[HanCinema's Review] "Thunderbird"

Winner of the Watcha's Pick for Features and Best Actor for Seo Hyun-woo at this year's BIFAN, "Thunderbird" is a rather interesting crime thriller, as it implements a different approach than what is usually the case in the genre.

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The story takes place in the small town of Jeongseon in the mountains of Gangwon Province, not far from Gangneung, a setting which is portrayed as one where people are split into two categories, the ones who owe money and the ones who are owned. Tae-min is definitely in the first category, as he has just been abducted and drugged by two debt collectors, who pawn his car to get some of the money he owes back. However, Tae-min has also stashed 50 million won in the trunk of the car, unbeknownst to them, and is now desperate to get it back. In order to raise money to do so, he calls his taxi driver brother Tae-gyn, who dreams of escaping Jeongseon and moving to Seoul, the city where he got his degree, but also owes money to some people. A bit later, Tae-min's girlfriend, Mi-young, a swindler who used to be a drug trafficker also joins them in their effort to raise money. As the night proceeds, though, a number of their plans do not go as planned, the relationship of the three changes drastically, and the differences of the two brothers prove to be on a whole other level than what they seemed in the beginning.

Lee Jae-won-V directs a crime thriller that unfolds as a road movie that takes place during one night for the most part, with the many events and people presented inducing the film with an episodic essence, which serves, though, as a way of analyzing the two brothers as thoroughly as possible. The unusual combination works quite well for the most part, especially due to the " trick " of changing protagonists half-way, which essentially functions as a twist in the story. As such, the story begins with Tae-min being the intensely problematic one, a young man with a rather short-temper, constantly lying, always eager to exploit everyone around him including his brother and his girlfriend, who realizes what is happening but seems too attached to him to let go. As it progresses though, and particularly after the old lady of the pawn shop becomes a factor in the story, it is revealed that the timid, coward-like Tae-gyun is quite different than anyone thought he was, with the pressure he feels letting out a self that very few knew existed.

The path of the three, and the transformation Tae-gyun exhibits is actually the most captivating aspect of the movie, also benefiting the most by the excellent acting of Lee Myeong-ro as Tae-min, Lee Seol as Mi-young, Park Seung-tae as the catalytic pawn-shop owner, but most of all, Seo Hyun-woo as Tae-gyun, who gives a truly astonishing performance throughout the movie. Particularly the dancing scene and his last gaze, will definitely stay in the mind of the viewer.

Furthermore, Lee presents a number of comments here, focusing on the ways violence begins and never actually stops, the consequences of gambling and swindling, and of human nature mostly revolving around greed and the fact that "you cannot really know anyone, including yourself".

The combination of realism and crime movie is also presented through Jeong Grim's cinematography, who paints a truly bleak setting, in a style that could be described as neo-noir. His night scenes, the violent ones, and the last ones are where his work finds its apogee. Lee's own editing results in a pace that is fast, but actually slower than what is used in crime thrillers, in an approach that works very well for the narrative, also because at 97 minutes, the movie does not overextend its welcome. The only issue in that regard is that some episodes could have been omitted, and the transformation could have happened a bit earlier, although not to a point that faults the movie significantly.

"Thunderbird" is a very interesting film, particularly rewarding simply because it manages to stray away from the norms of the crime thriller and for Seo Hyun-woo's acting.

Review by Panos Kotzathanasis

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"Thunderbird" is directed by Lee Jae-won-V, and features Seo Hyun-woo, Lee Myeong-ro, Lee Seol, Park Seung-tae, Kim Kyu-baek. Release date in Korea: 2022/09.