Diving headfirst into "Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time" (2012), I felt a wave of excitement wash over me. Here was a seemingly promising Korean gangster film, directed by Yoon Jong-bin and starring Choi Min-sik and Ha Jung-woo.
As an avid follower of The Roundup series, I approached this latest chapter with hope that it would carry forward the same storytelling marvel that earmarked its preceding siblings. Unfortunately, the film wasn’t quite the high-stakes rollercoaster ride I had hoped for.
After unexpectedly diving into the Korean cinematic universe over the weekend, I resurfaced with The Roundup: No Way Out, an action-packed crime film from 2023. This film, directed by Lee Sang-yong and starring searing talents like Ma Dong-seok, Lee Joon-hyuk, and Munetaka Aoki, offers a thrilling blend of action, humor, and a head-spinning storyline, marking the third installment in the popular Roundup series.
With the promise of Ma Dong-seok reprising his role as Detective Ma Seok-do, an element of familiarity added to my excitement for this film, despite my apprehension about the grist for the sequel mill.
As the first installment of the acclaimed "The Roundup" series, the film boasts its grounding in reality, centered on the infamous incidents that occurred in the Chinatown of Garibong-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul in 2004 and 2007. Released in 2017, this South Korean crime-action film was then, a newcomer director Kang Yoon-sung's debut, featuring prominent actors Ma Dong-seok, known to many as Don Lee, and Yoon Kye-sang.
To be honest, my expectations for "Rogue City", helmed by French filmmaker Olivier Marchal and released on Netflix in 2020 were perhaps unremarkable - a typical police drama, heavy on grit but light on depth, was what I foresaw. But within the film’s intricate maze of tragedy, violence, and corruption, I found a stunningly complex narrative and compelling performances from the likes of French cinema veterans Jean Reno and Lannick Gautry.
The Illusionist artfully intertwines historical events with its fictional narrative, lending depth and authenticity to its already tantalizing plot. Among the historical touches is the fictionalized adaptation of the Mayerling incident, which adds an air of palpable tension to the story.
Prepare yourself for a cinematic experience that challenges the boundaries of traditional storytelling... by completely smashing them to pieces. "Troll 2," available wherever VHS tapes and ironic cult classics are cherished, is a film that sets itself fiercely apart—not through adept filmmaking but by diving headfirst into the abyss of hilariously misguided intentions.
Picture this: waking up in a city you don’t recognize, your identity a mystery, and apparently, for the two hours you’re about to spend with "Man with No Past", that's not all you will forget. James Bamford, the illustrious director of such concepts as laying waste to potential, graces us with this gem on the small screen.
"Black Mass," the 2015 cinematic exploration of infamous mobster James "Whitey" Bulger, is a masterclass in atmospheric storytelling, character depth, and crime drama aesthetics.