After waking up from a car crash unable to remember anything about his life, a man begins regaining consciousness in a new body every 12 hours. Now, he must piece together his identity, all while evading attacks from pursuing agents and dangerous criminals alike. But with no memory and no allies his time is running out.
Much like Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs, the essence of the story is straightforward: a simple plan gone sideways. The uncomplicated premise of the story is bolstered by the science fiction aspect of it and all the characters that inhabit the world. Something of a cross between Memento and Total Recall, Spiritwalker is sure to confuse, frustrate, and delight as I-an races against the clock to reclaim his existence, provided he's not captured or killed first. Labeled in some places as an action film, the movie is light on viable action scenes, choosing instead to focus more on the unveiling of the narrative and less on throwing hands. Saving the best action for the final act, when the film really kicks into high gear, it's disappointing that we don't get more of the high-quality action throughout but also understandable; director Yoon Jae-geun is more concerned with mining the story's elements than glossing over them to get to the next fast paced beat.
Starring Yoon Kye-sang, Spritwalker showcases the former K-pop star's ability to be an everyman, vulnerable enough for the audience to willingly join him on his journey of literal self discovery. Kye-sang manages to sell I-an as a desperate, driven man searching for answers and holding on to every scrap of information he can find. While not always in the frame, I-an is the forefront of the story, and even when he's not on screen, Kye-sang's presence is felt. At the end of his rope, Kye-sang is at his best when I-an reaches his lowest lows and most confused moments.
Also starring Lim Ji-yeon as Jin-ah, the character serves as a focus point for I-an. As he stumbles from clue to clue, it seems that most roads lead through or to Jin-ah. Ji-yeon is magnificent in the film, playing Jin-ah as confident, clever, and tough as nails. Far from just a damsel in distress, Jin-ah is out to find her own answers and Ji-yeon brings a steel to the character that makes for excellent chemistry with I-an, albeit in scenes that are far too brief. In a more subdued role is Park Yon-woo as Director Park, the veteran actor bringing a duality to the agent that is chasing I-an throughout the film. Appearing sparsely in the film at first, and more frequently as the pieces are fitted together, Yon-woo looms in the background as a possible friend or foe.
A shoutout must be given to Park Ji-hwan's Haengryeo, the always hustling and delightfully shifty homeless man that initially finds I-an after the film's opening car wreck. The comedic relief, Ji-hwan's highlight comes in a dizzying who's-on-first routine with I-an that, thanks to director Yoon Jae-guen's nifty bit of handiwork, is both amusing and poignant to the storytelling. While disappearing for most of the third act, Haengreyo is still pivotal to the key events of the movie, and his presence on screen never disappoints.
Written and directed by Yoon Jae-geun, Spiritwalker uses every trick in the book to keep the audience off balance and guessing as the narrative threads slowly unravel. Seamlessly blending together different actors playing the same character, we're just as confused as I-an as he attempts to recreate past events to form a narrative that sheds light on his amnesia. The decision to tell a nonlinear story from the viewpoint of an unreliable narrator is the film's best selling point; Jae-geun uses that initial confusion to place his stamp on what's essentially an old school cops and robbers story. Cinematographer Lee Seong-je brings a workmanlike quality to the picture: apart from a few clever flourishes and extended tracking shots, Seong-je keeps the camera steady, letting the complex nature of the storytelling be the film's most prominent feature. When the action kicks into high gear the last 20 minutes of the film, Seong gives the audience a clear picture of what happening without excessive edits, letting the action play out on screen.
Overall, Spiritwalker is a fun sci-fi thriller that demands the utmost attention of its audience. The slow rollout of information, requiring attention to detail, makes this a phones down film that may require more than one viewing to fully grasp and understand. Yoon Jae-guen's direction is solid and Yoon Kye-sang provides a great unreliable narrator for the audience to root for. At 108 minutes, the quick pace begs the audience's awareness from the first moments to the last. A great Friday evening movie to kickstart the weekend, Spiritwalker is a worthy check out for fans of early Chris Nolan-esque storytelling who are willing to put in the work.
