''The Boys'' () is a 2022 South Korean

crime drama film In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...

directed by

Chung Ji-young Chung Ji-young (born November 19, 1946) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. Among his most well-known films are '' North Korean Partisan in South Korea'' (1990), '' White Badge'' (1992), ''Life and Death of the Hollywood Kid'' (199 ...

and starring

Sol Kyung-gu Sol Kyung-gu (born May 14, 1967) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in ''Public Enemy (2002 film), Public Enemy'' film series, ''Peppermint Candy'', ''Oasis (2002 film), Oasis'', ''Silmido (film), Silmido'', ''Hope (2013 film ...

Yoo Jun-sang Yoo Jun-sang (born November 28, 1969) is a South Korean actor and singer. Yoo is best known for starring in the Hong Sang-soo films '' Ha Ha Ha'' (2010), '' The Day He Arrives'' (2011), and '' In Another Country'' (2012). He was also praised for ...

Jin Kyung Jin Kyung (born March 27, 1972) is a South Korean actress. Career Jin made her stage debut in 1998 and spent ten years in theater, before becoming active in film and television. She won Best Supporting Actress at the 50th Baeksang Arts Award ...

Heo Sung-tae Heo Sung-tae ( , born 20 October 1977) is a South Korean actor with over sixty film and television credits. He came to national prominence in the 2016 period thriller film ''The Age of Shadows''. Early life Heo was born in Busan, South Korea. ...

and

Yeom Hye-ran Yeom Hye-ran (born October 30, 1976) is a South Korean actress. Career Yeom began her career in theater in 1999 and made her screen debut in 2003. She has since played supporting roles in film and television, notably ''Dear My Friends'' (2016 ...

. The film based on the true story of the 'Samrye Nara Super Incident' ( ko) that occurred in

Wanju County Wanju County (''Wanju-gun'') is a county in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. It almost entirely surrounds Jeonju. This county should not be confused with Wonju, in Gangwon-do. History ○ Mahan Baekje Kingdom Wansanju 16th year of King Gyeon ...

, depicts the story of re-investigation of the boys who were identified as the culprits of a robbery and murder case that occurred at a supermarket 'Woori Super' in a small town. It had its premiere at 'Korean Cinema Today - Special Premiere' section of

27th Busan International Film Festival The 27th Busan International Film Festival () was held from October 5 at the Busan Cinema Center in Busan, South Korea till October 14. This year, the festival restarted events and program sections which were not conducted due to COVID-19 for la ...

on October 6, 2022. It was released in South Korea on November 1, 2023.

Premise

The film is based on the true story of the 'Samrye Nara Super robbery incident' that occurred in Wanju-gun, Jeollabuk-do in 1999, and tells the story of the head of the investigation team who reinvestigated the boys who were pointed out as the culprits.

Cast

as Hwang Jun-cheol *

as Choi Woo-seong *

as Yoon Mi-sook *

as Detective Park *

as Kim Kyeong-mi * Kim Dong-young *

Yoo Su-bin Yoo Su-bin (born 6 November 1992) is a South Korean actor. Career Yoo made his drama debut in ''Prison Playbook'' in 2017, as Yang Jung Suk, who was involved in the back story of Jung Hae In's character. Prison Playbook is directed by the S ...

* Kim Kyung-ho *

Han Soo-yeon Han Soo-yeon ( born April 24, 1983) is a South Korean actress best known for her roles in Korean dramas, '' Pure Love'' (2013) and ''Love in the Moonlight'' (2016). Early life and education Han was born in South Korea, and moved with her mother ...

as Shin Eun-hee, lawyer in charge of the retrial of the three boys

Special appearance

Cho Jin-woong Cho Jin-woong (born Jo Won-jun; March 3, 1976) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles as Sejong's loyal bodyguard in ''Deep Rooted Tree'' (2011), a mobster in '' Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time'' (2012), and a mysterious vil ...

* Yang Min-hyeok

Production

On June 9, 2020, cast of the film was revealed.

and

were cast in main roles.

Release

The film premiered at 'Korean Cinema Today - Special Premiere' section of

on October 6, 2022. It was also screened at the 52nd

International Film Festival Rotterdam The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) is an annual film festival held at the end of January in various locations in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Since its foundation in 1972, it has maintained a focus on independent and experimental fi ...

in February 2023. The film opened the 2023 London East Asia Film Festival on October 18, 2023; before its release in South Korea on November 1.

Home media

The film was made available for streaming on IPTV (KT olleh TV, SK Btv, LG U+ TV), Home Choice,

Google Play Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store and formerly the Android Market, is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android (operating sys ...

, Apple TV,

TVING TVING () is a South Korean online streaming service operated by TVING Corporation, a joint venture of CJ E&M (CJ Group), Naver and JTBC. It is a platform that streams dramas, entertainment shows, exclusive television films and specials. Histor ...

, WAVVE,

Naver TV Naver TV (; formerly Naver TV Cast) is a South Korean online video streaming and video sharing service developed and operated by Naver. The service primarily distributes web dramas and entertainment shows. Original programming Dramas 2013 * ' ...

, and KT skylife from November 27, 2023.

Reception

Box office

The film was released on November 1, 2023, on 1037 screens. It opened at 2nd place on the South Korean box office with 57,436 people viewing the film. , with gross of US$3,406,306 and 468,631 admissions, it is at the 19th place among the South Korean films released in 2023.

Critical response

Jeong Jin-young writing in Daily Sports described the film as "the weight of a true story without being flashy". Jeong praised the performance of ensemble writing, "ensemble of talented actors, including Yeom Hye-ran, who works as a married couple with Sol Kyeong-gu, Heo Seong-tae, who walks a strange tightrope between good and evil add to the attraction." Kim Na-yeon writing in Star News opined, ''The Boys'' is a film with a great dilemma that resonates with a true story." Kim quoting director Jeong Ji-young felt that "after watching the movie, you will be able to look deeper into the inner workings of this incident."

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Boys, The 2022 films 2022 crime drama films 2020s Korean-language films South Korean crime drama films CJ Entertainment films South Korean detective films South Korean drama films South Korean police films South Korean films based on actual events