[HanCinema's Film Review] "Paid in Blood"

Gangneung is a city on Korea's east coast that is becoming ever more trendy as a tourist destination. It played host to the ice hockey, curling and skating events during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, and its beaches in particular are a magnet for vacationers in the summer, resulting in a boom in construction of fancy new seaside resorts. First-time director (and Gangneung native) Yoon Young-bin places his narrative exactly in this location, in a crime drama that looks intently like a yakuza film.

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Gil-seok is one of the underbosses of the area, serving under Chairman Oh. Gil-seok is respected by his peers for his straightforward ways and for always abiding by the "rules" of the crime world. However, as Chairman Oh is about to start operations on a huge resort in the area, which includes a hotel, a club and a casino, the antagonism among the underbosses regarding the who will run the whole thing along with the Chairman, becomes more intent. Even more so, when a mad dog, Lee Min-seok and his gang of misfits also become a factor for the race, after he kills another shareholder and gains his position. Gil-seok and Chairman Oh deal with Min-seok, but essentially underestimate him, a choice that soon results in tragedy, as the young man seems to have no respect for the rules. Detective Jo Bang-hyeon, who is also a long-time friend of Gil-seok, tries to keep the peace but soon all hell breaks loose.

As mentioned in the prologue, Yoon Young-bin directs a film that pays homage to both the Korean crime thrillers of the two previous decades, but also to the yakuza films, with the antagonism between the underbosses, the mad dog that ruins the balance, the respect to the Chairman and the rules, as eloquently depicted in funeral scene, and the combination of male comradeship and toxic masculinity forming the basis of the movie. A second crucial narrative element comes from the antithesis between the two main rivals, with Gil-seok being the " hero " and Min-seok the "villain" being as different as possible, despite the fact that they are doing the same "job". As such, who will draw the other in his path emerges as a crucial question for the story, although, as the movie progresses, the answer becomes rather evident.

Furthermore, that this antagonism also includes their respective top henchmen, adds even more to this approach, doubling the competition in the most entertaining way. Oh Dae-hwan as the right hand of Gil-seok and Shin Seung-hwan as Min-seok's, give impressive performances, on par with Yu Oh-seong and Jang Hyuk respectively, creating a quartet that carries the movie from beginning to end, also due to the latters' obvious charisma. This trait also extends to the secondary characters, with a number of gangsters being excellently portrayed, in a trait that showcases the overall prowess in acting, casting, scriptwriting and direction, with the changing of alliances being one of the most intriguing aspects of the story. Women, as usually in films about organized crime, do not play a particularly significant role, with the only role worth mentioning being that of Min-seok's mistress Nam-Goong, who does play a small but significant role in the story, but essentially shines more due to her appearance.

Of course, this would not have been a Korean crime film if it did not include many impressive and quite violent action scenes, with Yoon Young-bin's ability to direct many people at the same time on screen, Yoon Joo-hwan's cinematography and Jeong Jin-hee's editing finding their apogee in the many and occasionally quite lengthy action scenes. The fact that no one uses guns, with the weapons of choice being knives and bats is implemented excellently in the overall choreographies, resulting in a series of truly memorable scenes, whose occasional hyperbole actually works to their benefit. Talking about cinematography, Yoo's work also highlights the beauties of the area in the most impressive fashion, resulting in a series of breathtaking images, while also serving the context, as violence ensues at nights while the days are relatively calm, and the only one messing with this balance being Min-seok and his goons. Lastly, the scene inside the narrow pathways of the flea market is excellently shot, in a style that reminds of Johnnie To.

That the context here is somewhat poorer than in some of the best titles of the genre, as much as the fact that the twists and finale are somewhat expected, emerge as the only aspects that keeps "Paid in Blood" from becoming a masterpiece of the category. It remains, though, a great movie, and a more than hopeful debut by a director who shows intense promise.

Review by Panos Kotzathanasis

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"Paid in Blood" is directed by Yoon Young-bin, and features Yu Oh-seong, Jang Hyuk, Park Sung-geun, Oh Dae-hwan, Kim Jun-bae, Lee Hyun-kyun. Release date in Korea: 2021/11/10.