Joint Security Area

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Joint Security Area

Released Sep 9, 2000

1h 47m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Action

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Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

25 Reviews

89%

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5,000+ Ratings

Two North Korean soldiers are killed in the border area between North and South Korea, prompting an investigation by a neutral body. Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeok (Lee Byung-hun) is the shooter, but lead investigator Maj. Sophie E. Jean (Lee Young-ae), a Swiss-Korean woman, receives differing accounts from the two sides. Lee claims he fired in self-defense after getting wounded, while a North Korean survivor says it was a premeditated attack -- leaving Jean with her work cut out for her.

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Anton Bitel

Little White Lies

a DMZ-set Rashomon, as vying narratives conceal a truth that nobody wants either to tell or to hear.

Jan 18, 2021

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V.A. Musetto

New York Post

I can't be as enthusiastic.

Rated: 2/4

Jun 15, 2005

Full Review

A.O. Scott

New York Times

Park Chan-Wook's Joint Security Area is a fairly straightforward whodunit with a pointedly political theme and an unapologetically humanist message.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jun 15, 2005

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

... the impassioned naiveté of this brothers-across-the-border drama may be [director Park's] most sincere and resonant work.

Oct 6, 2024

Full Review

Michelle Kisner

The Movie Sleuth

Joint Security Area gets less attention than Park's other more bombastic films, but its quiet contemplative core cements it as one of his most emotional works.

Mar 25, 2021

Full Review

Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

Though JSA is before the Vengeance trilogy or The Handmaiden (2016), it bears all the hallmarks of a Park picture: mystery, deception, and a glimpse at the complex nature of relationships.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 25, 2021

Full Review

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Dick C

It's a well planned scripts with everlasting conflicts...

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/01/24

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Steve C

The movie posters make the film appear more serious than it actually is. Something is missing or off about the film.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/29/24

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Online A

Sensationally powerful without being sappy. Nearly a masterpiece. One of the most important movies I've seen. A promotion of humanity.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/31/24

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John S

A thrilling, gut punch of a movie. Showing the true senselessness of war, the strength of friendship, sacrifice in the face of evil, the true enormity of loss. The moral: though we have our differences, there is more that we share in common.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/04/23

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Ellie B

Really great parts but the ending was slightly underwhelming

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/23/23

Full Review

Joey c

As eastern Asian my self, some pain like that could only be resonated between eastern Asians. I really admire Korean people could tell a story about North Korea but not smear them. That's is a good thing for not having censorship. I'm Chinese, that's why I know China could never make this kind of great movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/25/23

Full Review

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Park Chan-wook

Director

Lee Young-ae

Maj. Sophie E. Jean

Song Kang-ho

Sgt. Oh Kyeong-pil

Kim Tae-woo

Nam Sung-shik

Shin Ha-kyun

Jeong Woo-jin

Lee Byung-hun

Actor

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Synopsis

Two North Korean soldiers are killed in the border area between North and South Korea, prompting an investigation by a neutral body. Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeok (Lee Byung-hun) is the shooter, but lead investigator Maj. Sophie E. Jean (Lee Young-ae), a Swiss-Korean woman, receives differing accounts from the two sides. Lee claims he fired in self-defense after getting wounded, while a North Korean survivor says it was a premeditated attack -- leaving Jean with her work cut out for her.

Director: Park Chan-wook
Producer: Eun Soo Lee, Park Myeong-Chan
Screenwriter: Park Chan-wook, Sung-san Jung, Hyun-seok Kim, Mu-yeong Lee
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: TMS Comics, Myung Film Company Ltd., Intz.com, Myung Films, KTB Network, CJ Entertainment, Stone Comics Entertainment, CJ E&M Film Financing & Investment Entertainment & Comics
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller, Action
Original Language: Korean
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 9, 2000, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 15, 2014
Runtime: 1h 47m

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