“Smugglers” Theatrical Poster
Director: Ryoo Seung-Wan
Cast: Kim Hye-Soo, Yum Jung-Ah, Zo In-Sung, Park Jeong-Min, Kim Jong-Soo, Go Min-Si, Kim Jae-Hwa, Park Jun-Myun, Park Kyung-Hye, Kwak Jin-Seok
Running Time: 129 min.
By Paul Bramhall
Any discussion on modern Korean action cinema will invariably also be a discussion on director (and sometime actor) Ryoo Seung-wan. An avid Hong Kong action cinema fan when he was growing up, Seung-wan would debut in 2000 with Die Bad, a gritty slice of machismo that provided a first look into what would become his distinctive style – pulpy storylines, stylised violence, and an energetic pace. While there’s no other mainstream director in Korea who’s continued to consistently crank out new movies for more than 20 years, Seung-wan’s last 2 productions have pivoted away from his usual style, instead opting for the “based on true events” approach. While both 2017’s The Battleship Island and 2021’s Escape from Mogadishu were perfectly serviceable crowd pleasers, they also lacked the touches that make a Seung-wan directed movie stand out from the crowd.
So it was a relief in 2023 to see him return to the kind of movie that established his popularity in the first place, with the 1970’s set caper flick Smugglers. It’s also the first time for Seung-wan to cast a pair of actresses as his leads since his sophomore feature No Blood No Tears in 2002. It’s easy to get a feeling that Seung-wan may be feeling nostalgic for those early days, since his co-leads were also very much already established stars in 2002, and remain very much so today in the form of Kim Hye-soo (A Special Lady, Coin Locker Girl) and Yum Jung-ah (Alienoid, The Mimic). Playing a pair of best friend female free divers, or haenyeo as they’re called in Korea, along with 4 others they go out to sea each day to eke a living by collecting sea urchins and alike to sell at the local market.
However with a local factory dumping toxic waste nearby pickings are becoming increasingly slim, which leads the pair to consider an offer to retrieve overseas contraband, illegally smuggled in and left on the ocean floor for collection to avoid the strict customs checks. Set in an era where Korea was essentially closed off to foreign imports, the arrangement is initially a lucrative one, however when someone tips off customs about their activities, the light and breezy pace that’s been established so far is thrown out the window. A bust leads to the accidental death of the boats captain (also Jung-ah’s father), and everyone else gets arrested, with only Hye-soo able to get away. When we meet everyone again the narrative has skipped forward 2 years. Those who were arrested have just finished a 2-year prison sentence, during which time mistrust has set in, believing that it could have been Hye-soo who sold them out.
Meanwhile Hye-soo herself is now running a successful clothes store in Seoul selling fashion from overseas (and rocking some gloriously voluminous wigs that scream 1970’s), a hustle that captures the attention of a ruthless smuggling bigshot played by Jo In-sung (The Great Battle, A Dirty Carnival). Viewing her as a threat, In-sung’s usual approach to anyone he views as a rival is to have them disappear, but Hye-soo is able to capture his attention with a proposal – go into business together, and use the old method of leaving contraband on the ocean floor to increase the amount that can be brought in at any given time. The catch? She can’t do it by herself, so needs to get the band back together so to speak, but with Jung-ah suspicious and still raw from the death of her father, rekindling their friendship and convincing the group to resume the very thing that led to tragedy in the first place isn’t going to be an easy task.
The ace up Smugglers sleeve is undoubtably the casting of Kim Hye-soo, with the production marking the first time for her to return to the big screen since 2020’s The Day I Died: Unclosed Case. Hye-soo’s typical onscreen persona over the years is one that’s come to be defined as either cool and calm, or sultry and seductive, so to see her playing such an energetic and loud-mouthed character like she is here is a welcome change, and one she clearly seems to be having fun with. One of Korea’s most enduring leading actresses, it’s the kind of performance that proves why she remains a bankable star, and is a pleasure to watch. As the more measured and reflective of the former best friends, Jung-ah clocks in an equally effective performance (and would herself get to let loose a year later in Mission: Cross), and the pair prove to be likeable leads who are easy to root for.
The first half of Smugglers feels a lot like a spy flick, with the movements of the illicit cargo and who stands to benefit from it resulting in plenty of double crosses and behind the scenes alliances, all of which propel the plot forward at a brisk pace, helped significantly be the funky 70’s soundtrack of local tunes. No Seung-wan production though would be complete without a healthy dose of action, and in the 2nd half audiences should get their fill. Returning to the small seaside town they used to operate in, it turns out the shy ship hand who used to work for Jung-ah’s father has since become a small-time gangster, and knowing exactly what the ladies are capable of, wants a piece of the pie when they suddenly turn up again. Played by Park Jung-min (Time to Hunt, Tazza: One Eyed Jack), the relationships he’s established since turning to a life of crime turn out to be another hurdle Hye-soo needs to overcome if she’s to pull off her plan.
With a small gang of followers who look like they just stepped out of a 1970’s taekwon-action movie, complete with eye patch wearing and hook handed lackeys, a brawl between In-sung and his righthand man against Jung-min’s gang is a highlight. Seung-wan has always had an eye for creating wince inducing impacts when it comes to the environment the action takes place in, and the extended hacking and slashing which unfolds within the confines of a hotel room and a corridor outside is a highlight, with bones broken and plentiful stabbings. In-sung ever throws in a little Donnie Yen-esque mannerism in there just for good measure.
Similarly when the haenyeo’s find themselves ambushed while they’re diving, an underwater sequence proves to be particularly well executed. The danger with underwater action scenes is always their pace, with the setting meaning that nobody can move faster than a snail, however if done correctly they can still deliver the intended thrill, and could well be one of the last environments in action cinema that can still evolve. The last movie to get it right was arguably Jonathan Li’s The Brink from 2017 (sorry DCU, but I don’t count the Aquaman movies), and here Seung-wan successfully adds to the superior underwater action cinema canon. Smartly incorporating the haenyeo’s knowledge of the sea to outwit their attackers, they utilise everything from octopuses, sea urchins, clams, and the obligatory appearance of a shark to fend off their dagger wielding assailants, and it proves to be an entertaining sequence.
It’d be remiss not to mention the stellar supporting cast, particularly Go Min-si (The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion, Set Play) as the madame of a coffee shop who gets in on the action, and the always reliable Kim Jong-soo (Hopeless, Ransomed) as the customs chief who proves to be more than meets the eye. While the other 4 haenyeo’s are not given much in terms of characterisation (played by Kim Jae-hwa – Kill Boksoon, Park Jun-myun – I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK, Jung Soon-mi – Handsome Guys, and Joo Bo-bi – #Alive), they bring their roles to life whenever they’re onscreen, and compliment the performances of Hye-soo and Jung-ah in the scenes they share together, bringing an authenticity to the camaraderie between the group.
Overall Smugglers is a successful return to the formula that’s made Ryoo Seung-wan such a mainstay of Korean cinema for over 20 years, with Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ah being the perfect match to bring his vision to life in front of the camera. Delivering action, humour, and drama in equal doses, with a sequel to his 2015 hit Veteran on the horizon here’s hoping he’s now put his “based on true events” period behind him, and is back to the kind of pulpy, action driven narratives that he does best.
Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 7.5/10
