Good News: Hijacked by Humor
I did not have any previous knowledge of the real-life 1970s hijacking, so when I learned that Good News is inspired by true events, I was expecting a heavy drama. I was pleasantly surprised to discover this was not only an action film but also a black comedy that leaned heavily on the satire.The film definitely embraced the comedic genre, often following intense scenes with witty dialogue, physical humor and absurd scenarios when least expected. The back and forth between the two tones felt like a rollercoaster ride, providing enough laughs to break the previously built tension, but always maintaining an underlying sense of urgency, never allowing the viewers to fully let their guards down.
This film's bold use of unconventional music and sometimes "over-the-top" visual effects works perfectly with the narrative and makes Good News stand out among many others in this genre. Although the balance of dramatic and comedic scenes was masterfully calculated, the film's length was a significant drawback. Around the halfway point, the narrative began to drag, and a quicker pace would have improved the viewing experience.
Despite a runtime that could have been shorter, don't let the serious premise discourage you. It's a surprisingly entertaining watch, thanks to its masterful use of music and visual effects, and its clever way of blurring the line between suspense and comedy.
Overall: 4/5
Quality: 4/5
Enjoyability: 3.5/5
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Good news, Bad news, which do you want first?
Looking for a beautifully shot film with a grounded, human story? This is it. I went in with no prior knowledge of the historical events that inspired Good News, yet I never felt lost or disconnected, the storytelling kept me fully engaged from start to finish.Though it runs for over two hours, the pacing is deliberate and rewarding, making every moment worth it. I especially enjoyed its subtle satire — how it invites you to observe events from the outside, finding humor even in the most serious situations.
The performances were exceptional, with Hong Kyung delivering a breakout role that truly stood out. Good News is the kind of movie that lingers after the credits roll , heartfelt, sharp, and beautifully made. I’m genuinely grateful that it exists, and I can’t recommend it enough.
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1SUPERB CAST, STORY, AND HONG KYUNG'S STANDOUT PERFORMANCE
This story mixes suspense, tension, and bits of dark humor so well that keeps you engage all throughout. It was honestly so good. The setting captured the time period perfectly, the cast nailed their roles, and the comedic timing was just perfect. The operation scenes are tense but often undercut by absurd political bickering and clever dialogue that made me laugh a few times.The cast delivered great performances across the board. The real highlight was Hong Kyung. He plays a young air force officer caught between duty and conscience, and he absolutely nails it. It's definitely his strongest performance since Innocence (2020). You can really see how much he's grown as an actor and I have always thought he had something special, and this movie confirms it.
I love how this movie combines serious political tension humor in such a natural way. It's not just funny for the sake of being funny. Even during the more intense part, it never loses its wit and humanity.
The climax is handled so well, unpredictable, fast paced. The direction, the performances, the humor, the visuals, and especially Hong Kyung's acting make it one of the stand out Korean films of the year. Overall, it's an absolutely a very good quality type of film. A must watch!
Plot 9/10
Acting and Characters 10/10
Cinematography 9.5/10
Writing 9.5/10
Pacing 9/10
OST/Score 9/10
Overall 9.5/10
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A great black comedy about what’s happening in this world
“Sometimes the truth lies on the far side of the moon. But that doesn’t mean what’s on the near side is fiction.”“It’s still the moon. It doesn’t need a name in order to exist. It also doesn’t need to be recognized to hold meaning on its own. What you did, in itself, was worthwhile.”
“Sometimes, even the truth lies and lies also tell the truth. Real events that happened, a little bit of creativity, and the willingness to suspend disbelief. If these three components come together, Reality turns into a story… and the story becomes the truth.”
In the world we are living in right now, I deeply connect with the storyline in Good News. It’s a reminder to not believe everything we see or hear. Every news in the media is designed to make you feel something and to lead you to the things they want you to believe.
Hong Kyung is at his best in this movie. Air Force First Lieutenant Seo Go Myung, you have all my heart!
I’m also surprised that I recognized every Korean and Japanese face in this movie, from the main characters, supporting roles to cameo appearances. They all did a great job with their performances.
