IMDb RATING
6.8/10
7.2K
YOUR RATING
Betrayed and on the run, a North Korean agent tries to uncover the volatile secrets hidden inside the eyeglasses of a dead man.Betrayed and on the run, a North Korean agent tries to uncover the volatile secrets hidden inside the eyeglasses of a dead man.Betrayed and on the run, a North Korean agent tries to uncover the volatile secrets hidden inside the eyeglasses of a dead man.
- Awards
- 2 nominations total
Kim Sung Kyun
- Lee Gwang-jo
- (as Kim Seong-gyoon)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
This one is an improvement over similarly themed "The Commitment" and "Secretly Greatly". I'll not spoil anything. For those, who are looking for a non-stop "spy thriller action ride", this one is a must watch. The movie never stops anywhere.
Overall rating of 6.9 is really low for this cleverly written and directed movie. Also, the performances of the actors are really good, specially "Gong Yoo".
Like other top South Korean movies, screenplay was top-notch, also the direction is great in 'conversation between characters' as well as in car chase and other action scenes.
For me this is a really underrated South Korean flick.
Overall rating of 6.9 is really low for this cleverly written and directed movie. Also, the performances of the actors are really good, specially "Gong Yoo".
Like other top South Korean movies, screenplay was top-notch, also the direction is great in 'conversation between characters' as well as in car chase and other action scenes.
For me this is a really underrated South Korean flick.
This is a solid action/thriller that should engage and entertain fans of Korean action cinema, Don't expect it to have the staying power of films like Cold Eyes or The Man From Nowhere, but The Suspect is well worth adding to your line-up of films to watch all the same. The story revolve around Ji Dong-cheol (Gong Yoo), a former North Korean super'spy who defected after being betrayed by his superiors and nearly killed. Working in South Korea as a chauffeur for a millionaire CEO, he finds himself framed for murder when his boss is assassinated by masked intruders. Ji goes on the run, being hotly pursued by a relentless government agent, Col. Min, who bears a grudge relating to a previous encounter between the two during an operation in Hong Kong which resulted in Min's being demoted. Also hot on Ji's trail is a female documentary filmmaker (Yoo Da-in) who's working on a project about defectors. Meanwhile, Jin attempts to discover the whereabouts of his missing wife and daughter who may have been killed by his former bosses.
In Short it all adds up to "fine Movie", which means a fun time can be had anyway. The super-charged pace, with its non-stop assassins and fights and intrigue and car crashes, will certainly never bore. Ultimately, The Suspect is a decent Korean spy entry that offers no challenges and leaves no lasting memories.
In Short it all adds up to "fine Movie", which means a fun time can be had anyway. The super-charged pace, with its non-stop assassins and fights and intrigue and car crashes, will certainly never bore. Ultimately, The Suspect is a decent Korean spy entry that offers no challenges and leaves no lasting memories.
Fast-paced and energetic, this Korean 'Bourne' is thrilling and exciting. The film's editing and photography is awesome. The film is very, very intriguing and there's a lot of information to digest which can be confusing at times. Ultimately, though, this is a fantastic action adventure with great acting by Yoo Gong (Train to Busan). Wonderful ending!
"The Suspect" is an action movie that seems as if it were made by a team of folks with a super-severe case of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It never slows down, never lets up and is just about all action and fighting. For some, this will be an enjoyable adventure--but for someone who doesn't want this much intensity, the film will most likely produce sensory overload well before the film is complete.
When the film begins, you learn that Dong-chul (Gong Yoo) was once one of the best super-spied working for the North Koreans. However, several years ago, he defected to the South and is now working for a powerful CEO. However, out of the blue, an assassin shows up and kills the employer. Dong-chul happens to come into the room about this time and witnesses the assassin in the act. While he is not able to stop the murder, he is able to stop the man from making him the next victim. After all, he is a super-spy--the sort of high-energy super-killer that makes James Bond look like a wimp! What follows is a long search by the South Korean government for Dong-chul, as they think HE is the killer. However, as the film progresses it becomes obvious not only to Dong-chul but to the man assigned to bring him to justice that there is a third party involved in the case--some secret organization with an agenda of their own and which is behind the killing.
During the course of this movie, there are tons of martial arts fights which appear to be very lethal and ultra-violent, TONS of car crashes with some of the best driving sequences in film history as well as lots of blood and death. There is very, very little let-up and the only pauses seem to occur in order for the good guys to follow the leads concerning who is really pulling all the strings and why. Heck, the film seems to be almost nothing but action with a few tiny glimpses into what's going on as well as the identity of folks responsible for Dong- chul's family's death years ago. Whether you like all this really depends on you. If you are a super-hyper person who doesn't want a lot of plot and thinks that the average action film is way too slow-paced and the body count too low, you'll love "The Suspect". If you are looking for some action but more story and less intensity, then you might just want to skip this one. As for me, I found myself losing some interest towards the end. Sure, it was good but it just wore me out and went on too long.
By the way, if you do watch this one, you shouldn't be surprised that it's ultra-violent. A few of the scenes really made me wince and it's NOT a film to show children or your mother.
When the film begins, you learn that Dong-chul (Gong Yoo) was once one of the best super-spied working for the North Koreans. However, several years ago, he defected to the South and is now working for a powerful CEO. However, out of the blue, an assassin shows up and kills the employer. Dong-chul happens to come into the room about this time and witnesses the assassin in the act. While he is not able to stop the murder, he is able to stop the man from making him the next victim. After all, he is a super-spy--the sort of high-energy super-killer that makes James Bond look like a wimp! What follows is a long search by the South Korean government for Dong-chul, as they think HE is the killer. However, as the film progresses it becomes obvious not only to Dong-chul but to the man assigned to bring him to justice that there is a third party involved in the case--some secret organization with an agenda of their own and which is behind the killing.
During the course of this movie, there are tons of martial arts fights which appear to be very lethal and ultra-violent, TONS of car crashes with some of the best driving sequences in film history as well as lots of blood and death. There is very, very little let-up and the only pauses seem to occur in order for the good guys to follow the leads concerning who is really pulling all the strings and why. Heck, the film seems to be almost nothing but action with a few tiny glimpses into what's going on as well as the identity of folks responsible for Dong- chul's family's death years ago. Whether you like all this really depends on you. If you are a super-hyper person who doesn't want a lot of plot and thinks that the average action film is way too slow-paced and the body count too low, you'll love "The Suspect". If you are looking for some action but more story and less intensity, then you might just want to skip this one. As for me, I found myself losing some interest towards the end. Sure, it was good but it just wore me out and went on too long.
By the way, if you do watch this one, you shouldn't be surprised that it's ultra-violent. A few of the scenes really made me wince and it's NOT a film to show children or your mother.
90U
The two stunning set pieces, both involving car chases, are so inspired and teeth-grittingly determined that they make the case for the possibility of individual heroism in a harrowingly venal world.
Did you know
- TriviaTo create the right physique for his role, Gong went on a diet for three months to reduce his body fat. He learned the Russian martial art Systema for the film's fight scenes, and performed car chases, rock climbing and skydiving at the Han River without using stuntmen.
- GoofsAll entries contain spoilers
- ConnectionsReferences Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)
- How long is The Suspect?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- The Suspect
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $218,693
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $86,137
- Jan 12, 2014
- Gross worldwide
- $28,674,130
- Runtime
- 2h 17m(137 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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