South Korea · Film · 2013
The Suspect
Binge Brief
- South Korea released The Suspect in theaters on 24 December 2013.
- The film passed 4.1 million admissions in South Korean theaters within about two weeks of release.
- Distributors sold the film to seven overseas territories, including North America, Japan and German-speaking markets, ahead of its local release.
- Well Go USA opened The Suspect in 15 American theaters on 10 January 2014.
- Rotten Tomatoes lists a 75 percent approval score from eight reviews, and Metacritic scores it 63 out of 100 from five critics.
- For The Suspect, Gong Yoo trained in the Russian martial art Systema for three months and performed his own stunts, including a car chase, rock climbing and skydiving at the Han River.
Synopsis
The Suspect is a 2013 South Korean movie about Ji Dong-cheol, a former North Korean special forces agent left behind by his own government. After his wife and daughter are killed, he defects to Seoul and lives in hiding while hunting the man responsible, only to be framed for a separate murder that puts South Korean intelligence on his trail.
By day, Dong-cheol works undercover as a chauffeur for a wealthy businessman named Chairman Park, who has quiet ties to Pyongyang. By night he searches for Ri Gwang-jo, the former colleague he blames for his family's death. When an assassin kills Park inside his own home, the dying man hands Dong-cheol a pair of glasses hiding classified material, and that single object turns Dong-cheol from hunter into hunted.
National Intelligence Service director Kim Seok-ho frames Dong-cheol for Park's murder, and Colonel Min Se-hoon, who once spared Dong-cheol's life during a failed operation, is assigned to track him down. Choi Kyung-hee, a documentary filmmaker researching North Korean defectors, becomes tangled in the chase after she starts following Dong-cheol's story, giving the fugitive an unlikely ally as the manhunt closes in.
Directed by Won Shin-yun from an original screenplay by Im Sang-yoon, the film runs 137 minutes and pairs hand to hand fight scenes with car chases through Seoul's streets. Gong Yoo, cast against his usual romantic roles, trained in the Russian martial art Systema and performed several of his own stunts. South Korean audiences responded strongly, and the movie opened in Seoul on 24 December 2013 before distributors sold it to seven overseas territories.
Why it still gets watched
The film keeps finding new viewers because it is one of Gong Yoo's few pure action leads, a change of pace between his romantic drama roles. Reviewers who revisited it years later still single out the fight choreography: one write-up called the car chases "absolutely remarkable" and the hand to hand fights "fantastic," while an earlier review pointed to the handheld camera giving the chases through Seoul's narrow streets a rough, documentary edge. It also holds up better than many contemporaries on aggregate scores, sitting at 75 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and 63 on Metacritic, both well above the usual bar for a Korean action import that got a limited American theatrical run.
The Suspect cast
Best scenes
Spoilers aheadThe moments people come back for, and where to find them. Episode numbers and outcomes are named, so come back to this one after watching if you would rather not know.
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Han River stunt sequence
Gong Yoo did his own car chase, rock climbing and skydiving stunts at the Han River instead of using a stunt double.
Filming locations
Part of The Suspect was filmed in Puerto Rico in April 2013, where Gong Yoo said local fans recognized him at the shooting location. The rest of the production took place in South Korea, with car chase and fight scenes staged in Seoul's streets.
Visual design and costumes
- Grey, low-light palette: Reviewers describe the film as shot in mostly grey and dark tones, with few brightly lit scenes.
- Handheld camera: Chase and fight scenes rely on handheld camerawork and quick cuts, which one write-up flagged as overused in places.
- A brighter contrast late in the film: Scenes involving Dong-cheol's wife and the film's closing stretch shift to a visibly lighter look than the rest of the movie.
Themes and messages
- Institutional betrayal: Dong-cheol is left behind by the same government he served, which sets his personal war in motion before the plot's central murder even happens.
- Revenge as the engine of the plot: His search for the man he blames for his family's death drives every decision he makes once he reaches Seoul.
- Corruption inside the intelligence service: The NIS director who frames him for murder is presented as more dangerous to Dong-cheol than the killer he is chasing.
- An unlikely ally: A documentary filmmaker who studies North Korean defectors ends up helping the one man the state has declared a suspect.
Interesting facts
- Puerto Rico shoot: Part of the production traveled to Puerto Rico in April 2013, where local fans recognized Gong Yoo on location.
- Physical prep: Gong Yoo dieted for three months to change his physique and trained in the Russian martial art Systema for the fight scenes.
- No stunt double: Gong Yoo performed his own car chase, rock climbing and skydiving sequences at the Han River.
- Casting change: Yoon Kye-sang was originally attached to the lead role before dropping out after co-star Choi Min-sik left the project.
Real-life loves on set
There are no public reports or credible sources indicating that any romantic relationships from "The Suspect" (2013) have extended into real life. The cast members, including Gong Yoo and Park Hee Soon, have maintained professional relationships, and no off-screen romances have been reported.
Awards
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 19th Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Actor | Gong Yoo | Nominated |
| 2014 | 50th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Jo Sung-ha | Nominated |
Frequently asked questions
What is The Suspect (2013) about?
The Suspect follows Ji Dong-cheol, a former North Korean special forces agent who defects to Seoul after his family is killed, then gets framed for a businessman's murder while South Korean intelligence hunts him down.
Who is in the Korean cast of The Suspect?
The Suspect's Korean cast is led by Gong Yoo as Ji Dong-cheol, with Park Hee-soon as Colonel Min Se-hoon, Cho Seong-ha as NIS director Kim Seok-ho, and Yoo Da-in as documentary filmmaker Choi Kyung-hee.
Where can I watch The Suspect 2013?
Well Go USA Entertainment released The Suspect on home video and digital platforms in North America after its 2014 theatrical run; availability elsewhere depends on the streaming service in each region.
Is The Suspect based on a true story?
No production source describes The Suspect as based on true events. Im Sang-yoon wrote it as an original screenplay, and Won Shin-yun directed it.
How long is The Suspect?
The Suspect runs 137 minutes, matching both its official runtime listing and its Korean theatrical release.
Did The Suspect win any awards?
The Suspect earned two nominations in 2014: a Best Actor nod for Gong Yoo at the Chunsa Film Art Awards and a Best Supporting Actor nod for Jo Sung-ha at the Baeksang Arts Awards.
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