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Watched it yesterday, am definitely rewatching it today.
one thing i absolutely loved about good news was they were shitting on EVERY THING. like, zero pulling back their punches. communism? you'll be made fun of. capitalism? democracy? you'll be made fun of. america? you'll be made fun of. japan? you'll be made fun of. north korea? you'll be made fun of. south korea? GUESS WHAT? you'll be made fun of. leaders? you'll be made fun of. you're religious? you'll be made fun of. you're ambitious? you'll be made fun of. you exist? yes. you'll be made fun of.also, not to be a fan but this is such a great performance before enlistment because i’m so sure directors would remember this. man spoke three different languages, went through the entire emotional spectrum, had breakdowns, and a whole lotta sass. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT?!
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Laughing through political chaos
Isn't it fascinating when a movie ends up becoming one of your most favourites, despite having zero expectations prior watching it? That's Good News to me, for it has become one of the best movies I've watched this year.Good News is about a hijacking story from 1970. Members of the the Red Army Faction hijacked a commercial aircraft and demanded that the flight be rerouted to Pyongyang. Japan, South Korea, and the US deploy several strategies in order to hijack a radio signal from the airplane. The main characters, "Nobody", a mysterious man and the South Korean Seo Go Myung, work for South Korea and they're trying to bring the airplane to their country.
Before I watched Good News, I didn't have a lot of expectations. I was interested to watch it after learning that Hong Kyung and Sul Kyung Gu were in it and the story seemed interesting enough. But apart from that, I went blindly into it. I didn't even watch the trailer and I overall had a very vague impression of the story. Looking back at it, I think I made the right decision.
On the surface, Good News might appear to be a typical Korean thriller based on real events. I was aware of the fact that the movie was based on a real hijacking event, therefore I expected it to be a sort of Hijack: 1981 film. But the film quickly proved me wrong in the best way possible.
I didn't foresee that instead of a serious, historical thriller I would watch a satirical political movie, with plenty of humor. The jokes were spot on and the dialogues and interactions between the characters added more layers to the absurd events. The comedy never felt forced and the jokes flew by smoothly. I genuinely did not expect to have as much fun as I did, I laughed so hard during some scenes to the point I could feel my abs burning!
What I really liked with this film is that it poked fun at everyone. No one was excluded from its sharp humor and satire, be it South or North Korea, Japan, US, communists, marxists etc. Instead of taking sides and making fun of a specific country or political ideology, Good News portrays each side in the most bizarre and laughable way. It was a very bold and daring approach but the writers pulled it off magnificently.
Comedy and history were blended together, resulting in an overall light-hearted movie. But the message never got lost in translation (figuratively and metaphorically). Through its excessive and witty humour, Good News' ultimate goal is to show the hypocrisy of politicians and make fun of their thirst for power. While the story is centered around a hijacking event, it's not the hijackers who get framed as the villains. Throughout the whole movie, we observe how agencies in South and North Korea and Japan move their pawns in order to benefit from the hijack. Politicians from both sides claim that the ultimate goal is to save the lives of the passengers. But underneath the surface, it becomes clear that their intentions are not as humanitarian as they seem.
Corruption, greed, lies, manipulation...These are only a few of the defying traits of people in power. We see how men in powerful positions try to infiltrate people's minds for their own benefit. In order to do so, they utilize three aspects, as stated by "Nobody": real events that happened, a little bit of creativity and the willingness to suspend disbelief. Once you give people something to be afraid of, things are bound to escalate rapidly. Fear, anger and mistrust are sufficient tools at the hands of politicians, especially if they want to ensure their power and influence.
Apart from the well-written script, the film had excellent cinematography and editing. There were many great transitions and the way some scenes were filled enhanced the comedic elements. I especially liked the scenes that took place in Go Myeong's imagination, they were so hilarious and I loved how they were made.
Of course a good story needs a good cast to elevate it. Good News is one of this type of movies where every actor nailed their roles. There wasn't a single moment where I thought that an actor had been a miscast, everyone did their part so well. The interactions between the characters never felt forced and all performances managed to leave a lingering impression on me, with one way or another.
