Believer (2018) User Reviews

I partly Believe

[deastman_uk · 6/10 · 17 October 2018]

When a baleful underling survives an assassination plot, and the police accept his help to crack the drug gang's mysterious Mr Big (or Mr Lee) we know we will not be witnessing anything original.

I always try and catch Korean films in a festival, and I'm glad I caught this one. Borrowing heavily from style over substance hits such as Diva, through Usual Suspects and Infernal Affairs, it keeps a Mission Impossible tempo but in the end goes for a mystery ending. The hyper violence isn't quite up to 11 but is fairly unrelenting.

While definitely a great film, with notable sound and cinematography, it doesn't quite hit the heights of some other Korean action films due to some limited character development and imprecise editing. And the editing has filed away a sometimes visible consistent heart.

Another Good Korean Crime Drama

[tkdlifemagazine · 6/10 · 24 October 2023]

This is good Korean crime drama about a police officer whose team infiltrates a drug cartel in order to find the person, or people, that killed his informant. The film has good characters. It is violent and gritty. Like all Korean crime films it has a noir quality . The Direction and action and fight choreography are very good. There are many layers to the characters and story in this one. The film has a whodunnit quality. There are several interesting plot twists in this one. I like it and I recommend it. This film, like all Korean films, is better in Korean with English subtitles instead of dubbed.

Korean Crime

[westsideschl · 7/10 · 24 November 2018]

Korean film industry these past few years continue to produce quality police crime tales. Acting, sets, locations and creative new twists continue despite that this genre is redundantly overloaded. For those who like the syndicate drug crime script w/usual dead bodies.

Good, but not great

[maclock · 23 August 2018]

Believer is an entertaining, if not particularly memorable film. It's recommended viewing for lovers of Korean cinema who'd like something to kill a couple of hours.

South Korean crime thriller

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 27 May 2021]

Police detective Won-ho is tracking a drug cartel. His CI is murdered. The cartel is run by the mysterious and unseen Mr. Lee.

This is an interesting crime thriller from South Korea. It has good style. The story is not that inventive. Seo Young Rak could be made into a comic relief character. It's a movie with the bones of a great crime thriller but it doesn't fill out completely. I like the cult idea but it could be a bigger cult idea. It's good but it's trying to be great.

Solid crime movie remake, which I think is even better than the original.

[imseeg · 7/10 · 19 November 2023]

I have been watching several South Korean crime movies in a row now and I must note that they somehow manage to produce lots of terrific work over there in this crime genre.

This being a remake of the original "Drug War" from 2012, I do think that this very remake from South Korea callded "Believer" is actually significantly better than the original: better acting performances, slicker photography and direction, better suspense.

It simply is a really solid crime story, with lots of conning intrigues and double crossing, which engaged me from the start till the very finish, which had an open ending, which I didnt quite understand, but that didnt leave me behind feeling less impressed.

The story: a cop has been on the hunt for a mysterious crime boss for years on end. No one has ever seen this crime boss in the flesh. An undercover operation lead by this very determined cop must finally capture this elusive crimeboss. Will he succeed or die tyring? That's the cliffhanger...

Lots of suspenseful conning schemes. Lots of exciting fights, shootouts and a few horrific torture scenes. Well acted and directed. Beautiful photography and sound. What's not to like?

good movie and acting, stupid ending

[backnblack-06123 · 7/10 · 7 December 2019]

Rent this but dont buy it because you won't watch it a second time because of the ending.

Hunting the Keyser Soze of the Korean Drug World!

[spookyrat1 · 6/10 · 11 June 2020]

Believer is an extended remake of a widely acclaimed Chinese film that I have not seen called Drug War. I use the adjective "extended" deliberately, as Believer is around 20 minutes longer and filled (to its detriment to a degree) with a huge range of characters, that I suspect may not have all been in the original. It should be noted too, whether intended or otherwise that Believer bears some rather too obvious similarities to the legendary The Usual Suspects, which may disappoint those looking forward to some (original) third act twists, that one feels have to come.

