Yun-Seok Kim takes the lead role in Hong-jin Na’s directorial debut The Chaser (out to buy courtesy of metrodome). He plays Jung-ho, an ex policeman turned pimp, and all round dirt bag. Jung-ho thinks his girls are being kidnapped and sold on the street as more and more aren’t returning from their sojourns into the underworld, and decides he must take action. The Chaser really kicks-off when Jung- ho, and his brilliantly stupid friend Meathead, discover they have sent one of their girls to the possible kidnapper, and to her possible death. The race is on to save her.

Like all good thrillers The Chaser will have you on the edge of your seat from 10 minutes in right the way through to the end. The pace doesn’t relent from the full on chase through the eerily shot streets of South Korea, to the final tense stand off between psycho and pimp. What’s truly great about The Chaser (and rather original) is that

Jung-ho actually catches the killer - a deranged recluse played perfectly by Jung-woo Ha - in the first act of the film and then must prove to his friends on the police force that they have the right man. He's given 12 hours to uncover the truth before the police are forced to release the suspect, Jung-ho must stop at nothing to find his girl before it's too late.

If you're a fan of thrillers there’s no way you won't enjoy this, it has everything you could want; style, tension, drama and even a little typically Korean dark humour, brought to life with a sharp script and even sharper camera work. A definite modern classic and a Korean thriller that can hold its own next to Park Chan-wook's epically dark vengeance trilogy. If you need any more convincing of The Chaser’s status as an award worthy thriller, then the fact that the award winning team behind Scorsese’s The Departed (itself a remake of HK thriller Infernal Affairs) is planning a remake should suffice. Re-makes aside, only Hong-jin Na's telling of this story will be packed with South Korean charm, and shots of their beautifully stylish cityscape at night. Go out and see this. Enjoy a wonderfully original, emotional thriller in all its original glory. You won't be sorry.

Words > Sekou Abineri