Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

Bad Guy

Released Nov 11, 2001 1h 42m Drama Crime List
45% Tomatometer 31 Reviews 67% Audience Score 5,000+ Ratings A gangster (Cho Jae-hyun) meets a college student (Seo Won) who is desperate for money and forces her into prostitution. Read More Read Less
Bad Guy

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Lurid without enough evident deeper meaning to justify its prurient impulses, Bad Guy runs the gamut from confusing to simply off-putting.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View All (31) Critics Reviews
Hank Sartin Chicago Reader The audience is subjected to a series of emotional contortions, encouraged to experience them like a voyeur, and then scolded for doing so. Feb 8, 2010 Full Review Tim Cogshell Boxoffice Magazine It's difficult to watch and even more difficult to understand, but the intriguing material is generally well-crafted. Rated: 3/4 Apr 18, 2005 Full Review Peter Howell Toronto Star His fascination with allegory and symbols is evident here, too, but his narrative strays too far from the dreamlike towards the just plain dumbfounding. Rated: 2.5/4 Apr 15, 2005 Full Review Jason Gorber Film Scouts It's impossible to recommend this film to a general audience, but I would think that the bleery-eyed viewers like me who populate the fest at times like this would eat a film like this up. Rated: A- Jun 21, 2007 Full Review Prairie Miller Long Island Press After the experience of this down and dirty South Korean psychological thriller, park benches may never quite seem the same. Apr 25, 2007 Full Review Pablo Villaça Cinema em Cena Uma histria de amor absolutamente atpica que, depois de provocar uma estranheza inicial, acaba levando o espectador a mergulhar em sua lgica particular. Rated: 4/5 Apr 24, 2006 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (199) audience reviews
Sameir A We have seen all kinds of romantic films. But, when it comes to a Kim Ki-duk, all the concepts change. This film is strictly not for those who draws a line between villainism and heroism. In this film, it's really hard to tell, and the audience are given the liberty to choose the antagonist and protagonist. Absolutely brilliant movie, very well made. I am crazy about experimental films, especially those which goes against the normal conceptions. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/28/21 Full Review Audience Member My favorite Kim ki Duk film. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Audience Member The movie takes you through various journeys of love,seperation,torture,revenge,avenge.Although i myself might not vouch for this movie as Ki-Duk's best but still it creates that impression in viewer's mind that lasts long . Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member park benches may never quite seem the same again Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member the story's kinda ludicrous, no? who is that gullible?? this one makes your brain go into overdrive by slyly blurring the line between what is "right" and "wrong" and bringing you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. without giving it away, i preferred the unbelievable and twisted love ending to the alternative; even perversity loves in its own sweet way. personally don't like it as much as the other KKDs. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member A disturbing and complex look at class warfare and changing morals. A thuggish pimp enforcer entraps a college girl into prostitution after a scuffle, in order to lower her to his level. Even though she figures out he is the source of her imprisonment, she discovers she may love this man. Not everything is as it seems when it comes to a Kim Ki-duk film. People have two theories on the ending: Either she is a massive victim of Stockholm Syndrome, or both of them died and are together in spirit. Either way, its a very interesting look at the underbelly of the red light district, filled with all kinds of heinous acts and scumbags. This film is not for the average viewer, only people who are familiar with Kim Ki-Duk's work should view this. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Bad Guy

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

A Bittersweet Life 100% 90% A Bittersweet Life Heat 33% 27% Heat Bad Genres 9% 67% Bad Genres Fallen Angel 85% 61% Fallen Angel PTU 63% 80% PTU Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis A gangster (Cho Jae-hyun) meets a college student (Seo Won) who is desperate for money and forces her into prostitution.
Director
Kim Ki-duk
Producer
Lee Seung-jae
Screenwriter
Kim Ki-duk
Production Co
LJ FILM Light & Joy
Genre
Drama, Crime
Original Language
Korean
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 11, 2001, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 13, 2015
Runtime
1h 42m