Cast Member: Lee Sung-Min

‘A Violent Prosecutor’ might not be winning awards for originality, but it certainly serves as a good use of two hours.

A superb romantic drama that should delight the aficionados and squeeze a few tears out of even the hardiest soul.

This particular hybrid is a healthy beast rather than a corrupted mutant and works surprisingly well as a police procedural thriller.

For two thirds of its running time, ‘The 8th Night’ is a satisfyingly low key supernatural thriller that explores themes of shamanism, redemption and even friendship as the two monks grapple with a dangerous evil.

It isn’t a noisy blockbuster with shrill bells and whistles; it is a smartly made drama with a dash of redemption, a healthy chunk of political history and a level of tension cranked up to the zenith.

The characters are realistic and have sympathetic worries to consider, the twists keep the viewer guessing throughout and it benefits from Kim Sang-ho at his very best.