Movie Review: 'Night in Paradise' (2020)
Korean Title: 낙원의 밤
English Title: Night in Paradise
Running Time: 2 hours, 11 minutes
Release Date: September 3, 2020 (VIFF), April 9, 2021 (Netflix)
Genre: Noir, Action, Slow-Burn
Language(s): Korean
Cast: Eom Tae Gu (Coin Locker Girl), Jeon Yeo Bin (Vincenzo), Cha Seung Won (Hwayugi)
Directed by: Park Hoon Jung (New World)
Written by: Park Hoon Jung (New World)
Night in Paradise is a noir-action film about Park Tae Goo (Eom Tae Gu), a member of a Seoul-based gang who gets entangled in a series of revenge crimes which force him to exile to Jeju Island where he meets Kuto (Lee Ki Young), an arms dealer and his terminally-ill niece Kim Jae Yeon (Jeon Yeo Bin).
The film was written and directed by Park Hoon Jung (New World) and was South Korea’s official entry to the 2020 Venice International Film Festival (VIFF) - one of the most prestigious film festivals in Europe. It was first released on September 3, 2020 through VIFF under the ‘Out of Competition’ category. The theatrical release was skipped altogether due to COVID-19 protocols and was released internationally instead through Netflix on April 9, 2021.
Story
Park Tae Gu is a high-ranking member of a Seoul-based gang - very skilled and extremely loyal to his boss, Yang Do Soo (Park Ho San) as well as his subordinates. In fact, Tae Goo is so good at what he does that the rival group’s boss, Chairman Do (Son Byung Ho) extended an offer, asking him to switch sides and become members of the Bukseong Gang along with his boys - which he of course, declines.
When he’s not being a gangster, Tae Goo is a doting uncle to Ji Eun (Ahn Se Bin) and brother to his terminally ill sister, Jae Kyung (Jang Young Nam) - his only remaining family members. They seem to be fully aware, understanding and almost comfortable with the type of business he’s in and treats it like any other job.
However, his world is immediately turned upside down after Ji Eun and Jae Kyung are killed. Automatically linking the accident to the last conversation he had with the Bukseong Gang and with nothing left to lose, he avenges their deaths by going directly to the top and killing Bukseong Gang’s Chairman Do as well as his immediate subordinates.
While fully knowing the repercussions of his actions, Tae Goo seeks refuge with Kuto (Lee Ki Young) and his terminally-ill niece, Jae Yeon (Jeon Yeo Bin) in Jeju Island. As advised by Tae Goo’s boss, Yang Do Soo, the plan for exile involves going to Jeju Island to wait for the next ship sailing to Vladivostok so that he can ultimately escape the revenge crimes coming his way from the Bukseong Gang.
What’s up with older people demanding respect? The only difference between you and I is that you’ve had more meals than me.
You were born before me, sure - but I’m most likely going to die before you. That should even things out. If you don’t like it, then you go die first.
Jae Yeon
Despite her cold and dry with her interactions with him, Tae Goo spends most of his time reaching out for Jae Yeon’s friendship. Gradually, Jae Yeon opens and warms up to Tae Goo as they bond over the grief and loss they’ve both experienced in their lives.
Eventually, the Bukseong Gang, now led by Director Ma (Cha Seung Won) catches up to Tae Goo in Jeju to settle the scores with him for being the person responsible for their boss’ death which leads to a series of bloody violence, torture, vengeance between all the characters.
The Verdict
Overall Rating: 8/10
Night in Paradise is an honest-to-goodness noir film with lots of violence, bloodshed, death and gore - set in Jeju Island. The idea of Jeju sparks thoughts of sunshine, miles and miles of greenery, beautiful beaches and smiling faces since it’s a place people typically go to have a quick vacation to escape the daily hustle and bustle of the city life.
However, in both literal and implied ways, the characters all went to Jeju in hopes of escaping their demons. Instead of feeling refreshed or turning a new leaf, all their problems ended up following them to Jeju, slowly but surely eating them up, eventually leading to their demises. Plainly said: Paradise is not a place, it’s a state of mind.
Being a noir film, the overall mood and colouring of the movie makes the story progression feel very slow in the beginning but having seen it twice now, it’s actually relatively well-paced. I also fell into the trap of assuming the plot was going to be deep and complex given the themes surrounding family, friendship, loyalty, gangster politics, bloody gore and violence. But truly, the plot is undeniably simple and straightforward and I think that’s a huge part of its charm.
