Phantom Detective (2016)

February 23, 2021 11:22 AM

Hong Gil-dong is an infallible private detective with an exceptional memory and an odd personality. While chasing the only target he failed to find, his plan for revenge is complicated when two little girls attach themselves to him. An action/mystery film from South Korean writer-director Jo Sung-Hee (Space Sweepers).

Based on the Korean folk hero Hong Gil-dong (who is sometimes compared to Robin Hood or Ned Kelly, if that helps.)

Streaming in the US on Amazon Prime. 86% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

posted by DirtyOldTown (2 comments total)

The kids are adorable. Sung-Hee shows tremendous visual style. (Actually, I'd love to know whether the team that made the Netflix version of A Series of Unfortunate Events cribbed the trick he uses where exteriors are stylized to the point of nearly looking like illustrations.)

But the main actor is a dud. And the mix of noir and tough guy finds his heart comedy isn't quite right. It's not dark enough to be a great mystery/noir and it doesn't have quite the buoyancy and steady laughs to work as a comedy.

Don't get me wrong: I liked it. But Space Sweepers was a whole house crowd pleaser and the tween and spouse noped out of this one early and left me to finish alone.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:37 PM on February 23, 2021 [1 favorite]

Thanks for heads up about this DirtyOldTown. I'm currently binging the 2015 Jekyll and Hyde on Prime, which fairly silly. I'll hit this one up next!
posted by miss-lapin at 8:19 AM on February 24, 2021