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Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

Play trailer Poster for Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance R 2002 2h 9m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
53% Tomatometer 58 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Deaf-mute Ryu (Shin Ha-kyun) has just been fired from his job in a Seoul, South Korea, factory, and the timing couldn't be worse. His sister (Im Ji-eun) is suffering from kidney trouble, and she needs a transplant that Ryu himself can't provide. Ryu and his girlfriend (Bae Doona) then kidnap the daughter of wealthy tycoon Park (Song Kang-ho) to raise the money, but an unexpected disaster strikes, and Park launches a bloody quest for revenge that leaves many dead and puts Ryu's life in danger.
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Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

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Critics Consensus

Though Park directs with stylistic flair, this revenge thriller is more excessively gruesome than thrilling.

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Critics Reviews

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J. R. Jones Chicago Reader 06/28/2022
...the same dramatic visual style and cruel plot twists, but the mechanical retribution is even more boring... Go to Full Review
Scott Tobias The Dissolve 07/22/2014
3.5/5
There's a genuine sophistication, both technically and thematically, to what Park is doing in Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance. Go to Full Review
Wesley Morris Boston Globe 10/28/2005
3/4
Park prizes craftsmanship over bargain-bin schlock. It's an odd testament to his spiritedness that, despite the coldblooded killing and trail of the dead, Mr. Vengeance feels warmly suffused with life. Go to Full Review
David Lamble Bay Area Reporter 05/09/2020
All three leads are deadpan perfect, especially Shin Ha-kyun... Go to Full Review
Donald J. Levit ReelTalk Movie Reviews 11/19/2014
The physicality of the violence in 'Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance' spirals beyond control. Go to Full Review
Felix Vasquez Jr. Cinema Crazed 04/29/2009
A disappointing, dull, and often tedious examination of different people seeking different forms of revenge... Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Christian M Dec 9 Stranger feelings. 'Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance' is a divisive film. Park Chan-wook delivers a bold, striking visual style, but it didn’t fully captivate me despite its careful composition. The pacing feels slow and long, requiring patience. The story meticulously explores morality, human struggles, conflicting interests, and vengeance. While solid, it can be exhausting and depends on the viewer’s engagement to feel impactful. Its strength lies in conveying drama and empathy: the performances let you feel each character’s motivations and dilemmas, subtly guiding the viewer to question who is "good" or "bad." Despite this, the film leaves me largely indifferent. It’s cold, meticulous, and enjoyable only in moderation. Honestly, it gives little hope for the next installment: Oldboy. See more Dani G Aug 25 I remember it was more violent, based on the first time I watched it many years back. It is, but it feels more like a rehearsal for the filmmaker's masterpiece... Of course I'm referring to 'Oldboy' See more Slick R @SlickReviewer Jun 30 TBH it was kinda boring for me. Good original story but not as good as other classics. What is the deal with Koreans and slicing each other's Achilles tendons??? See more Rehan May 5 Very sad movie. Life is really tragic for some people... See more Kevin L @Lakeman Feb 5 A mixed bag for me. There are clearly some of the characteristics of Park Chan Wook's style here- the cold, distanced tone; the dark, underlining nature that human beings carry in them in desperate times; and the depth of emotion his images and actions can stir within us. It's harsh, ugly business. Things whirl out of everyone’s control as both male protagonists lose humanity in each becoming a sort of Mr. Vengeance. There's Park, who kills for understandable reasons in spite of his basic decency, and Ryu who kills for more understandable reasons but loses what empathy we may have had. The physical extremes of the violence, too, are out of control: drownings, a mentally defective spastic; knifings; drugs; aluminum bat bashings, first perfected on a batting range, electric torture, autopsies, cremation, loosened bladders. Not one you're likely to want to sit through again. The first part of the director's revenge trilogy, it may linger in your head well after the end credits. 2.8 stars See more Samuele 08/22/2024 Definitely a very good piece! A must watch. Maybe the best of the trilogy of vengeance. See more Read all reviews
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

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Movie Info

Synopsis Deaf-mute Ryu (Shin Ha-kyun) has just been fired from his job in a Seoul, South Korea, factory, and the timing couldn't be worse. His sister (Im Ji-eun) is suffering from kidney trouble, and she needs a transplant that Ryu himself can't provide. Ryu and his girlfriend (Bae Doona) then kidnap the daughter of wealthy tycoon Park (Song Kang-ho) to raise the money, but an unexpected disaster strikes, and Park launches a bloody quest for revenge that leaves many dead and puts Ryu's life in danger.
Director
Park Chan-wook
Producer
Lee Jae-seon, Im Jingyu
Screenwriter
Lee Jae-seon, Mu-yeong Lee
Distributor
Tartan Films USA
Production Co
Studio Box
Rating
R (Strong Gruesome Violence|Language|Drug Use|Strong Sexuality)
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
Korean
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 29, 2002, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Aug 19, 2005
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 16, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA)
$45.2K
Runtime
2h 9m
Sound Mix
Surround