The Merciless

Assalamualaikum, good day dearest! I have like three tests this week alone and some submission next week and yeah, gotta smile. Anyway, here is the movie review for this week (Iwatched this movie like last two weeks, if I remember correctly.)

not mine; credited to the rightful owner

Title : The Merciless / Robber: Bad Men's World

Runtime : 120 minutes

Genre : Action, Crime

Country / Language : South Korea / Korean

Released year : 2017

Director : Byun Sung Hyun

Writer : Byun Sung Hyun, Kim Min Soo

Cast : Sol Kyung Gu, Im Si Hwan

Plot : 

Jae Ho is the 'king' among the prisoner. He belongs to one of the most influential criminal gang and is the second in command. One day, another powerful leader of another criminal gang was sent to the same prison. That leader was hell bend on killing Jae Ho even though Jae Ho had never caused any problem to the man. Later, he discovered that his leader wanted him dead. A prisoner, Hyun Soo caught Jae Ho's attention because he doesn't follow the rules nor submit to anyone. After losing his mother, Hyun Soo accept Jae Ho's offered to work with him after he was released from the prison.

SPOILER ALERT

The Merciless is one of the popular movie in Korea at the time of it released, probably because of its incredible, crazy and insane storyline. Oh, might also because of the iconic line from this movie,

Starting off with someone in the gang killed by the members of the same gang was strong. But then when the 'king' of the gang was visited by a detective, I thought it was some corruption conversation going on but it wasn't. She (the detective) was there to simply gave a warning to the gang that they're going down. The scene then was flashed back to three years ago when Jae Ho serves his time in the prison.

Right after the mishap in the prison (the whole killing one another described in the plot), Jae Ho grew fond of Hyun Soo. They were inseparable and always had each other back. I really believed that Jae Ho suspected nothing on Hyun Soo and it will goes along the course that Hyun Soo put on. This movie is fulls with twist and turn. It was always shocking whenever they reveal secrets after secrets. And, for Hyun Soo to keep changing side to the police and then back to Jae Ho was so confusing but great! He was playing double agent and you won't know which side he took until he did what he needed to.

I love the chemistry between the two male lead. They played out their roles perfectly and the emotions beneath the surface of their characters were 'spoken' well too. I especially loves it when they worked together to fool the police team. What a perfect harmony. And to learnt that all of it was build from lies  really hurt me. Poor Hyun Soo as he was used and being played by the people that he put trusts on. Be it Jae Ho or police team. For me, the police force was way cruel than Jae Ho, who supposed to be the bad one.

One of the elements that keep this movie going was the actions and all the tensions. Even the title had spoken on how it will be.There wasn't one moment that I feel bored watching this movie. With the tension of what Hyun Soo decided to do to what will happen as the consequence of his decision keeps the storyline playing. I especially love the way the scenes were arranged. They reveal it bit by bit of the secrets. 

As for the ending, it is a bit shocking to me. But it was understandable. I understood why Hyun Soo did what he did. I viewed it as some sort of self-redemption (I feels insane for saying this because of the ending was like inhumane) for Hyun Soo. For years he let himself being used by the police force (he went undercover so that his little offenses aren't charged. He is not a police officer to begin with) and let himself to trust Jae Ho, who trust no one. 

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-thes