The Devil's Deal

This political crime thriller by Lee Won-tae (The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil) is a very effective ride through an amoral world full of scheming politicians and gangsters. There is hardly a non-corrupted official to be seen here, so don't expect a classic heroes-VS-villains premise. Cho Jin-woong, Kim Mu-yeol and Lee Sung-min are all really good in the leading roles. They play characters who try their best to survive and gain whatever power they can in a scandalous game behind the political scenes. The plotting is complicated and demands your full attention, but rewards it with very well written scenes of dramatic payoff. In contrast to Lee's previous film, there's little humor and action here. Instead, you get endless manipulating and verbal intimidation, but it's still really exciting and fun. Lee has simply proven once again he's got the directorial chops needed for beefy crime thrillers, except this time he's in a more low-key mode than before. This is a good-looking, often intense but constantly entertaining film for the same crowd that loved Asura and Inside Men. Highly recommended!

Former collaborations were actually mutual exploitation. When facing the puppeteer behind the scenes, you need both overt pressure and covert negotiations for leverage in private discussions. Money exchanges, as everyone might know, often leave traces that can be used against you. However, people tend to be blinded by immediate gains and overlook defense. Jin-Woong's comeback is his deep understanding of the underworld's desires, indirectly leveraging them on so-called righteous government officials. The fake horse racing and real bribery scheme inside really opened up my imagination. If you enjoy exploring the darker sides of human nature or the concept of keeping your enemies closer, this movie will definitely resonate with you.