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Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

Play trailer Poster for Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance R Released Mar 29, 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 ...the same dramatic visual style and cruel plot twists, but the mechanical retribution is even more boring... Jun 28, 2022 Full Review Scott Tobias The Dissolve There's a genuine sophistication, both technically and thematically, to what Park is doing in Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance. Rated: 3.5/5 Jul 22, 2014 Full Review Wesley Morris Boston Globe 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. Rated: 3/4 Oct 28, 2005 Full Review David Lamble Bay Area Reporter All three leads are deadpan perfect, especially Shin Ha-kyun... May 9, 2020 Full Review Donald J. Levit ReelTalk Movie Reviews The physicality of the violence in 'Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance' spirals beyond control. Nov 19, 2014 Full Review Felix Vasquez Jr. Cinema Crazed A disappointing, dull, and often tedious examination of different people seeking different forms of revenge... Apr 29, 2009 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Dani G 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' Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/25/25 Full Review Slick R 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??? Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/30/25 Full Review Audience Member Very sad movie. Life is really tragic for some people... Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/30/25 Full Review Kevin L 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 Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/05/25 Full Review Sams K Definitely a very good piece! A must watch. Maybe the best of the trilogy of vengeance. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/23/24 Full Review Prabudhjeet A Do watch only if your mentally strong. Treat this as a movie only. Although its Artist Park Chan Wok's craft. The cinematography is heavenly, sound design is good and again, the actors gave their 100 percent Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/19/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Park Chan-wook

Director

Song Kang-ho

Park Dong-jin

Bae Doo-na

Cha Yeong-mi

Han Bo-bae

Yu-sun

Kim Se-dong

Chief of Staff

Lee Dae-yeon

Choe

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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
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