I'll start with Sul Kyung Gu, whom I already knew from The Merciless, Kill Bok Soon, Mantis and Memoir of a murderer. Good News is the fourth project with the director Byun Sung Hyun and once again, Kyung Gu didn't disappoint. He was so good as the mysterious and quirky "Nobody". He carried himself with the required type of arrogance and cleverness. "Nobody" followed orders but he also set up his own rules. Despite his comedic parts, Kyung Gu's performance added more depths to his character through his body language and tone, especially after "Nobody" 's backstory became known. It was one of my most favourite Kyung Gu's roles and I always looked forward to see him.
Ryu Seung Bum was amazing as Park Sang Hyeon, the head of KCIA. He was charming, confident and meticulous. A politician who was after power and who didn't hesitate to manipulate other people, like Go Myung, in order to establish his dominance. Even though the character was unlikeable for the most part, both the writing and Seung Bum's performance made it impossible to look away when Sang Hyeon appeared on screen. It was fascinating watching him speak and act all so full of himself, as if he knew that he would eventually have his way around.
Another actor who caught my attention was Show Kasamaru as the leader of the Red Army Faction. He played the comedic parts very naturally and he was very charismatic. Despite his funny scenes, he was equally good in the more dramatic parts too, making the viewers sympathise a little with him or at least try to understand his goal.
Other remarkable performances were Kim Sung Oh's, who has started becoming one of my most favourite actors and Takayuki Yamada's. Both of them nailed their parts and they were very fun to look at. A very unexpected yet welcome surprise was Jeon Do Yeon's cameo, she ate the 10 minutes of screen time she had like a queen.
But the gem of this movie was undoubtedly Hong Kyung. I doubt that I can do justice to his performance by describing it in mere words. He was so versatile in this role. He didn't just portray Go Myung, he transformed into him. He was absolutely captivating in the funny parts but he was also excellent in the more dramatic scenes, especially during the final act. I could feel Go Myung's emotions pour out of Hong Kyung. His confusion andannoyance at "Nobody's" antics, his fear towards his superiors, his empathy towards the passengers and his desperation to save them, his ambition to be recognised. He was a very complex character who underwent a big development and to whom I became attached until the end of the film. All thanks to Hong Kyung's spectacular performance.
Good News is not just a movie that covers a hijacking event. It's a political comedy that reminds us of the hypocrisy of politicians. It's about following orders and taking matters into your own hands. Ambition over ethics. And above all, it's a reminder of all the untold heroes out there who will never get recognised for their contributions. By the end of the movie, I found myself in deep thoughts, thinking about all the "Nobodies" out there who offer their service to powerful people, only to see their names being ignored by history and letting others take the credit. How far are people willing to go in the name of duty and power? And at the end of the day, does it matter if you get recognised for your actions as long as you're helping others unconditionally? These are only some of the questions the film attempts to answer.
The only reason the film doesn't get a 10 is that during the middle part, there were some scenes that felt like fillers or that didn't kept me interested. Additionally, while the combination of humor and political commentary was done masterfully, I think that the film would have benefited even more from some more "serious" scenes, without any comedic interruptions. Nevertheless, the movie never lost its spark and until the last second, it had my undivided attention.
Good News is by far one of the best movies I've watched this year. I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did and I certainly did not expect it to handle so many important topics regarding politics. I couldn't recommend it enough, even if you're not a fan of this genre allow yourselves to give it a try. You will not forget it.
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The moon is still the moon
I saw some edits and started watching this movie just for the actor hong kyung as I liked his previous movie our summer. but that and this movie are so different so I didn't really think I'll like this film that much and went in to watch it without much expectations. I really didn't expect this film to be so good and I didn't think I'll like it so much that I re-watched it like three times already. This deserves to be known by a lot of people. Every actors and actresses did their job well the casting is really 10/10. The dark comedy and the political satire was so perfect I really don't have any words other than saying that this film was so good.The music really helped the execution of the humorous scenes. The tension between the characters and everything was good I think if you like dark humour or satire you'll like it so much.
After mantis, I really didn't have much expectation for this movie from the same director but unlike mantis there is plot here so yeah. Definitely worth it.
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Political satire - that's how it's done!
