The Fatal Encounter

2014

2h 15m

Action

Drama

List

60%

Tomatometer

5 Reviews

78%

Audience Score

100+ Ratings

It's been a year since King Jeongjo ascended to the throne, but he has already received constant assassination threats. Queen Jeongsun and people from the Noron plot to assassinate Jeongjo. Meanwhile, Eul-soo is asked to assassinate the king.

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Martin Tsai

Los Angeles Times

Veteran television director Lee Jae-kyoo balances the most engrossing aspects of the South Korean telenovela with grandiloquent Hong Kong-influenced fight scenes.

Dec 23, 2014

Full Review

Andy Webster

New York Times

For all its spectacle, "The Fatal Encounter" is wanting for profundity.

May 22, 2014

Full Review

Avi Offer

NYC Movie Guru

Moderately captivating, complex and sophisticated with exquisite production values, but too much exposition diminishes the dramatic momentum.

Rated: 6.98/10

May 24, 2014

Full Review

Michael Nordine

L.A. Weekly

Trying to find where the line is drawn between those we might consider right and wrong proves more compelling than the bevy of swordfights meant to solve their problems once and for all.

May 23, 2014

Full Review

David Noh

Film Journal International

Lavish, long and impressive, but this epic torn from the pages of Korean history would have benefited from a more straightforward expositional style.

May 22, 2014

Full Review

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Audience Member

4/5 Ratings for The Fatal Encounter F :60% R :40% Drama 25% Action 50% Adventure 25%

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Historical/Political Court drama- my favorite genre! Besides those over-detailed flashback + sub-plotlines, a rather fair piece on the whole.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Director Lee Jae-Kyoo's Korean epic boasts a significantly talented cast and a great deal of historical sociopolitical commentary that, while not entirely accurate, speaks volumes about 18th century Korean culture. The direction and cinematography are phenomenal and the production design top notch. It's a bit melodramatic at times and the story gets muddled in needless details, but theres not too much to dislike here. I'd definitely recommend this film to anyone who enjoys war films.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Disappointing. Predictable and flat. My expectations were too high because Hyun Bin is the main character.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I highly recommend this movie. It is one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Assassins, poison, and political intrigue litter this period piece thriller. A young king is trying to fit in with his new kingdom, but he has many enemies who would like to see him die. The character development for the assassins is a little on the excessive side, but the final battle is so cinematic it hurts. I also enjoyed the Grand Empress, how she was physically beautiful on the outside but duplicitous on the inside.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

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Lee Jae-gyu

Director

Hyun-bin

King Jeongjo

Jung Jae-young

Gap-soo

Jo Jung-suk

Assassin Eul-Soo

Jung Eun-chae

Kang Wol-hye

Park Sung-woong

Hong Gook-yeong

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Synopsis

It's been a year since King Jeongjo ascended to the throne, but he has already received constant assassination threats. Queen Jeongsun and people from the Noron plot to assassinate Jeongjo. Meanwhile, Eul-soo is asked to assassinate the king.

Director: Lee Jae-gyu
Screenwriter: Choi Sung-hyeon
Production Co: Good Choice Cut Pictures
Genre: Action, Drama
Original Language: Korean
Runtime: 2h 15m