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Believer
독전
2018 123 min South Korea 18+
★7.0
Crime, Action, Thriller
Director: Lee Hae-young
🎭 Based on
«Drug War»
Trailers
Description
After a traumatic event, a drug trafficker turns sides and conspires with a dangerously ambitious undercover police officer to bring down the mysterious kingpin of a major drug cartel.
US Gross:
$365,639
Starring
Park Hae-joon
Actor
Ryu Jun-yeol
Actor
Cho Jin-woong
Actor
Awards
Asian Film Academy 2019
— Best Supporting Actress
Asian Film Academy 2019
— Best Original Score
Key opinion
Believer is a visually striking crime thriller that relies heavily on its stylish, often grotesque aesthetic and character-driven performances. While it offers an engaging cat-and-mouse dynamic, critics note that the narrative structure feels somewhat predictable and ultimately prioritizes spectacle over social depth.
| Score | The score provides an unexpectedly effective atmosphere that elevates the tension of the criminal underworld. | |
| Cinematography | The cinematography effectively captures the dark, paranoid nature of the drug-trafficking world with a sharp, stylized visual language. | |
| Acting | The performance of Jo Jin-woong as the obsessed detective anchors the film with natural charisma and grit. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay is hindered by a degree of predictability that makes the pursuit of the antagonist feel conventional. | |
| Acting | Opinions on the character work are mixed; some find the anti-hero archetypes compelling and complex, while others feel the performances are underwhelming or inconsistent. |