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The Chaser (Korean: 추격자) is a 2008 South Korean action thriller film[2][3] starring Kim Yoon-seok and Ha Jung-woo. It was directed by Na Hong-jin in his directorial debut.[4] Inspired by real-life Korean serial killer Yoo Young-chul, certain scenes were shot on location around Mangwon-dong in the Mapo District, Seoul.
| The Chaser | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Hangul | 추격자 |
| Hanja | 追擊者 |
| Revised Romanization | Chugyeokja |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ch'ugyŏkcha |
| Directed by | Na Hong-jin |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Lee Sung-jae |
| Edited by | Kim Sun-min |
| Music by |
|
Production companies | Big House Finecut |
| Distributed by | Showbox |
Release date |
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Running time | 124 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Budget | $2.6 million |
| Box office | US$35.8 million[1] |
Labeling it a "thrilling and inventive action movie", American entertainment publication Collider has considered it one of the most disturbing South Korean films of all time.[5]
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Joong-ho is a dishonest pimp and former police detective who is in financial trouble because two of his prostitutes have gone missing. One night, he commands Mi-jin to service a customer, despite her protests over her sickness. Joong-ho then realizes this customer was the last to see his missing girls. Believing that this customer is trafficking his women, Joong-ho nevertheless sends Mi-jin in so that she can forward the customer's address to him. Joong-ho contacts his old police task force for help, but they cannot assist because the mayor of Seoul, whom they were guarding, has been attacked with feces; this results in the police suffering a media firestorm.
The customer, Yeong-min, takes Mi-jin back to the house but Mi-jin fails to contact Joong-ho due to the bathroom having no cell service. Yeong-min binds Mi-jin, but her struggles prevent her murder with a chisel, so Yeong-min hits her with a hammer, knocking her out. Just then, an elderly couple from the local church arrives, inquiring about the real house owner, Mr. Park; they recognize his dog. Yeong-min then invites the elderly couple in and murders them.
Joong-ho, only aware of the customer's district, searches. Yeong-min tries to ditch the couple's car, but collides with Joong-ho's car. Joong-ho's suspicions are aroused as Yeong-min has blood on his shirt and refuses to give his phone number. Joong-ho calls the customer's number and Yeong-min's phone rings. Yeong-min flees but is caught and beaten by Joong-ho. Both men are arrested by a local cop. At the station, Yeong-min casually admits that he committed nine murders. Competing police divisions argue over who will investigate the high-profile unsolved murders in the area.
Despite the confession, the police have no physical evidence so they cannot detain Yeong-min for long. Yeong-min reveals Mi-jin is alive, but the police doubt it. Joong-ho goes to Mi-jin's apartment to collect DNA samples, and from there he takes Mi-jin's daughter Eun-ji with him while he follows up a lead in Yeong-min's hometown. Joong-ho learns that Yeong-min was jailed for three years for lobotomizing his nephew. Another prostitute informs Joong-ho that Yeong-min is impotent. When Yeong-min is questioned about his impotency being part of his motive, he attacks the interrogator. Joong-ho's assistant finds a room where Yeong-min had once lived; Joong-ho discovers religious drawings on the room's walls. Eun-ji wanders off while following a woman who looks like her mother, then meets with an accident and is brought to a hospital by Joong-ho.
Yeong-min provides a false lead after being again beaten by Joong-ho. The prosecutor discovers Yeong-min's injuries and demands Yeong-min's release, refusing to wait for DNA test results. Saying that Yeong-min's arrest will be seen as the police's attempt to save face, the prosecutor demands Joong-ho's arrest for injuring Yeong-min. Joong-ho is handcuffed and attacks his former teammates to escape; one of them frees him.
Meanwhile, Mi-jin frees herself and escapes from the house. Badly injured, she finds help at a nearby corner shop, and hides in the back. The police are informed, but the nearest officers are fast asleep. Yeong-min stops at the same shop to buy cigarettes. Not knowing Yeong-min is the attacker himself, the shopkeeper tells him about Mi-jin's story, asking him to stay to protect them from the attacker while they await the police. Yeong-min uses the shopkeeper's hammer to murder both her and Mi-jin. Alerted by police sirens, Joong-ho arrives finding the police have cordoned off the bloody shop. Yeong-min escapes off-camera back to Mr. Park's house, where he stores Mi-jin's severed head and hands in a fish tank. Yeong-min buries the elderly couple and kills Mr. Park's dog.
The humiliated police throw everything into the search for Yeong-min, while the story is leaked to the public. A distraught Joong-ho follows a lead to the local church, and then notices that a church statue matches the drawings he had seen in Yeong-min's old room. As Mr. Park was the sculptor and Yeong-min his "assistant", the deacon points Joong-ho to Mr. Park's house.
Joong-ho enters the residence, interrupting Yeong-min's departure. They fight, with Joong-ho ultimately getting the upper hand, but the police arrive and restrain Joong-ho from killing Yeong-min. Yeong-Min is taken away while the police excavate the yard, finding several bodies.
The film ends with Joong-ho sitting silently by Eun-ji in her hospital room, holding her hand.
