Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

The Villagers

Play trailer Poster for The Villagers 2018 1h 40m Mystery & Thriller Action Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
Tomatometer 1 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Ki-chul (Don LEE) is sent to a high school in the country as its new gym teacher and has a hard time adjusting to his new environment and feels that there's something definitely wrong about the town and its people. Yu-jin (KIM Sae-ron) is a high school student whose best friend disappeared without a trace. Everyone believes she ran away from home but Yu-jin is the only one who thinks she's been kidnapped. With the help of Ki-chul, she sets out a dangerous path to uncover the truth....

Critics Reviews

View More (1)
Min-sik Yoon Korea Herald Overall, The Villagers is a well-acted, passably directed action flick with heart, but not one with much of a twist or thrill. Jan 10, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More (2)
Marc Z Ma Dong-seok, aka Don Lee, stars in this Korean action thriller about an ex-boxing Coach who takes a teaching job after his temper gets him in trouble in boxing world politics.  He discovers that teaching at an affluent all girls school is, perhaps, harder than being a professional fighter.    To compound matters, a young student goes missing and his pursuit of her disappearance takes him to some dark places. Don Lee is a film sensation.   He has starred in some of the best films in the world, including Train to Busan, The Gangster,  The Cop & The Devil, and The Round Up series.  His mix of machismo and humor make him a formidable screen presence.   He is very good in this film.   His ability to transform his character from a "fish out of water" to a paternalistic hero is one he plays very believably. Kim Sae-ron's performance as a frustrated and untrusting student in search of her missing friend is very compelling.  She plays the role effectively, with subtlety. The two main leads go from adversaries to partners on a single quest and this is the heart of the film.   It offers the humanity in this thriller. The plot and Direction are very good and they embody some of the key elements of Korea's film success.   Those elements are strong characters, a good plot, and fluid lines between the good guys and bad guys that keep you guessing,  at times who can be trusted.   The action and fight scenes are good.   No one handles "one v. multiple attackers" better than Don Lee.  His believable conquest of mere mortals is always fun to marvel at. This film's fights are no exception The film is a worthwhile and I recommend it.     Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/12/25 Full Review Sarfaraz A This South Korean criminal thriller is also known as Neighborhood, and The Villagers. Lim Jin-sun is the film's director. Starring Ma Dong-seok and Kim Sae-ron (who died earlier in February 2025, in her final film). The film is about Gi-cheol (Ma Dong-seok), an ex-boxing champion who gets fired after an argument with colleagues and is now working in a remote small town as a dean collecting late fees at a girls' school. Upon approaching the town, he discovers posters about a missing schoolgirl. Gi-cheol encounters a young schoolgirl Kang (Kim Sae-ron), who has been distributing leaflets about the same missing girl, who was her friend. Gi-cheol gradually realizes that something is wrong when he attempts to inquire about the missing girl's report, which has yet to be reported or authorized. Gi-cheol and Kang form a partnership to investigate the crime on their own, and they face the wrath of those who attempt to conceal the truth. The film has a solid story and has some of the dark criminal elements. Ma Dong-seok and Kim Sae-ron give good performances. The mystery is likewise well-kept, and there is no gun violence aside from hand-to-hand fight. Kim Sae-ron seemed like a talented young actor, and it's unfortunate that she died so young. The media's pressure and a crazed public that despises people they cannot be by constantly targeting them undoubtedly contributed to her death. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/10/25 Full Review Read all reviews
The Villagers

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Movie Info

Synopsis Ki-chul (Don LEE) is sent to a high school in the country as its new gym teacher and has a hard time adjusting to his new environment and feels that there's something definitely wrong about the town and its people. Yu-jin (KIM Sae-ron) is a high school student whose best friend disappeared without a trace. Everyone believes she ran away from home but Yu-jin is the only one who thinks she's been kidnapped. With the help of Ki-chul, she sets out a dangerous path to uncover the truth....
Director
Lim Jin-soon
Screenwriter
Lim Jin-soon
Distributor
Well Go USA Entertainment
Production Co
DayDream
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Action
Original Language
Korean
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 7, 2025
Runtime
1h 40m