KOREAN MOVIE REVIEW: GOLDEN SLUMBER


8/10

GOLDEN SLUMBER  is a Hitchcockian “wrong man” thriller with a large dose of melodrama added to the mix. 

Dong Won-Gang, a young delivery driver, becomes famous overnight when he saves a pop star from a robbery. But his fame is shortlived when he is accused of murdering a politician. Constantly on the run and no one to turn to there’s only one way out – to turn the table on his tormentors. But will he be able to stand by his ideals if he wants to beat the enemy at his own game?

GOLDEN SLUMBER starts with a bang, sending the protagonist on a wild chase across Seoul. The first action filled thirty minutes are entertaining as we watch our hero using his wits and intuition to get out from some impossible situations. As the mystery deepens and the conspiracy is explained the movie slows down a little, focusing on the relationship between the protagonist and his childhood friends who choose to support or abandon him, which is a source of many heart wrenching moments. 

It is the melodrama part that makes GOLDEN SLUMBER stand out from many other thrillers that focus on a wrongly accused hero. The puzzle of the conspiracy is also cleverly structured, giving a simple but believable explanation of the happenings.

A few important questions about the modern media world is explored. No direct answers are given, but the theme of remaining oneself and remaining human no matter the circumstances hits the mark.

Cleverly combining a top notch thriller with genuine drama and an unusual and very sympathetic protagonist, GOLDEN SLUMBER delivers on all fronts, with only its lengthy running time being a possible flaw.

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