PROS
+ There is an incredible attention to detail on the strong and purposeful writing
+ Even though it's easy to foresee the conclusion, it is done in a beautiful and emotionally-touching manner
+ The acting is top-notch (even certain characters' body language are meaningful)
+ Those who pay attention to details in cinematography will be treated to an extra helping of emotional devastation
CONS
- This is NOT a happy or even satisfying film; the dense and depressing tone will stay in your mind long after the ending
- The action is great, but quite exaggerated and unrealistic (similar to old cowboy movies)
- While there is some dark comedic relief, it doesn't help ease the heaviness; therefore, this is a hard movie to want to see twice
- There is excessive graphic violence that would upset some people
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This is one of the darkest action movies I've seen. It's an upsetting movie, but I'm glad I experienced it.
That ending is meaningful and makes it worth seeing.
8/10
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Great acting and atmospheric gangster drama lifts otherwise predictable story
Thanks to Uhm Tae Goo's swoony and gallant turn as ML in My Sweet Mobster, I decided to check him out in a different gangster role, Night in Paradise, which is decidedly the antithesis of the light-hearted romcom that aired a few months ago.Don't let the title fool you, there isn't a moment in this drama that could be described as a paradise. Instead, I assume it refers to the darkness and brutal violence that arrives in Jeju Island, a bucolic paradise of peace and tranquility.
Uhm Tae Goo and Jeon Yeo Been are great in this dark and moody crime drama about vengeance and retribution. But the story itself is not especially original and within the first few minutes of the film, it seems quite obvious what will happen, who is behind it, and how everything will play out. But viewers want to keep watching anyway, even as each development unfolds as expected, all the way to the very predictable (yet admittedly quite satisfying) final minutes, thanks to Uhm Tae Good's sympathetic and compelling tragic figure and a script that still manages to create tension and drama.
If you can stomach the brutality and violence often found in these types of K dramas and films, then Night in Paradise is still a pretty decent watch, especially if you want to see Uhm Tae Goo in a much grittier role. My rating falls somewhere between 7.5 and 8.
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Watched it for the ridiculously handsome male lead
I don't understand why this film is receiving mixed reviews. I was wholly absorbed from start to finish and would recommend it to anyone who can stomach excessive violence, lol.I find that the main complaint of the movie is the pacing, and I guess that just comes down to preference. Both of our leads find themselves living on borrowed time, and so I very much appreciated the downtime because it felt like we could spend a little time with the characters before things would turn into inevitable, bloody chaos.
Overall I think this movie is absolutely worth the watch. I sometimes find myself coming back to watch certain scenes, and the emotions still hit hard!
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This review may contain spoilers
Paradise is too cloudy
This is a genuine gangster movie, it's what you expect from a gangster movie: blood and violence galore and it's not disappointing in that regard.The film presents us with a vision rarely seen in K-Dramas, a Korea mired in corruption and moral destruction, at least from the perspective of the characters, which I think is portrayed very well in the dark and warm colors in the ones that the whole movie is presented.
The great virtue of the film, we undoubtedly find it in the cast, from the main ones who do a wonderful job, to the secondary and background actors who help to increasingly reinforce the idea of the moral decadence of the protagonists, is simply wonderful how each and every one of the actors is committed to their work and immersed in the world that the film poses.
Now perhaps, my problem with the film is that it pretends to be a little deeper than it really is, the is violent and raw and that is what they want to reflect at all times, and that is why there are so many dialogues about death and the search for death it throughout the film, however I do not think it contributes anything beyond that, at times it seems that it seeks to become, more in a thriller of intrigue and persecution, but from the second one is more than clear that It is not the path I will take in the end.
The film is not hopeful at any time, from the beginning to the end you know that the lives of these people are only sinking more and more, for me it is what made the film entertaining, it was easy for me to enter the world of the film, understand how their characters saw life and knowing that the film was only going to be a bloody and violent festival without redemptions, because they were not necessary, it was not the aspiration of the story that its characters change or be better.
The movie is good and entertaining if you manage to get into the conventions, but if you can't, the most likely thing is that you won't be able to enjoy it and, on the contrary, it leaves you with a feeling of dissatisfaction, so I suggest that it be viewed with caution and discretion. Even so for the mere performances I think it's worth giving it a try.
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This was a very unique, nihilistic portrayal of a Gangster Movie full of death, revenge and violence. The film opens up with our main character, Tae-gu (wonderfully played by badass Uhm Tae-gu) grimly talking with his ill sister and her daughter about potentially being stabbed - foreshadowing the ending - right before they die. There was a severe impending sense of death immediately and it stuck with us throughout until the closing credits. Tae-gu is on the run after seemingly avenging his sister's death where he meets terminal ill, mouthy Jae-yeon (Jeon Yeo-been), who is an incredible markswoman. Both of them experience pain and loss, and they bond together through company. Despite their short time together, they were a compelling unit that we care about deeply. The antagonists of the film were typical gangster villains but Director Ma had a rare honour to him that makes him stand out from the snake, Mr Yang.
The violence was incredibly excessive, with blood being in practically every scene. The action was exciting though. Even though the main character is going through dozens of bad guys, there is a dramatic sense of danger in those scenes, especially the car scene where Tae-gu is going insane, fighting for his life with a knife. Frantic as hell. The writing was quite clever as well. The use of gratuitous language can be a tad too much but there are a lot of off the hand humorous moments to off-set the sombre tone.
