The new South Korean film A Man of Reason concerns a hitman named Su-hyuk who’s served ten years in jail on behalf of his gang and who now wants to lead a normal life with the woman he left behind, who was pregnant with their daughter when he went in. But the gang he ran with has other ideas. They’re now “legitimate,” known as the Kaiser Corporation. The more he tries to get out, the more they pull him back in. Carnage ensues, and many are mowed down. Amidst crashing glass and screeching tires, there’s occasional talk about the nature of “normal” and whether Su-hyuk could ever return to it.
The title A Man of Reason is meant ironically; nothing in it resembles reason (its original title is Bohoja, Korean for “guardian.”) It’s an action film and has the punch of, say, the Bourne movies, with plenty of set pieces, the best making use of the Kaiser Corporation’s massive lobby and a speeding car. But often, we are unclear about who these people are, what they want, and in some cases, even who’s fighting whom.
Putting an original spin on this standard setup would seem advisable. A Man of Reason doesn’t extend itself that far. It relies on tropes and what another reviewer once coined as “Confuso-Vision”: intentionally obscuring to mask a lack of substance. The action is staged at night or in dark shadows. Everybody wears black and is of similar stature. Characters are defined by exactly one trait: one cackles like a hyena; another, who has an unnatural attachment to his rifle (the cleaning of the weapon’s barrel is made analogous to masturbation) has a catchphrase: “You should’ve called first.” The boss keeps on expressing how much fun this all is. The poor waif, Su-hyuk’s daughter In-bi, played well by young Ryu Jian, keeps apologizing and asking him, “Who are you?” And through it all, Su-hyuk gets to remain stoic, John Wick-style.
A Man of Reason is directed by Jung Woo-sung, who also stars and is familiar as an actor to South Korean audiences. This is his first stint behind the camera. There’s a market for this sort of thing, of course—all sensation, no logic—and if you’re inclined to see it you probably won’t be disappointed. But don’t expect more than that. A Man of Reason will not linger in the mind. It plays less like a film and more like a video game, one shootout after another.
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A Man of Reason. Directed by Jung Woo-sung. 2024. From Epic Pictures. In theaters and On Demand. 99 minutes.