Rage.
Public Enemy is a fantastic action thriller where a cop is sure he knows who the killer is. But the killer is a powerful man and, not least, smart. He’s always one step ahead of the cop. He has killed his parents, but he doesn’t stop there. So this man turns into a serial killer.
Sol Kyung-gu, who plays the rude and intense cop, delivers an amazing role interpretation. In South Korea, no one can play a broken, unstable man like Sol Kyung-gu. He’s my favorite actor from South Korea. He’s unique, and I love his fierce energy.
In Public Enemy, Sol Kyung-gu plays a rude and violent cop, and he’s also a slob. He’s not the smartest cop, and he lets his emotions control him too much. He has zero impulse control. Once he is sure that the trail is leading him to the right person, he’s like a bloodhound.
Lee Sung-jae delivers a fantastic role interpretation of the killer. His character reminds me of Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. Lee Sung-jae and Sol Kyung-gu are a perfect match. When you have two such interesting characters and actors in the same movie, you know that this will be a fun ride.
Public Enemy also offers black comedy in various scenes that hits the spot. I’ve seen many movies during my life, and there aren’t many movies like Public Enemy. This is a violent and dirty movie with a lot of humor. A corrupt cop meets Patrick Bateman can’t turn out wrong, and it didn’t!
This isn’t a deep movie with deep characters. It’s an energetic entertainment movie that’s just out to entertain you. The movie was made during the best period in South Korean cinema, the so-called golden age of South Korean cinema.
Public Enemy is yet another gem from South Korea that many need to open their eyes to. If you enjoy South Korean movies, Public Enemy has everything that makes movies from this country so great. There’s a lot of cursing and slaps to the face, and the energy is pretty wild. This isn’t a movie that gets boring for one second!