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The girl's revenge at the end is spectacular
Overall, it's a film that works. At least in the first act, it's easy for the viewer to feel trapped. Furthermore, the audiovisual work is cool. We see cinematically well-crafted scenes, with direction concerned with conveying the actors' emotions and driving the tone of the film.The girl's revenge at the end is spectacular
The girl's revenge at the end is spectacular
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Hollywood Level Gore
There was a whole lot of violence and a huge amount of gore for a Korean movie , which surprised me. It suited the plot, however.A definite action movie, which could have been formulaic but wasn't because it was extremely well-paced, crisply written, and outstandingly cast. This was a high quality cast which lifted the story far above where it would have been with lesser talent. Even when actors were portraying stereotypes, they were skilled, nuanced, and sardonic; those roles which could have been trite were made amusing and believable by superior acting. I thought the settings were well-chosen and some quite beautiful. I can't say much about the Bechdel test, since there was only one woman in the movie, and she was terrific in her part.
I have to give special credit for the lead male character who managed to make all other mobsters look like pansies in comparison to his sheer, unstoppable, relentless determination in his final scene.
I might watch it again to pick up things I missed during the first go-round, and I would still enjoy it just as much.
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This review may contain spoilers
Night in Paradise was a dark place
This one came highly recommended by my brother who hardly goes out of his way to watch Korean shows/films so I said why not? I have loved Tagoo since Inspiring Generation anyway and Cha Seungwon has always been a favorite. Glad I watched it, it didn't disappoint.This movie was dark, graphic, and violent, yet artistic and a great watch. The action and dark humor were right up my alley and a great reflection of the movie's overall atmosphere. I presume everyone who's seen this film knew or had a clue that Yang was behind the accident that killed Taegoo's sister and niece; however, I didn't expect the main characters' deaths. It was a nice twist as it made it different and realistic. The ending was satisfying and one of those rare moments where the cycle of revenge has come to a complete stop as all parties involved are deceased.
I loved the cast and characters. They were all different and distinctive in their own ways. Taegoo seemed like a fun, considerate, and kind boss, only wished there was more of him and his gang. Jaeyeon is an intriguing and badass character. At first, I thought she was the cliche Korean heroine type who sees herself as an equal to men but in truth, she adapted quickly and realistically and simply didn't give a flip because she was dying. I mean, with her gun skills, I'm surprised she's not more arrogant. I only wish we knew what she was dying of. I like Taegoo and Jaeyeon together, I think they would have made great friends if not an understanding and passionate power couple. In the short amount of time that they've known each other, they cared and put their lives at risk for each other. Since Jaeyeon was destined to die shortly anyway, Taegoo could have saved himself and skipped town but he went to her anyway because she once told him she didn't want to be alone. And Jaeyeon brought all of Taegoo's villains to justice before ending her own life. She could have ended her life sooner but she endured her pain just a bit longer to fully avenge Taegoo.
The action was great and the angle they were shot in was perfect. I genuinely felt every knife wound Taegoo got. When he struggled to free himself out of the car, that was an intense and satisfying scene.
If you like mafia, gang, action, and crime films then this one is a must-watch.
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a decent execution of what couldve been an extraordinary film
i hadnt read the synopsis so i was going into the film with no expectations whatsoever. it was a pretty solid melodrama and the cinematography , soundtrack, and palette set the mood perfectly. on the downside, the plot was incredibly predictable, there was no room for surprises or hope for an ending besides the one youd imagine. there also wasnt nearly enough of a set up for the story, we're kind of just shoved into it. *some events* are the driving factor of the plot, but those events happen so early on with no introduction so they really lack shock value. same for the characters, we dont get to know them enough to care about what happens to them. of course as youre watching the film you want to know what happens, but youll probably forget you even watched it tomorrow. this is unfortunate as the cast, storyline, and everything else was great, but the execution and plot timeline definitely couldve been better.overall i recommend you watch this if youre on the fence, its not film of the year but its not a bore or a failure.
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Vendetta, tremenda vendetta!
You m0natt0m3re@!#! killed my sister and niece, see what I do to you! ... and so started a bloody onslaught.The plot is logical, as if written by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel: thesis, antithesis and synthesis, which becomes the new thesis facing a new antithesis until it is resolved in a new synthesis, und so weiter.
The crescendo seems (seems, SEEMS) to be the killing of poor TaeGu, who turns out have been duped into partaking in the carnage.
Then the girl (Jeon YoBin, the FL in "Vincenzo" for those watching the series) shows up. She enters and locks the door ...
The movie's Ulyssa "... sprang on to the broad pavement ... shed the arrows on to the ground ... 'Dogs, did you think that I should not come back ... and now you shall die.'" (Please see the scene in Franco Rossi's Odyssey).
PS I wish the movie had ended just going to a black screen without hearing the shot, leaving the audience ponder whether the bullet or the cancer caused the black out.
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It was a night in hell to even watch this
Night in Paradise is so far the worst Korean movie I've seen and I do not understand the raving reviews at all. This movie somehow made gangsters boring as fuck. The only remotely positive thing was the set up for the main character's humanity, which they set up brilliantly.I didn't even finish watching this and stopped an hour and a half into it since nothing fucking happened. I almost fell asleep while watching this. This movie was truly not worth my time.
I don't know where the writer and director was going with this plot because it truly went nowhere.
A waste of my time & energy and I'm baffled that Netflix thought I would love it since they have it a 91% match. Well I hate to break this to you, but it ain't worked. I also hated the bleak colours (I basically hated everything).
Even the gore did nothing for me and I usually love gore!
The title of this film should have been night in hell since I watched this at night and it was a hell to get through. This truly wasn't good in my opinion.
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