Kim Yoon Seok and Joo Ji Hoon are so damn good in this movie that their characters almost feels like fully fleshed out people. Even if the story isn't that unique or surprising by itself, following the characters in their cat and mouse game still makes it exciting. It's been a long while since I've last seen a serial killer this interesting and convincing in a movie. Joo Ji Hoon's acting is phenomenal here.
This is not a movie that will keep you at the edge of your seat, but you will not be bored for even a second!
So if you ask me this movie is definitely worth a watch if you are into crime and thrillers.
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Trust but verify
Dark Figure of Crime was based on the true story of a serial killer in the RoK who played a dangerous game of “where are the bodies?” with a narcotics detective. The killer was aware of how to manipulate the judicial system which made the detective’s job all the more challenging.Detective Kim Hyung Min receives a tip from an informants to meet up with a source who knows where a body has been buried. The source, Kang Tae Oh, is arrested for the murder of his girlfriend before Kim can follow-up on the tip. Kang contacts Kim from prison and promises tantalizing information about other people he has killed. He’s willing to parse out information for contraband and commissary money. Kang is hardly forthcoming with explicit information putting Kim’s job and reputation in jeopardy.
This film paced itself with the speed of a police investigation. The cops were not inept, though the original officers hardly dug very deeply into the missing persons reports they processed. Kim Yoon Seok perfectly encapsulated a dogged detective who was more concerned for the victims and their families than he was about promotions. Good thing, because at every turn someone in the department attempted to discourage Kim from researching the cold cases. His best ally was Detective Jo played by the reliable Jin Sun Kyu. Jo believed in what they were doing even though their cases began to drag him down professionally. Ju Ji Hoon gnawed through the furniture to capture Kang’s malevolent behavior giving much needed energy to the film.
While I enjoyed the thorough nature of the investigation, the ongoing minutiae wasn’t exactly riveting viewing. My biggest problem was that I found the characters, despite their determination, to be coldly detached from the events around them which lessened my connection to their struggles and triumphs. One particularly frustrating hole in the real-life judicial system was filled a year after this film came out. Murder no longer had a statute of limitations meaning criminals like Kang could be held responsible for the full measure of their crimes regardless of how much time had passed. If you enjoy police procedurals, this might be one to try as it had strong acting and followed the relentless work of a detective who refused to give up.
11 May 2026
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A befitting realistic, bleak and bitter depiction of tragedy
This work is nothing spectacular if you only view it solely as a crime thriller that needs a larger-than-life hero, an overpowered antagonist and a mindblowing twist.However, if expand your view to the human side of the characterizations it delves into, you'd definitely see the finality behind such opaque portraitures and the cathartic value of their expressions.
Story:
Primarily centered around the procedural and investigative process to indict a twisted criminal who committed heinous deeds that nobody knows about or wishes to discuss.
Secondarily, through the character dynamics and portrayal, this work was presented as a dramatic character study type of movie.
Character work:
We have an emotionnally disconnected, conniving, machiavellian serial killer, swimming in an ocean of lies and deceit, trying his hardest not to get caught.
At the same time, we have a dectective pursuing work that offers no wealth or social prominence, suffering humiliation after another, going through relentless efforts to get to the bottom of truth to offer the victims some peace and their loved ones closure.
Leading actors:
Ju Ji-hoon did a wonderful job portraying a disgusting, easily-angered sleazebag with an oversized ego, on one hand.
A nemesis character that still had enough torment, affliction and enough miserable inclination to bring up a thought like "what if he grew up around people who cared, would the outcome have been different for him and the victims?"
I couldn't shake that sense of pity, disgust and confusion.
On the other hand, Kim Yoon-seok, with his calm, judicious and wise disposition beautifully portrayed the Ethos and ideals one would seek in any dedicated, selfless, martyr-like figure, to cheer for, respect and look up to.
OST:
I'm not the type to pay attention to the musical score unless it is something memorable. The soundtracks playing from the prologue to the epilogue by "Mok Young Jin" were dark, atmospheric and exquisitely eerie comme il faut!
Overall: 8/10
Being based on a true story, this movie left me with a bit of hope and an aftertaste of bitterness.
I would definitely recommend!
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Dark Figure of Crime is quite a weak movie. It aims too high to be this mysterious thriller but falls short of the mark by quite a lot; the plot is bland and the twist is merely a flick; the acting is nothing to commend, and the editing and direction are jaunty and clumsy at best.
If you would like a brainless weekend movie or a way to pass the time, this would be for you. If you are familiar with the genre, you'd be as bored as I was. Perhaps it would be a better experience for those who are not acquainted with the type. It does not have any explicit sexual scene, so you could watch it with the adults of the family.
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روعة
الفيلم رووعة🔥القصة والاحداث مره حماسية ومشوقة وتشد انتباهك من اول دقيقة لاخر الفيلم❤🔥جوجيهون كان قاتل متسلسل
بس مامثل ذاك القاتل الي ينحب ومانقدر نكرهه
مثل زي شخصيات القتلة الي يكونو مره مستفزين
ف الشخصية الي مثلها كريييههه لدرجة تمنيت
يلقو ادله ويحكمو عليه بالاعدام🌝😂💔
نهاية الفيلم كانت واقعيه ومره عجبتني👏🏻🔥✨
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O enredo é intrigante e foi muito bem bolado. Te prende do início ao fim e você fica apreensivo, querendo saber o que vai acontecer, ainda mais que a gente acha que as coisas vão acontecer de uma forma e em seguida tudo acontece de uma forma completamente diferente, são muitas reviravoltas.
As atuações são impecáveis, os atores principais dão um show de atuação!
E o fato de ele ser baseado em fatos reais torna tudo ainda mais interessante, ainda mais que se trata de um caso que é tão conhecido na Coreia e que até hoje ainda não foi completamente desvendado.
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