Director
Kim Seong-hun
Writer
Kim Jung-yeon, Yeo Mi-jung
Cast
Ha Jung-woo, Ju Ji-hoon, Kim Eung-so, Park Hyuk-kwon
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Well Go USA
The year is 1987. Min-jun, a careerist civil servant working for the Middle East division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and dreams of a transfer to the United States, finds himself deeply embittered by his lack of upward motion in his job. One evening, he receives a cryptic call from Lebanon, with the caller simply transmitting a secret message in Morse code. Could it be the diplomat kidnapped 20 months earlier, whom everyone thought was dead? He alerts his superiors, who decide to intervene behind the backs of the Korean intelligence agency, who are too radical for such a delicate mission. Seeing an opportunity to prove himself, Min-jun insists on being on site to supervise the ransom exchange and the extraction of the missing man. As soon as he arrives in Beirut, he realizes the hard way what he has gotten himself into as Lebanese soldiers try to intercept him and even open fire. He narrowly escapes, thanks to a Korean expatriate taxi driver, Pan-su, who has been plotting shady deals ever since his country's delegation fled. Pursued by the Army and one of the terrorist gangsters trying to get their hands on the ransom, and constantly wary of Pan-su and the Korean secret service, frustrated by their exclusion from the operation, Min-jun embarks on a mad dash to rescue his colleague and get out of the situation alive.
Based on an incredible true story, RANSOMED, a gripping historical thriller that puts its audience on a permanent state of high alert, plunges into post-war Lebanon through striking urban and wilderness images and impeccable historical reconstruction. Director Kim Seong-hun, who dazzled Cannes and Fantasia 2015 with A HARD DAY, teams up with superstars Ha Jung-woo (THE CHASER, THE HANDMAIDEN) and Ju Ji-hoon (HUNT) on this fascinating and spectacular film reminiscent of A TAXI DRIVER, with frequent intense chase scenes. The chemistry between the two actors, who shared the spotlight in the diptych ALONG WITH THE GODS, is palpable — Ha perfectly captures Min-jun's transformation into a fearless hero, while Ju provides well-timed doses of hilarious humour. – Translation: Rupert Bottenberg
Showings
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