[K-MOVIE REVIEW] Phantom Detective (2016)

“Phantom Detective” (탐정 홍길동: 사라진 마을) is a 2016 South Korean action film that centers on the story of a fearless detective named Hong Gil Dong and his journey to avenge the death of his mother while uncovering the truth behind his real identity. The film stars Lee Je-hoon as Hong Gil Dong, Kim Sung-kyun as the main villain Kang Sung-il, Park Geun-hyung as Kim Byung-deok, No Jung-ui as Kim Byung-deok’s eldest granddaughter Dong-i, Kim Ha-na as Dong-i’s younger sister Mal-soon, and Go Ara as President Hwang, the owner and leader of the detective agency that Hong Gil Dong works for.

The film is intriguing in that while the traditional story of Hong Gil Dong depicts the character as the “good” guy that looks out for the best interest of the poor and the weak as he punishes the evildoers – the Korean equivalent of Robin Hood from 16th~17th century Joseon Dynasty. However, the film puts a spin on the character by giving Hong Gil Dong a major flaw. In “Phantom Detective”, Hong Gil Dong is depicted as a fearless detective but in actuality, he is incapable of feeling fear as mentioned in a voice over by President Hwang. For that reason, Hong Gil Dong will not stop at anything – lying, blackmailing, threatening, and torturing to name a few – in order to obtain whatever he needs. Through these unorthodox methods, Hong Gil Dong falls under the “bad” guy spectrum. However, the irony is that this “bad” guy is the hero of the story (maybe he should be added to our list of American superheros). After all, it takes a bad guy to take down the bad guys.

“Phantom Detective” has been in theaters at CGV Cinemas in Koreatown, Los Angeles since May 13 th . If you’re interested in an action film with a twist, catch the movie while it is still showing! You can search for showtimes on CGV’s website at www.cgvcinemas.com. Enjoy the film and let us know your thoughts.