The Man from Nowhere (2010)

I’ve watched a lot of movies in my time, from the classics to what we have now. And some of the best ones I’ve seen have been international films. This would include the films of Akira Kurosawa, Pan’s Labyrinth, Life is Beautiful, and so many others. But lately, I’ve taken an interest in Korean cinema. I haven’t seen that many but I’ve been amazed with what I have seen like Train to Busan, Oldboy, and Parasite. Now I get to include The Man from Nowhere and I must say, I was not disappointed. I love a movie with epic action sequences and this one knew how to deliver that. It’s easy to see how this movie was an inspiration for films that came out afterwards. I understand how subtitles aren’t for everyone and it can be hard to keep up with them but for someone like me, I wouldn’t consider that a problem. Especially since I pay attention to almost every detail a movie has to show, even the useless ones. Normally, I’d consider that a curse but I feel like that helped a lot here. I look forward to discussing this movie further so let’s get to it.

     The movie is about a reclusive pawnshop owner with a tragic past named Cha Tae-sik (Won Bin), who forms a bond with a young girl, So-mi (Kim Sae-ron). Unfortunately, I know a thing or two about the word reclusive, but let’s get back to the story. When So-mi and her drug-addicted mother are kidnapped by a criminal gang involved in drugs and organ trafficking, Tae-sik is drawn out of his isolation to rescue her. I feel like I can’t say anymore without spoiling the story so I’ll just leave it at that. One thing that I’ve come to realize about international action films is that they have some of the best action sequences to date and this movie definitely had some of them. I thought there was some pretty stellar acting as well, especially from Won Bin and Kim Sae-ron. Usually kid actors can be hit-or-miss, but Kim Sae-ron turned in a great performance. From what I’ve heard about Won Bin, he retired from acting after this movie but I’d say that he went out on a very high note because in my opinion he gave one of the best performances I’ve ever seen in an action film. It’s very rare for me when an action movie also manages to pull at my heartstrings and make me shed a tear but this movie totally found a way to make that possible. I thought the plot was a little basic but that didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed this movie. Although it could be brutal and hard to watch at times, I still found myself invested in these characters and their journey. Another thing that makes an action movie great are its villains and this movie knew how to use them too. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen villains I could hate more than anything but this movie just kept surprising me. Having said all that, this was an action movie done right.

     Due to this movie’s brutality and uncomfortable moments, I’m not sure I could see myself watching it a second time. That and also I don’t want to be reminded of what it feels like to be isolated, but that doesn’t change the fact that I still enjoyed it and it kept me engaged the whole time. Again, I thought the plot was a little basic at times but that didn’t take away from what I’ve experienced. Overall, I give this movie a 9 out of 10. If you’re fan of international films, action, or at the very least if you can handle subtitles, then this movie will definitely be for you.