Won-ho is a Korean police detective attempting to bring down one of Asia's biggest drug cartels run by a ruthlessly feared drug lord known only as Mr. Lee, who reputedly has never been seen. To ensure his anonymity, Mr Lee makes wide use of intermediaries and cut-outs, who it would seem are periodically purged through various means. During the latest attempted eradication of underlings via bombing, Won-ho ends up with a couple of survivors, who claim they will roll over and inform on Lee, as a means to extract revenge for his actions. Won-ho assembles a team of detectives to plan and carry out a take-down of Lee.

Believer is a well-made, but notwithstanding its acknowledged remake status, a highly derivative film. Besides the afore-mentioned The Usual Suspects, it references Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol in its running of 2 drawn out undercover sting type transactions in the second act. There are some interesting characters in the big cast, but they are all, invariably villains, who are given licence to ham it up to extremes. ( The deaf mute twins really caught my attention.) The cops, including their boss Won-ho meanwhile, are stereotypes who we never find out much about. There's a female officer for instance who just seems to do very little, until she engages in a late hand to hand combat episode, that also loses full impact, due to poor editing choices. The final conclusion appears to me, to be designed to be deliberately enigmatic, which will no doubt infuriate many, who see it as a cop-out (No pun intended!).

Believer is generally tense on a moment-to-moment basis and it does have atmosphere and some attractive visuals (a gridlock of reflective rice paddies!). But for me, overall, things were just too drawn out, with the pre-ordained twists failing to surprise, because I'd seen them all before in other movies. It ends up falling a bit flat because it arguably tries to improve on a product through derivative means, that may be didn't need improving anyway.

A must for black comedy and art house movie lovers. NC 17.

[darylmaya · 9/10 · 1 August 2018]

NC17

It is supposedly a thriller -gory at times- and an action movie but to me it is more of a black comedy.. a trip with an ?ambiguous art house movie ending all in one coherent package! What an achievement.

A cop desperate to find a vicious drug lord gets help from an underling .. or is it the other way around? Fast paced with elements that seemed to repeat with slower but no less thrilling parts set in beautiful scenery. The photography is stupendous and the music is quite good. Most importantly though, lot of the acting is amazing and quite credible however outlandish the behavior required is.

Reviewers are too hang up on the original movie that inspired this remake - ignore them. Every movie borrows more or less from others but the whole package is quite original.

Efficient remake

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 4 September 2021]

BELIEVER is a South Korean remake of the Johnnie To Hong Kong movie DRUG WAR with Louis Koo. I really liked the original and this is a good stab at repeating the formula while doing something different at the same time. The ending twist is a little too obvious throughout, but being a Korean movie this is typically well made with top-quality acting and high drama in some moments. Not a huge amount of action here but a couple of shoot-outs don't disappoint and the whole thing has the usual veneer of quality to it.

This Movie Is Not Worth Watching

[dr_john_pollard · 3/10 · 20 April 2020]

In general, I like South Korean movies for the different types of visuals and story lines. I watched this whole movie start to finish, and although:

1) The acting was top notch 2) The filming was excellent 3) The story was interesting up to a point

With all things considered, what happened and how it happened were just too far beyond the pale of reality. The ending was terrible as previously mentioned. The sequence of events was farcical to the point of being fantasy.

I like my cop dramas to have some veneer of reality, and this had zero. One man's opinion, but don't say you haven't been warned. If you are intrigued by the "first Korean movie to get to XXXX viewers" or whatever that was. It was probably because the lead actor died in real life. It's impossible to believe that it was because it was such a good movie.

Believe in this film.

[Achyut_Prashast_Singh · 10/10 · 17 July 2018]

I have not seen the original film, DRUG WAR yet.

I'm very impressed with this South Korean crime action film, BELIEVER.

I guess the original will also be very entertaining since its remake has succeeded in hitting all the notes perfectly. Ranging from action to twists to performances to background score: BELIEVER excels in all the departments. Seriously, BELIEVE me.

