THE PLOT (설계자 ) (2024)

Genre: Crime/Thriller
Director: Lee Yo-sup
Cast: Gang Dong-won, Lee Mi-sook, Lee Hyun-wook, Tang Jun-sang
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Violence)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:

Opening Day: 8 August 2024

Synopsis: A thriller about the boss of a contract murder organisation facing with unexpected accident. There is a company that has been killing for contracts as their business. One day, Young-il (GANG Dong-won) gets an offer to kill the most potential candidate for attorney general. After a neat and specific planning, his team finally takes action to kill the target. However, an unexpected accident happens and leads to a big one. The Client, the client’s insurance company and other crew members of his own… there is no one who Young-il could believe!

Movie Review:

In 2009, Hong Kong filmmaker Soi Cheang directed a lean action thriller titled Accident, and the critically acclaimed movie produced by Johnnie To featured a protagonist (Louis Koo) whose expertise was making murders look like accidents. Fifteen years later, we get an adaption from helmed by Lee Yo-sup, with the premise transplanted to South Korea, where sinister political and financial conspiracies are running aplenty.

It almost seemed like we can expect an exciting thriller to keep us at the edge of our seats, but there is something unsatisfying about the movie that left us wondering whether there’s more than what we saw on screen.

Gang Dong-won (Dr Cheon and the Lost Talisman) plays Young-il, the leader of a criminal group which designs murders to appear as accidents. He is joined by a veteran planner (Lee Mi-sook) whose age and health is taking a toll on her, a gay man (Lee Hyun-wook) who often cross dresses as a woman during the execution of their plans, and a young rookie (Tang Jun-sang) who is getting the hang of things. These people have no official records in the government’s system, which makes it difficult to track them down for their misdeeds.

While continuing with their crime capers, the team is also grieving the recent death of another member (Lee Jong-suk) who lost his life in a supposed accident – everyone feels heavy hearted and down. But life has to go on and we see the team go about planning the accident of a prosecutor general nominee. Things get increasingly murkier, and Young-il becomes obsessed that there is another group of people manipulating things at a higher level that is beyond his control.

The 100 minute movie starts off with a fascinating execution of how an accident at a construction site is more than what it seems, while we get ourselves ready for a thrill ride to uncover all the dark secrets of seemingly straightforward freak accidents. However, the story takes a few meanderings and cannot decide what it wants to focus on. We get it that each of the characters have his or her own demon to fight, but we do not feel convinced and these slower moving sequences drag down the movie’s pacing instead. Also, we aren’t exactly sure why the plot included the cross dressing character. There seems to be something that the screenwriters want to say whenever he appears on screen, but the result feels half baked.

The performances from the ensemble cast are fine, and Gang does a great job at playing a man who gets drowned in his own mind. There is absolutely no cheer in the protagonist, and we hope it didn’t affect him on a personal level as we can imagine how mentally draining it can be to play a character like that. The series of planned accidents are conveyed effectively on screen, but the movie feels stalled at several junctures. When the story eventually progresses and an ending is in sight, we feel that this is a missed opportunity to deliver an exhilarating popcorn thriller. 

Movie Rating:

(Gang Dong-won delivers a committed performance as a criminal who is consumed by his own mind in this South Korean adpataion of a superior Hong Kong production)

Review by John Li