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The Unjust
부당거래
2010 119 min South Korea 18+
★6.8
Crime, Thriller
Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
Trailers
Description
An honest cop has to compromise with his principles when he is told to find a scapegoat for a high-profile serial killer case in exchange for a big promotion.
Starring
Hwang Jung-min
Actor
Ryu Seung-beom
Actor
Yoo Hae-jin
Actor
Awards
Asian Film Academy 2011
— Best Screenplay
Asian Film Academy 2011
— Best Supporting Actor
Key opinion
The Unjust (2010) is a compelling and gritty crime thriller that critiques systemic corruption within South Korean society by exploring the dark, intertwining relationships between police, prosecutors, and gangsters. While praised for its tense atmosphere and sharp social satire, the film is occasionally criticized for a moralizing conclusion and a narrative that some find less innovative compared to other classics in the genre.
| Theme | The film excels at portraying a cynical and realistic web of corruption where betrayals are constant and the line between good and bad is blurred. | |
| Direction | The director skillfully maintains high tension through a narrative focus on power struggles rather than relying on heavy action sequences. | |
| Humor | The integration of dark humor effectively keeps the narrative engaging while highlighting the absurdity of the systemic apathy depicted. | |
| Ending | The ending is divisive; some find it a natural conclusion to the moral decay, while others feel the final twenty minutes are overly moralizing and harm the overall narrative. | |
| Originality | Opinions on the film's originality are split, with some viewing it as a coherent and stylish take on domestic crime tropes, while others consider it non-innovative compared to superior genre staples like Memories of Murder. |