, accurate props and fitting costumes. These elements make this exciting mixture of an action movie, a drama and a thriller feel like an authentic documentary.

One has to applaud South Korean filmmakers to portray the dark side of its history so directly, honestly and openly. Several other countries in the region tend to use excessive lies, pathos and propaganda to make viewers believe fabricated history in contemporary cinema. In times like these, South Korea must fight stronger than ever before to keep these ideals intact and confront those who are putting such values at excessive risk.

To keep it short, 12.12.: The Day, originally published as Seoul-ui bom, combines genres such as action, drama and thriller to create a historical film that doesn't only honestly showcase the horrors of South Korea's past but even the impending doom of its worrisome future. Let's help South Korea keep its constitutional values of democracy, freedom and peace established since the beginning of the Sixth Republic all the way back in 1987 and drive those who actively menace such values out of the country.

This is probably the best film that I have seen in the last 12 months.

Maybe the best film I have seen in the last 5 years or more.

It is a type of movie that is completely wrong for me. I like small, indie and foreign movies, with a good but simple story.

This is a massive production, with dozens of major roles and a series of scenes / events over the course of a day.

It has an edge of the seat urgency to it, that pulls a person along, through the 2 + hours of the film.

I have done some quick Googling to try to confirm the accuracy of the events. It sounds like the film captures a strong sense of the events of the day, without being historically accurate.

The story, the acting and the production are excellent. The leads are unbelievably good, especially the actor portraying the evil Chun Doo-gwang character.

A whirlwind of events that happened during nine hours on some winter day, rushing through and to the ending that we already know for two-and-a-half hours. AND I could not take my eyes off for one second, and those two hours felt like a glimpse of a moment.

Chronologically perfect organization makes complicated events compact and clear. The plot is a spider web; everything is connected to everything, and there is no leap of logic from one event to another. At first, I was worried that all members of Hanahoe getting their moment would muddle the main narrative and obscure strong message. However, how it is executed from the director is just perfection: perfect structure and system. Moreover, because '12.12: The Day' extends the focus from Jeon Du-Hwan alone to Hanahoe, the message becomes stronger and more relevant. Villainizing one person is not enough; the problem lies deep in the rooted corrupt system. Jeon is gone, but Hanahoe in all kinds of forms still exist in today's society.

Hats off to how the director portrays the ending. Lee tae-shin is not described as a loser, but Jeon is as history would tell the story to the next generations.

Lighting plays an important role in the whole movie. 12.12 happens from 7pm to 4am next day. Lights at night from all kinds of sources like lamp posts, headlights from the tanks, old light bulbs in the old building, and even cigarette lights emanate a different atmosphere in different situations. Jeon hides from the light by turning off the lightbulb right when the most important conversation of his life is happening. Lee walks into the light with hundreds of searchlights pointing at him with utmost confidence and grace at the end.

The only weakness of '12. 12: The Day' is that I could not handle myself being outraged and suffocated so often that I had to check my blood pressure and to distance myself from the film from time to time.

*Jung Woo-sung finally meets THE one. His best performance, the best character that embodies actor Jung Woo-Sung. It is every Korean director's wish to portray the best version of Jung, and Kim Sung-soo achieved that goal.