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- Kim Yoon-seok as Eom Joong-ho, a dishonest pimp and former police detective
- Ha Jung-woo as Ji Yeong-min, a serial killer
- Seo Young-hee as Kim Mi-jin, a prostitute
- Park Hyo-joo as Detective Oh Eun-shil
- Jung In-gi as Detective Lee Gil-woo
- Kim Yoo-jung as Eun-ji, Mi-jin's daughter
- Koo Bon-woong as Oh-jot, Eom Joong-ho's assistant
- Kim Sun-young as Ji-yeong
- Choi Jung-woo as Flag bearer
- Min Kyeong-jin as Captain
- Oh Yeon-ah as Sung-hee
- Jeong Gi-seop as Public prosecutor
- Yeo Mu-yeong as Commissioner of police
- Jung Doo-kyum as Mayor
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Box office
The Chaser was released in South Korea on February 14, 2008.[6] On its opening weekend it grossed US$3,914,847 and was ranked second at the box office, behind American film Jumper.[7] It then topped the box office for three consecutive weekends,[8][9][10] and as of June 1, 2008, had grossed a total of US$35,760,133.[1] The Chaser received a total of 5,120,630 admissions nationwide, which made it the third most popular film in South Korea in 2008, after The Good, the Bad, the Weird and Scandal Makers.[6]
Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, The Chaser holds an approval rating of 80%, based on 30 reviews, and an average rating of 6.7/10. Its consensus reads, "A frantic and taut Korean serial killer thriller. One classy, if bloody and messy, gut wrencher of a movie."[11] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally positive reviews".[12]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 61st Cannes Film Festival | Caméra d'Or | Na Hong-jin | Nominated | |
| 44th Baeksang Arts Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | The Chaser | Won | ||
| Best Film | Nominated | ||||
| Best Director | Na Hong-jin | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Kim Yoon-seok | Nominated | |||
| Ha Jung-woo | Nominated | ||||
| Best New Director | Na Hong-jin | Won | |||
| Best Screenplay | Na Hong-jin and Shinho Lee | Nominated | |||
| 16th Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Actor | Kim Yoon-seok | Won | ||
| Ha Jung-woo | Won | ||||
| Best New Director | Na Hong-jin | Won | |||
| Best Screenplay | Na Hong-jin and Shinho Lee | Won | |||
| Technical Award | Choi Tae-young | Won | |||
| 9th Busan Film Critics Awards | Best Actor | Kim Yoon-seok | Won | ||
| Best Screenplay | Na Hong-jin and Shinho Lee | Won | |||
| 17th Buil Film Awards | Best Film | The Chaser | Nominated | [13] | |
| Best Director | Na Hong-jin | Won | |||
| Best Actor | Kim Yoon-seok | Won | |||
| Ha Jung-woo | Nominated | ||||
| Best New Director | Na Hong-jin | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||||
| Buil Readers' Jury Award | The Chaser | Won | |||
| Best Editing | Kim Sun-min | Won | |||
| Best Cinematography | Lee Sung-jae | Nominated | |||
| Best Lighting | Lee Cheol-oh | Nominated | |||
| 45th Grand Bell Awards | Best Film | The Chaser | Won | [14] | |
| Best Director | Na Hong-jin | Won | |||
| Best Actor | Kim Yoon-seok | Won | |||
| Ha Jung-woo | Nominated | ||||
| Best Supporting Actress | Seo Young-hee | Nominated | |||
| Best New Director | Na Hong-jin | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||||
| Best Editing | Kim Sun-min | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Lee Sung-jae | Won | |||
| Best Planning | Kim Su-jin, Yun In-beom | Won | |||
| Best Sound | Kim Sin-yong | Nominated | |||
| 29th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Film | The Chaser | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor | Kim Yoon-seok | Won | |||
| Ha Jung-woo | Nominated | ||||
| Best Supporting Actress | Seo Young-hee | Nominated | |||
| Best New Director | Na Hong-jin | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Na Hong-jin and Shinho Lee | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Lee Sung-jae | Nominated | |||
| Best Music | Kim Jun-seok, Choi Yong-rak | Nominated | |||
| Technical Award | Kim Sun-min (Editing) | Nominated | |||
| 7th Korean Film Awards | Best Film | The Chaser | Won | ||
| Best Actor | Kim Yoon-seok | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Seo Young-hee | Nominated | |||
| Best Director | Na Hong-jin | Won | |||
| Best New Director | Won | ||||
| Best Screenplay | Na Hong-jin and Shinho Lee | Won | |||
| Best Editing | Kim Sun-min | Won | |||
| Best Cinematography | Lee Sung-jae | Nominated | |||
| Best Music | Kim Jun-seok, Choi Yong-rak | Nominated | |||
| University Film Festival of Korea | Best Actor | Kim Yoon-seok | Won | ||
| 11th Director's Cut Awards | Ha Jung-woo | Won | |||
| Best New Director | Na Hong-jin | Won | |||
| Cine 21 Awards | Best Actor | Ha Jung-woo | Won | ||
| Best New Director | Na Hong-jin | Won | |||
| Best Screenplay | Na Hong-jin and Shinho Lee | Won | |||
| 2nd Asia Pacific Screen Awards | Best Actor | Kim Yoon-seok | Nominated | ||
| 12th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival | Best of Puchon | The Chaser | Won | ||
| Best Actress | Seo Young-hee | Won | |||
| EFFFF Asian Award | The Chaser | Won | |||
| 2009 | 3rd Asian Film Awards | Best Actor | Ha Jung-woo | Nominated | |
| Best Screenplay | Na Hong-jin and Shinho Lee | Nominated | |||
| Best Editing | Kim Sun-min | Won | |||
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In March 2008, the remake rights to The Chaser were bought by Warner Bros. for US$1 million. William Monahan was in early discussions to write the script, with Leonardo DiCaprio named as a potential star; no deals have been set. Monahan and DiCaprio were both involved in Martin Scorsese's The Departed, a successful remake of the classic Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs .[15] Murder 2, a 2011 Indian Bollywood psychological thriller film, is an unofficial remake of The Chaser.[16]
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