I could say this is one of the best movies made on this theme. It is perfectly edited at 123 minutes (though I've heard there's a longer version too) and on the way delivers loads of action and some unique plot twists with pulsating music. The director has successfully extracted brilliant performances from the cast, especially Cho Jin-woong, Ryu Jun-yeol and the belated Kim Joo-hyuk.

Without extending the character drama to an overboard limit, BELIEVER remains engaging for the most part. It's the execution which even makes me wonder if this is the best crime action film I've ever seen. The film holds its ground on the technical front. The splendid cinematography does justice to the film's mood and tone.

BELIEVER doesn't intend to evoke emotions; it intends to entertain with its thrilling storyline and heart-stopping action sequences. It uses twists in limit, and without the plot getting too convoluted, it becomes an easily likable film. And as far as the action sequences are concerned, I like the way how a particular setup leads up to the big ones. Hand to hand combat, gunfights, explosions, destruction: there is everything an entertaining action film would have and all of these action blocks are simply outstanding.

And I mean it; every single action scene is spectacular and worth repeated viewings.

To sum it all up, BELIEVER is a film I will highly recommend to anyone who likes crime action movies with a great climax which allows thoughts to flow in. If you haven't already seen it, see it now!

Asian remake

[jeanfrancoistrehorel-13477 · 6/10 · 24 November 2023]

First, i am a korean movie lover since 2000 when i watched JSA. I am still a crazy about their movies. So when hear-say that one was Korea biggest hit, I watched it. It is confusing, kinda boring but the worst is that it is a pale copy of « usual suspects » Si, si, think about it. But it isn'it subtle as the original. I found out who Mister Lee is way too soon. It is unusual for a korean director to copy that much and that poorly another movie. It is more common the other way around. The sequel is just release on Netflix France. I won't watch it, the first one is too bad. Not anyone is Park Chan-wook.

my notes

[FeastMode · 4/10 · 26 July 2019]

Generally well-made movie with good music and visually-pleasing shots. some cool scenes. but overall i wasn't a fan and cared less and less as the movie went on (1 viewing)

Good Action thriller

[searchanddestroy-1 · 25 June 2023]

I expected a bit more from this action flick from South Korea, but I have to admit that I also lost interest in films from Asia, I don't know why...If I watch again some of them that I have already in my library, that's OK. But this one is a bit confused in a plot very slow to begin. I was getting bored several times during this movie. The ending is totally opened, which I dislike very much. So, I don't know if I will purchse the sequel of this one. I don't think so. But don't get influenced by my comment if you are fans of this kind of action flicks. I only gave my opinion and feeling. That's all.

I knew it

[jasminn_tan · 6/10 · 18 November 2023]

The first half of the movie was fast paced and intense, and I enjoyed it a lot more than the second half. The villains were kind of mediocre in the sense that they didn't feel fully fleshed out. The bad guys were like bad guys just for the sake of being the bad guys, if you know what I mean.

I think it was intriguing how the plot revolved around Lee, this drug mastermind whose identity was completely unknown to everyone but honestly I figured it out pretty early on. And when it was finally revealed in the end, I was like okay? But I still don't understand his motives. That ending though.. I know there's a sequel and I'm pretty sure Lee died in the end of this movie so I'm confused why there was a need for a sequel at all? I might consider watching the sequel just for Han Hyo Joo though.

A fast-paced screenplay that keeps you busy!

[SoumikBanerjee1996 · 6/10 · 23 November 2023]

"Believer" is one of those lesser-known South Korean crime thrillers that relies exclusively on the strength of its storytelling rather than neon-lit scenes of combat or thrilling chase sequences. As a result, the output here appears weakened and washed down in comparison to some of its more well-known peers.

However, it compensates for its less eventful plot with a fast-paced screenplay that keeps you occupied for the whole two-hour duration. As for the big twist, to be honest, I foresaw it a long time ago, early in the first half. However, the buildup to the final reveal is still pretty admirable!

