A deadly game of cat-and-mouse.
Korea in the late 1920s is under Japanese occupation. Lee Jung-chool (Song Kang-ho, Snowpiercer), a Korean-born police captain in the Japanese police force, is given a special mission to infiltrate the armed resistance fighting for Korean independence. He approaches Kim Woo-jin (Gong Yoo, Train to Busan), a leader of the resistance to obtain information to expose their activities to the Japanese authorities. Soon Lee begins to doubt his loyalties, and show sympathy for his countrymen.
A resistance plan to obtain explosives in Shanghai that will be used to destroy the Japanese Headquarters in Seoul is set in motion, with Lee caught in the middle. His Japanese bosses suspect his shift in allegiance, and Lee becomes a wanted man. A deadly cat-and-mouse game unfolds in which loyalty is tested and no-one can be trusted.
Critic Reviews:
- “It's a rich stew of a tale, with Korean resistance fighters, Hungarian revolutionaries, Japanese police officials and double agents. Running at 140 minutes, "The Age of Shadows” is worth every moment." – Minneapolis Star Tribune
- “Kim sometimes loses the rhythm of his spy thriller, but he's such a
confident filmmaker-and his leading man such a magnetic presence-that he quickly
gets its back.” –
RogerEbert.com
- “For this director, exposition can't hold a candle to elegantly staged shootouts. And who can blame him. He knows his strengths.” – New York Times