Second movie in a day. Wow, that must be a first for me. I was inspired by one of my fave idols, Do Kyungsoo (who is also an actor), watching 5 movies in one day. If he, with a hectic schedule of his, can watch 5 movies in a day, I should be able to. Right? Oh well, I’m trying.

The second movie that I watched is said to be one of the best movies to come out this year. So, I decided to give it a try. I don’t regret that decision at all.

더킹 (The King) is a story told in the point of view of the narrator, the protagonist himself, Park Tae-Soo (Jo In-Sung), who is one of the prosecutors in Han Kang-shik’s (Jung Woo-Sung) clique, one of the most powerful prosecutors in South Korea.

When Tae-Soo was younger, he saw his father, a man who taught him how to win a fight, brought down to his knees begging for his life in front of a prosecutor. That resulted him to work hard in school to become a prosecutor, shocking a number of people in his hometown. He started off in a low-paying job and tried to help a teenage girl who was sexually abused by her gym teacher but only to find out that the culprit has a connection with the chief in his prosecutor office. His senior then brought him out to the strategic office where the real deal was and showed him what he could be. He was then tempted to live in the glitz and glamour of being one who holds the power in the country.

This movie is really well-made. It’s a political crime thriller and politics can really bore anyone out. But it’s so well-made because it’s something you can actually relate and take some life lessons out of it. Yes, it has its funny moments but it’s also emotional, which is what Korean dramas and films are great with. They just know how to dig deep inside you and feel for the main character. You know how people say that the higher you go, the harder you fall. This movie basically touches on that. It’s so true and relatable, which makes it so good. It’s a reality check.

It also plays with the public’s negative sentiment towards people with power in South Korea, especially with the chaebols (large family-owned business conglomerate or in the literal translation, money clan). South Koreans don’t have positive opinions for these people which made this movie also reflective of that and would make the main character more endearing and seemingly more heroic in people’s eyes. One of the reasons why I felt this movie took the top spot when it opened in South Korea.

I don’t have anything negative to say about this movie. The storyline was good and I love the flow of it – it took me by surprise the turn of events.

The acting was also excellent. Woo-Sung played the antagonist really well. He’s handsome but you also wanted to kick him in the ass too for being… well… an ass. But the one who made this movie is Ryu Jun-Yeol, who played as Choi Doo-il, a close friend of Tae-Soo and a troubled gangster. He also won the Best New Actor in the 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards, in the same category that my fave idol, Do Kyungsoo, was also nominated in (and Kyungsoo acted as a blind athlete in another movie so it’s a tough category to win in).

Overall, it’s one hell of a ride and it’s a good one. So, go watch it if you have the free time to. It’s not in the theatres anymore so find another way 😉

I give this movie a 4.5 out of 5.

Trailer…