Tag Archives: Ryoo Seung-wan

Humint (2026) Review

April 6, 2026 Paul Bramhall

Director: Ryoo Seung-wan Cast: Zo In-Sung, Park Jeong-Min, Park Hae-Joon, Shin Se-Kyung, Lee Shin-Ki, Jung Eugene, Park Myung-Shin, Kim Eui-Sung, Jang Hyun-Sung Running Time: 119 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s been 13 years since director Ryoo Seung-wan helmed The Berlin File, a murky espionage action thriller that revolved around a quartet of characters – a South Korean agent and a trio of North Koreans, two of them operatives, one of … Continue reading →

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I, The Executioner | aka Veteran 2 (2024) Review

October 5, 2024 Paul Bramhall

Director: Ryoo Seung-wan Cast: Hwang Jung-min, Jung Hae-in, Oh Dae-hwan, Oh Dal-soo, Jang Yoon-ju, Kim Shi-Hoo, Jeong Man-Sik, Shin Seung-Hwan, Jin Kyung, Kwon Hae-Hyo Running Time: 118 min. By Paul Bramhall When Veteran hit the screens in 2015 it struck the perfect balance as an action comedy, and director Ryoo Seung-wan promised audiences there’d be more, revealing in interviews at the time how it was the first in an intended … Continue reading →

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Smugglers (2023) Review

September 20, 2024 Paul Bramhall

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 … Continue reading →

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Escape from Mogadishu (2021) Review

August 1, 2021 Paul Bramhall

Director: Ryoo Seung-wan Cast: Kim Yun-seok, Jo In-sung, Heo Joon-ho, Koo Kyo-hwan, Jeong Man-Sik, Kim Jae-Hwa Running Time: 121 min. By Paul Bramhall Set during a rarely utilised part of Korean history in cinematic terms, Escape from Mogadishu is the latest blockbuster from director Ryoo Seung-wan. Taking place across 1990 and 1991, it was a point in time when South Korea was only a couple of years into being a … Continue reading →

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Battleship Island, The (2017) Review

March 12, 2018 Z Ravas
"Battleship Island" Theatrical Poster

Director: Ryoo Seung-wan Cast: Hwang Jung-Min, So Ji-Sub, Song Joong-Ki, Lee Jung-Hyun, Kim Soo-Ahn, Kim In-Woo, Kim Joong-Hee, Lee Kyoung-Young, Shin Seung-Hwan, Ahn Se-Ho Running Time: 132 min. By Z Ravas Although director Ryoo Seung-wan has engaged in big-budget spectacle in the recent past – 2013’s The Berlin File felt like the filmmaker’s attempt to top the Bourne trilogy, and long before that he’d dabbled in the superhero (Arahan) and spoof (Dachimawa … Continue reading →

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Veteran (2015) Review

April 1, 2016 Paul Bramhall
"Veteran" Theatrical Poster

Director: Ryoo Seung-wan Producer: Kang Hye-Jung Cast: Hwang Jeong-Min, Yu A-In, Yu Hae-Jin, Oh Dal-Su, Jang Yun-Joo, Oh Dae-Hwan, Kim Si-Hu, Jeong Woong-In, Jeong Man-Sik, Song Young-Chang Running Time: 123 min. By Paul Bramhall Director Ryoo Seung-wan is a familiar name to fans of Korean action cinema, ever since his debut Die Bad in 2000, he’s consistently delivered a series of movies which combine action with a strong narrative. Since … Continue reading →

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Exclusive: Interview with Ryoo Seung-wan

December 18, 2013 JJ Bona

Korean filmmaker Ryoo Seung-wan has carved a memorable path through genre cinema, earning the attention and acclaim of action fans worldwide. Early works, such as the special effects-heavy superhero film Arahan and the Tarantino-esque City of Violence, featured a one-two punch of humor and martial arts action. Since then, the director’s films have struck a decidedly more serious tone. 2010’s police action/thriller The Unjust took an unforgiving look at Korea’s … Continue reading →

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Crying Fist (2005) Review

December 17, 2011 JJ Bona
"Crying Fist" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Ryoo Seung-wan Cast: Choi Min-Sik, Ryu Seung-Beom, Im Won-Hee, Cheon Ho-Jin, Seo Hye-Rin, Byeon Hee-Bong, Na Mun-Hee, Gi Ju-Bong, Kim Su-Hyeon, Lee Jun-Gu Running Time: 134 min. By Equinox21 The problem with most, if not virtually all, sports movies is that you can tell who is going to win the big “game” at the end. Not so with Ryu Seung-wan’s latest movie, Crying Fist. This is a movie focusing … Continue reading →

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Unjust, The | aka Bad Deal (2010) Review

October 16, 2011 Z Ravas
"The Unjust" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Ryoo Seung-wan Writer: Park Hun-Jeong Cast: Hwang Jeong-Min, Ryu Seung-Beom, Yu Hae-Jin, Cheon Ho-Jin, Ma Dong-Seok, Jo Young-Jin Running Time: 119 min. By HKFanatic When I sit down to watch a slick, commercial thriller, this is exactly what I want it to be. The director of “No Blood, No Tears” and “City of Violence” weaves an im-morality tale of police corruption, political maneuvering, and gangland-style justice with no discernible … Continue reading →

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No Blood No Tears (2002) Review

January 16, 2011 JJ Bona
"No Blood No Tears" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Ryoo Seung-wan Cast: Jeon Do-Yeon, Lee Hye-Young, Jung Jae-Young, Shin Goo, Jung Doo-Hong, Kim Yeong-In, Baek Chan-Ki, Lee Yeoung-Hu, Ryoo Seung-Bum, Kim Soo-Hyun Running Time: 116 min. By Dragon Ma I managed to watch this last night and and it came as complete surprise, I’d heard good things about this film, although mostly people compared it to films like ‘Snatch’ and ‘Pulp Fiction’. The film definitely retains the same … Continue reading →

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Arahan (2004) Review

January 13, 2011 JJ Bona

Director: Ryoo Seung-wan Cast: Ryoo Seung-Bum, oon So-Yi, Ahn Sung-Ki, Jung Doo-Hong, Yun Ju-Sang, Kim Ji-Young, Kim Yeong-In, Baek Chan-Ki, Kwon Bum-Taek, Park Yoon-Bae Running Time: 114 min. By Alexander FINALLY. I’ve FINALLY seen a FUN Asian film. YAY! No live squids being eaten here. No rapes. No severed Achilles tendons. No punctured jugulars. No cannibal babies. Just a lot of comedy, some fantastic martial arts action, a virtuosic performance … Continue reading →

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