Jang Won-seok

Jang Won-seok’s filmography is a wild little ride through the dark corners of Korean cinema—think grit, guts, and a whole lotta trouble. The guy’s fingerprints are all over “The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil” (2019), which, honestly, is one of those movies that just grabs you by the collar and doesn’t let go. It’s got this electric face-off between a mob boss and a relentless cop, both hunting a serial killer who’s got Seoul on edge. The tension? Thick enough to cut with, I dunno, a butcher’s cleaver. Ma Dong-seok’s performance there is legendary, chewing up every scene like he’s starving. Then there’s “Yoocheitalja” (2020), which keeps the crime-thriller energy humming. A bit less bombastic, maybe, but it still drips with paranoia and sharp turns. You never really know who’s playing who—everyone’s got secrets, everyone’s desperate. If you dig stories where trust just isn’t a thing, this one’s your jam. Can’t forget “Beasts That Cling to the Straw” (2020), a real tangled web of losers and schemers clawing at a shot of hope—a bag of cash, specifically. The movie jumps between characters, each more desperate than the last. Think Coen brothers, but soaked in soju and betrayal. Jang’s work here is all about showing people at the end of their rope, making bad decisions and dragging everyone down with them. If you like your thrillers messy and a little mean? Yeah, you’re in the right place.