Bogota: City of the Lost

This Korean film relies heavily on familiar ideas, never truly stepping beyond what feels safe and expected. While it has its moments, much of the story unfolds in a way that lacks originality, making it feel somewhat uninspired.

The characters and situations follow well-worn paths, and the film misses the chance to bring something fresh to the table. With Colombia as its backdrop, there was great potential to create something truly captivating, but instead, the setting feels underused, leaving the impression of a story that could have been much more.

Despite its polished visuals and occasional charm, the film never fully embraces the depth or uniqueness it could have explored. It's an enjoyable watch at times, but ultimately, it feels like a missed chance to create something more memorable.

I was really excited about Bogotá: City of the Lost because the story sounded unique-Korean immigrants in Colombia and the struggles they face. But sadly, the movie very quickly failed to meet my expectations.

Instead of telling an interesting story about the connection between Korea and Colombia or developing its characters, it just focused on the usual crime and corruption themes. It felt like the filmmakers relied on clichés instead of offering something new or meaningful-the same old formula used in Hollywood movies about any country south of the U. S.

The story was predictable, and the movie didn't take any creative risks. The overall production was just okay, and at times, it felt like it was mocking Colombia rather than genuinely exploring its issues.

I wanted to like this movie, but in the end, it just didn't deliver on its promise.

Filming was completed in 2021 and released in 2025. Many things have changed, with OTT platforms ruling the current entertainment trend. Viewers are watching different movies with different subjects from different countries. One of those countries is South Korea. It is a care of the address of new contents, and the Bogota movie came from it. It's a new attempt in SK movies taking the subject of immigrants lives.

It's a story about a person establishing his legacy in a place with no guarantees for his life. The story follows how the main character is shaped into a fearless guy and what the events lead to that make him change his fate from an immigrant guy to the person who controls the smuggling business. The core story is routine: The main character starts his life from the bottom and reaches the top in illegal business by taking down one by one those who are getting in his way . But the highlights of the movie are the acting, 90's sets, and art. Coming to the acting, every actor is given their best. Song Joong-ki again delivered his best; his transformation from a 22-year-old guy to the mid-30s is a remarkable role in his filmography. Really loved his raw character and realistic acting in Guk Hee's role.

The 90's art makes a good impression on the movie, like cars and costumes of 90's Colombia. The music soundtrack is okay. Now see where the movie struggled to get into the hit mark. The story has full potential to make this movie a great movie. But it looks like the director and writer failed to utilize it for the best. Also, the story narration is great, but again, the failure part creates the depth of the characters, except for Song Joong-ki & Lee Hee Joon; other characters are far away from this. It would be the best movie if the director and writer put a little more focus on creating emotional development.

Overall a worthy movie to watch & Song Joong-ki will impress you.

Great locations to visit, bad and poor story. Good production, magnificent locations (you must visit this city at sometime in your life)... but what a bad story, terrible, to tell this type of stories of corruption, smuggling, crime and evil, it could have been told anywhere else in the world, even in South Korea itself. The only real danger in Colombia is that you come here and you don't want to leave. It's a wonderful country and its people are extraordinary. That's the only reality and not what is shown and said in this film. Just ask the millions of tourists who come here throughout the year.

Saw some stupid reviews spreading negativity on Song Joongki and the film so I had to write a review to discredit the other shortsighted haters writing shallow reviews. First of all, this movie was good. It wasn't great, but it was good, realistic enough, and entertaining. Song Joongki is a great actor and will always be one of the best South Korean actors. Any negative critic about this movie just goes to show lack of understanding of the plot and lack of respect for actors and moviegoers. Not every movie has to be over the top and grandiose. This movie was satisfactory and worth my time and I am glad it's topping the Netflix charts right now.