DANGEROUS DRUG LORD

[kirbylee70-599-526179 · 8/10 · 1 November 2018]

One of the joys of watching films to write about is having access to movie that might not otherwise appear at the local theater. Foreign films have long been thought of as artistic films with little story and intense visuals that most film goers are left confused by. But the fact is that the influence of Hollywood has stretched worldwide and more and more movies from overseas are using patterns first established here and then translated into the cultures of those countries.

Korean films have been moving at a swift pace to outdo the action films made here in the US. That's not a bad thing as things come full circle and there films then influence English speaking directors to up their game as well. The end result is better movies for all. Well Go has made a name for themselves by bringing some of the best films the Asian market has to offer to DVD and in turn accessible to more people. Such is the case with BELIEVER.

Won Ho (Jin-Woong Cho) is a dedicated police officer whose biggest desire is to bring down the mysterious Mr. Lee, Korea's worst drug lord. Ho is motivated by honor as well as obligation as a teen informant he sent in undercover was murdered by Lee. It's a spirit that haunts him and drives him forward.

The top echelon of Lee's organization are killed with the exception of one lady late for the meeting she turns herself in to help capture Lee. Before she can provide them with a lead she is killed in the police station, poisoned with meds intended to help her. Fortunately it turns out there two other survivors of the explosion, a young man named Rak (Jun-yeol Ryu) and a dog. Rak's mother was killed in the blast and the dog severely damaged. He offers to help the police capture Lee in revenge.

Rak helps the police set up a sting operation to capture the Chinese man importing the raw materials needed to make the drugs Mr. Lee distributes as well as to help catch Lee. Ha-rin (Ju-hyuk Kim) is the crazed Chinese drug lord, prone to violence and sampling his own product. He nearly kills Rak and Ho posing as representatives of Lee. Having sampled too much he leaves them to themselves and leaves the room, setting up a second meet before doing so.

Using the meeting to help him understand how Ha-rin behaves, Ho poses as the Chinese before meeting with Park Sun-chang (Hae-joon Park), Mr. Lee's right hand man and the boss of Rak. Ho displays the same violent tendencies to pull off the impersonation and demands to see Lee personally. Sun-Chang apologizes and offers him the chance to try out their product. Before Rak can substitute the fake vial he's carrying Sun-chang presses to allow Ha-rin/Ho a new item they've made. Ho takes the drug to keep his cover intact and dismisses Sun-chang.

The team rushes in to help revive Ho, nearly dead from the single use of this new drug. Having not been aware of the drug but seeing that Rak was, the trust developed between the two fades. But Rak continues to help the team by providing them with chemists who will take the raw materials Ha-rin is sending and turning it into the product Lee wants. With both in hand the team can then capture all involved.

But things don't go as planned. Crosses and double crosses take place. More characters that are possible candidates are introduced along the way. Every boss down the line that Ho has dealt with has at one time or another claimed to be the elusive Mr. Lee. Just who he is and his motivations for what he does are not revealed until late in the film.

The movie is action packed but not in the way you would expect. Sure there are plenty of explosions and gun fights, hand to hand battles and beatings that will make you cringe. But it is the story that motivates everything you see on screen here. And that story pulls you in and makes you wonder who Lee is and if he will ever actually be captured.

I have to note that the cinematography here is magnificent. There are so many great shots in this film from a long drive on a snow covered road to scenes inside the drug plant to meetings held in opulent hotel suites. All are done splendidly.

While the words are Korean and not English it doesn't prevent the viewer from seeing the great performances on display here as well. Jin-Woong Cho as Ho displays the determination to get the job done while at the same time showing the tragedy early on that haunts his every move. Jun-yeol Ryu as Rak is a character doing what it takes to survive but keeping something hidden at the same time. And Ju-hyuk Kim is completely over the top in what was to be his final role having died in a car crash after filming.

