THE SPY GONE NORTH is a literate and mature piece of filmmaking which follows a South Korean spy as he finds himself making contact with the North in China. It has much in common with the John Le Carre novel adaptations of the 1960s: glacially paced, ultra realistic and centred on political complexity rather than gung-ho action. Hwang Jung-min, having a good year what with this and THE BATTLESHIP ISLAND, is fine as the lead, well supported by an able cast of experienced Korean actors who really invest you in their characters. I particularly liked the film's resistance to presenting conflict in terms of black and white, instead going for the murkier greyscale throughout.
Review of The Spy Gone North
