THE SUSPECT is another in a long line of Bourne-influenced spy thrillers from South Korea, films that predictably mine North/South tension for their thrills. This one has much in common with THE BERLIN FILE in its tale of a North Korean defector who finds himself pursued by both the bad guys and authorities in his quest for vengeance.
The worst thing about this film is the slightly confusing, complicated nature of the narrative - at least, when you watch it for the first time. It actually tells a simple, two-fold tale: there's a straightforward revenge narrative here mixed in with a mystery involving a conspiracy so that the viewer spends his or her time trying to work out who the bad guy is. The first half of the film is particularly muddled but it does all become clear towards the end, although it's probably a film you'll need to watch twice to get full enjoyment from. In fact, I did just that, and found myself enjoying it much more the second time around once I knew what was going on.
THE SUSPECT is a very well made movie and it's absolutely action packed. There are car chases, fights and shoot-outs galore here, all dealt with with maximum intensity and captured in loving detail by the director. The cast are also strong in their roles, and as with a lot of these movies, there's a strong emotional core which gives it heart as well as muscle. However, be warned: this is a film that employs extreme shaky-cam throughout, so if you're not a fan of that particular style then this probably isn't the movie for you.
