Red Family

2013 [KOREAN]

Action / Drama

7
IMDb Rating 6.6/10 10 405 405

assassin spy neighbor neighbor relationship north korea inter-korean relations assassins

Plot summary

A growing friendship with their neighbors softens the resolve of a group of North Korean spies who are posing as an ordinary South Korean family.

Director

Ju-hyoung Lee Photo
Ju-hyoung Lee

Top cast

Byeong-ok Kim Photo
Byeong-ok Kim as Hardware store owner
Byung-ho Son Photo
Byung-ho Son
Woo Jung Photo
Woo Jung as (as Jung Woo)
Yun-sil Jang Photo
Yun-sil Jang as North Korean defector's mother
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
912.04 MB
1280*714
Korean 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 39 min
Seeds ...
1.83 GB
1920*1072
Korean 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 39 min
Seeds ...

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by mjtruog-588-503164

Unique film that deserves more attention

It is disappointing that this film hasn't yet found a larger audience and hopefully that can change in the future. The film itself helps to provide a very concrete microcosm for understanding Korean politics from the viewpoint of South Korea (where the film was made).The film was written by Ki-duk Kim, who is known mainly for the films he has written and directed. This particular film was written by Ki-duk Kim, done by his production company, but not directed by him, and it doesn't have the extreme absence of dialogue that he is known for (in films like 3-Iron, Pieta, Samaritan Girl). The film presents a situation with North Korean spies living in South Korea that is believable and meant to be as realistic as possible. However, the film doesn't focus on mindless action, like most North/South Korean conflict films have in the recent past (avoiding any mimic of James Bond scenarios). Instead Korean politics are mapped onto the behavior of two families to present complex problems with concrete situations that both families are unable to escape.The phrase to remember in this film is "In the end, all you have is family", which remains the main concept in this film. This concept attempts to tell us that Korea is one country and one people, divided by exterior political influence and manipulation that makes them puppets, despite being part of one family. The discord within the film occurs when the characters attempt to make their own decisions during the film's cycle of endless suffering and rebirth.It is a great film and may not be very accessible, but if you get a chance, definitely see it.
Reviewed by knavish_imp 7 / 10

An imperfect but worthwhile watch

The film has an interesting premise and features strong performances from the cast, but makes some odd choices that stretch credulity or are done for comedic effect. These mostly involve the abilities and choices made by the titular red family. At times they are more than competent and display amazing abilities and at others seem terribly inept at keeping their secret, speaking loudly and openly enough to ensure that anybody would suspect them.The juxtaposition of the two families in the film really works in its favor and the look at what it means to be a family is thoughtful and well done. The characters all begin as one dimensional but slowly reveal more complexity as the story unfolds. They are flawed, unhappy and conflicted. A tragic ending seems inevitable and maybe a bit predictable, but it remains an overall satisfying film worth checking out.
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