This was a well-written and well-acted movie. It's been a long time since I've watched a K-drama with the comedy tag that was actually laugh out loud funny. The storyline is very confusing, but that's to be expected with the multiple countries represented. I also like how they actually kept the factual details.The only reason I couldn't rate it higher was because of the language. The cursing was jarring and constant. If I was able to understand Korean better, if I'd watched it without subtitles, that would have been better. I would still know that the cursing was going on, but, since they talk so fast, it wouldn't have been an issue. Seeing it typed on the screen just took me out of the enjoyment of the movie. Seriously, has anyone ever watched something and said, "I wish there was MORE cursing." It's just unnecessary.
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Political Satire Done Right
Good News is a political satire of the true events that transpired during the Japan Airlines hijacking in 1970. It's an excellent mix of dark humor and melodrama, which I found to be absolutely hilarious and painfully moving at the same time. I found myself chuckling and laughing out loud at the funny quips and slapstick comedy quite a few times, and shaking my head in frustration at the universal absurdity of government politics. Damn, and I thought my country was a shithole like no other! Hahaha! But for a wannabe political analyst who thrives studying political science and watching political dramas, this was a fascinating watch! This certainly has the vibe, uniqueness, and boldness of Korean cinema of old.It stars some of the best and brightest of Korea and Japan, and I was as thrilled as I was surprised to see them share the screen together. I'm glad they actually cast well-known Japanese actors to play the Japanese roles instead of just hiring locals to play these parts. It certainly helped sell the story they were telling.
Of course, the standout to me was Hong Kyung. Who would've thought that the scrawny nerdy kid in Weak Hero would turn out to be a dashing multilingual soldier showing off his cowboy swagger, comedic timing, and dramatic acting chops with just a wave of his hand?! I won't be surprised if this is the role that finally gives him the chance to become a bonafide leading man.
I had a blast (pun intended) watching this. I would definitely want to watch it again one of these days. I'm so happy I stumbled upon this. I hope to see more movies like this from Korea in the future.
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Satirical comedy relevant to the times
I thoroughly enjoyed this satirical comedy and its take on the morally questionable use of media in achieving somewhat beneficial political outcomes (if you see the big picture). It explores how carefully scripted narratives are fed to the public, and how the public consumes and proliferates this manufactured reality such that it becomes truth and conviction.Wonderful comedic timing, well-written script (with dialogues in Korean, Japanese and English, so if you understand all 3 languages it makes this movie even more enjoyable as you are able to pick up the nuances), great acting and great cinematography. My 2 favourite moments were when the South Korean and North Korean air controllers had a stand-off and it switched between a cowboy scene and the control room, and the the poignant moment the South Korean controller received his 'reward'.
This was a good satirical movie relevant for the times where so often we are 'truths' that we can't confidently trust as truths, where madness blends into reality and where we ask ourselves if the truth is worth sacrificing for the greater good.
Recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good satire that tickles the funny bone and has an open view on politics.
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Came for my boy, Hong Kyung and got pleasantly surprised
I don't know the work of actor Sul Kyung-gu but his acting impressed me. I mean, as he said, the good news is that all passengers survived but what was going behind the scene, gosh, so nerve-racking. I empathized with my man, Hong Kyung and like the input from the director that hijackers were influenced by manga hero, nice touch! I am glad this was based on real events, the story, i mean cause, i felt it and almost imagined myself in that stressful situation. Political manipulation was really present here, as well as the truth that true heros will never get a medal, only big shots and, yes, i feel, small countries, in a way, always have to obey the bigger ones. I am glad that Japanese actors joined this movie and i applaud Korean actors who spoke Japanese really well. Actor who played KCIA also gave a wonderful performance, i really hated him. A really good and refreshing movie, in my opinion.Was this review helpful to you?
Expected a lot more honestly
I finished this movie a while ago actually but just completely forgot about it 😂😂 its so insignificant and it was quite honestly boring. It took me 3 days to finish it cause I kept pausing. Now call me whatever you want, but I’m usually not a big fan of media that over does its humor. It honestly felt like they were trying TOO hard to be funny and sarcastic… I get it was poking fun in politics yadda yadda whatever, it had almost the exact same style as Parasite but in this movie it just kinda bored me.Great actors though. The only reason I continued and was dedicated to finish it was for my boy Hongkyung… other than that… the movie was definitely a bleh fest. Its not that good, not bad either. I did expect it to be better with that type of cast though. But oh well!
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