At The Movies: A hapless man finds himself in the middle of a violent struggle in The Childe
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South Korean thriller The Childe stars Kang Tae-joo (left) as Marco, a boxer who is pursued by a psychopathic killer played by Kim Seon-ho (right).
PHOTO: GOLDEN VILLAGE
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The Childe (NC16)
118 minutes, now showing
3 stars
The story: In the Philippines, Marco (Kang Tae-joo) lives in poverty, caring for his desperately ill Filipina mother. He has never met his delinquent father, a South Korean. When his father’s representatives appear one day, expressing his wish for a reunion and to care for both of them, Marco is elated. A mysterious dapper man (Kim Seon-ho) shows up, wishing Marco harm, proving that there is more to this family gathering than meets the eye.
South Korean writer-director Park Hoon-jung co-wrote I Saw The Devil (2010), one of the best crime thrillers of the past few decades, in any language.
This new work bears some similarities in its tone and structure. There is, for instance, the relentless cat-and-mouse game at the heart of the story. There is also the sour gaze it casts on South Korean society, especially on its wealthy ruling class, whose members get away with literal murder.
But the resemblance mostly lies in the comic-book style of the storytelling.
For example, Kim’s psychopathic assassin nicknamed the Nobleman frets over his sharply tailored three-piece suit and swanky car. He combines the vanity of murderer Patrick Bateman from American Psycho (2000) with the superhuman qualities of the unkillable killer from any number of action franchises.
The comic-book feel carries on in the action, which tends towards intimate violence rather than massive shoot-outs or elaborate car chases.
It is bloody – take note of the NC16 rating – but the scenes are efficient. This is a story overflowing with deranged murderers, so expect hard interrogations, point-blank executions and a high body count.
Marco, the victim at the centre of the contest between hired killers (he is the “childe” and heir of the title), makes hilariously poor choices when trying to escape.
Plot convenience does not begin to describe the way he returns to the clutches of the villains, only for the door to spring open for another run at freedom. Growing up on the mean streets of the city, presumed to be Manila, has given the lad zero smarts.
Park clearly wants the Nobleman to be the driving force of the story, but he surely could have done so without making Marco such a sainted idiot.
Hot take: This stylish South Korean thriller packed with comic book-style action is saddled with a weak protagonist, but makes up for it with an interesting villain.
