The Age of Shadows

Name: The Age of Shadows
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Released: September 23, 2016
Duration: 140 min
Rating: 78

2016

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Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 30 Ratings

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6.9

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6.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 30 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

CJ Entertainment | Release Date: September 23, 2016 | Not Rated

Summary: The 1920s. Korea has fallen under Japanese rule. Lee Jung-chool (Song Kang-ho), a Korean police captain in the Japanese police force, is given a special mission to infiltrate the armed resistance fighting for Korean independence. He approaches Kim Woo-jin (Gong Yoo), a leader of the resistance. These two men who stand on opposite sides ofThe 1920s. Korea has fallen under Japanese rule. Lee Jung-chool (Song Kang-ho), a Korean police captain in the Japanese police force, is given a special mission to infiltrate the armed resistance fighting for Korean independence. He approaches Kim Woo-jin (Gong Yoo), a leader of the resistance. These two men who stand on opposite sides of their historical era, each knowing the identity and intentions of the other, become close without revealing their inner thoughts. Meanwhile intel is being leaked on both sides, and no one knows who the informants are. Members of the resistance meet in Shanghai to obtain explosives that will be used to destroy facilities of the Japanese Headquarters in Seoul, while the Japanese police follow them and gather in Shanghai. The pursued and the pursuers are locked in an operation where each side uses the other. Meanwhile, a train carrying explosives passes the border and heads towards Seoul. [CJ Entertainment]… Expand

Director: Ji-woon Kim

Genre(s): Action, Drama, Thriller

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 140 min

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Critic Reviews

The Playlist Jessica Kiang

Sep 13, 2016

The Age of Shadows has no pretensions to being a particularly deep or politically resonant piece of filmmaking. Its more that Kim Jee-woon has found in this era and this milieu the perfect inspiration for a blisteringly entertaining and exquisite genre exercise, one that may not be recognised as such only because we we have never expected genre films to be this good. Read full review

Jay Weissberg

Sep 12, 2016

If anything, the film is most indebted to classic cloak-and-dagger movies, in which sharp, richly succinct dialogue and plenty of atmosphere seem effortlessly carried along by the force of magnetic personalities. Read full review

Justin Chang

Sep 22, 2016

Nothing in this gratifyingly focused movie feels excessive or gratuitous, and a situation that repeatedly threatens to spiral out of control is dramatized with the utmost assurance. Read full review

John Bleasdale

Sep 12, 2016

The Age of Shadows is a bloody and breathtaking piece of filmmaking which confirms that Kim can do pretty much anything. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico

Sep 24, 2016

While Kim’s filmmaking is typically engaging, it’s really Song Kang-ho who carries the viewer’s interest. Read full review

The Film Stage Zhuo-Ning Su

Sep 12, 2016

How Kim and his formidable technical team compose, frame and edit what could have been the most ordinary of shootouts to instantly, violently communicate peril shows not just unmistakable filmmaking prowess but a delightful, connoisseuristic appreciation of the game. Read full review

IndieWire David Ehrlich

Sep 24, 2016

Kim Jee-woon will always gravitate towards the bleaker side of the things, but “The Age of Shadows” suggests that his stories might benefit from just a little bit more light. Read full review

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User Reviews

Deanomite

Feb 24, 2020

The director Kim Jee-Woon (I Saw the Devil is his best) and now famous cinematographer Kim Ji-yong (Parasite) produced very high production values in this period action movie. Performances, costumes and script are solid. It's a little long. fun fact, 1 in 5 South Koreans is named Kim. 1The director Kim Jee-Woon (I Saw the Devil is his best) and now famous cinematographer Kim Ji-yong (Parasite) produced very high production values in this period action movie. Performances, costumes and script are solid. It's a little long. fun fact, 1 in 5 South Koreans is named Kim. 1 in 5 named Lee and 1 in 10 named Park.… Expand

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DawdlingPoet

Nov 22, 2021

This is quite a gripping and tense watch, certainly not one for the particularly squeamish though, it has to be said. It doesn't appear especially violent (moreso than many other action films) in the first half of the film but there are torture related scenes in the 2nd half of it, which IThis is quite a gripping and tense watch, certainly not one for the particularly squeamish though, it has to be said. It doesn't appear especially violent (moreso than many other action films) in the first half of the film but there are torture related scenes in the 2nd half of it, which I found a bit hard to watch once or twice. Still, its a relatively atmospheric watch, with some good cinematography - I particularly liked the long scene set in a train, which adds a bit of a 'Murder on the Orient Express' feel to it. I thought the plot pace was good - at times its really quite fast paced and I was quite engrossed in it and at others it was more low key and I was left wondering when something might happen, what the next twist in the plot may be. As a spy film, its certainly good. There's a good use of music at times, not very often but when it does feature, it isn't over the top of distracting and the performances are decent too, so I'd recommend it.… Expand

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