A BITTERSWEET LIFE
Synopsis
Sun-woo (Lee Byung-hun), the cold and loyal right-hand man of underworld boss Kang (Kim Young-cheol), is assigned to surveil Kang’s young girlfriend, Hee-soo (Shin Min-a), and “take care of things” if she is found unfaithful. But when he discovers her with another man, Sun-woo hesitates and lets them go, driven by an inexplicable moment of doubt. That single mistake leads to his betrayal and a brutal manhunt by his own organization. Pushed to the brink of death, Sun-woo rises again, waging a one-man war against the very system that once trusted him. No longer driven by love, he fights to reclaim his honor and sense of self—culminating in a final question to his boss: “Why did you do this to me?”
Director's biography
Kim Jee-woon (born in 1964) is one of the most prominent directors in contemporary South Korean cinema, known for his diverse style, sharp aesthetics, and skillful blending of genres. He began his film career with his debut feature The Quiet Family (1998), a unique dark comedy. Since then, Kim has continuously explored various genres, including horror with A Tale of Two Sisters (2003), noir action with A Bittersweet Life (2005), Eastern Western with The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008), and science fiction horror with I Saw the Devil (2010). In 2013, he ventured into Hollywood with the action film The Last Stand (2013), starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. His films have been showcased at prestigious international film festivals such as the Cannes Film Festival and the Venice International Film Festival. Additionally, Kim Jee-woon has won numerous significant awards, including Best Director at the Korean Film Awards for A Tale of Two Sisters and I Saw the Devil, Best Director at the Baeksang Arts Awards, as well as various accolades at international film festivals, such as the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal. Kim Jee-woon is highly regarded for his ability to create atmosphere, his bold storytelling, and his distinctive visual aesthetics, establishing him as one of the most influential filmmakers in South Korean cinema on the international stage.