Take the chance and don't let subtitles put you off from enjoying this action film with plenty of story on hand that will draw you in and hold you tight from start to finish. Far too many are frightened by subtitles. Don't be one of those. Discover that world cinema has much to offer. And then realize that Well Go is bringing you the chance to see a part of it.

it can be regarded as a reference for Hong Kong movies

[yoggwork · 5/10 · 18 February 2019]

As far as the plot is concerned, it can be regarded as a reference for Hong Kong movies, but the localization is very complete. But the quality of the whole film has not improved significantly. There are no ups and downs in literary drama and no excitement in martial arts. The mystery gives clues from the beginning. The essence of several big men's performance is not fierce, but the temperament of the second grade.

Worth The Time.

[redrobin62-321-207311 · 8/10 · 10 September 2018]

Maybe the South Koreans really have the knack - they sure do know how to create some realistic, gritty thrillers. I've seen quite a few over the past couple of years and this one is just as good as a lot of the others.

Coming into "Believer," I actually had a high expectation that it would deliver as well as other Chinese, Malaysian or Japanese thrillers. It definitely doesn't fail. A lot of intense scenes and dramatic moments make for a twisty joyride in this film. The acting, writing and cinematography was top notch, too. I love those scenes of their winter hinterlands - pure eye candy. Also, what other movie recently has a Chinese Scarface?

Exciting Remake "Drug War"

[lindashook-48769 · 10/10 · 20 October 2021]

This was an action packed thriller that is full of suspense from the beginning. The search for Asia's biggest drug cartel keeps you in suspense while psychotic drug dealer seems to have control of the Chinese & Korean Drug market. The search for the Real Mr. Lee is on. The acting is superb with a well versed group of actors. The Unsuspecting Reveal of who Mr. Lee is pretty cool. I Love the injured dog that almost died in one of the explosions as well. This was the last performance of actor Ju-Hyundai Kim who died October 30th, 2017 at age 45. His performance as the Crazed drug dealer was considered one of his best performances. As it is the ending is ambiguous? What happened? After watching this movie 5 times I read that an alternate ending existed. If u want to search on u-tube it can be found. A brief 5 minute change. It might be well to leave it uncertain.

I believe

[kluseba · 9/10 · 18 January 2019]

Believer is a South Korean remake of Hong Kong action-thriller Drug War. I haven't watched the original film but after having adored Believer so much, I might try to watch it soon. Believer convinces with outstanding acting performances, intense action scenes, solid pace, a twisted story and a huge amount of tension that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The intellectual conclusion even offers some philosophical depth and food for thought.

The story revolves around the mysterious leader of a drug cartel known as Mister Lee, whose identity remains a mystery. Reckless police detective Won-ho has tried to find and arrest Mister Lee for years. His underage mule has been brutally killed and Mister Lee's associate who was willing to cooperate got fatally poisoned. Won-ho's last chance is the survivor of a drug laboratory explosion named Rak who lost his mother in the incident. Won-ho decides to pose as Chinese-Korean drug lord who personally wants to meet Mister Lee and Rak assists him in meeting more and more powerful members of the drug cartel. Things take a turn for the worse when the Chinese-Korean drug lord who Won-ho impersonates decides to intervene and when a high-ranked member of the cartel plans on replacing Mister Lee.

The only slightly negative element I could point out regarding this otherwise excellent movie is the fact that I figured out quite early in the movie who Mister Lee actually was. A surprising twist would have been even better and made an excellent movie perfect. Still, the film remains intense even if you have figured out who Mister Lee is since there are numerous complex conflicts in the story.

The film's conclusion leaves an important question unanswered and invites the viewers to make up their minds. I believe such an ending is respectful towards the viewers as it expects them to challenge themselves and think about the movie's possible outcomes. Those who are used being offered predictable happy endings in Hollywood flicks might though feel overloaded.

In the end, this film deserves a much better reputation than it has and is among the best movies I have seen over the past few years. If you like intense action films, profound dramas and tense thrillers, Believer offers you all these elements at once in a perfectly interwoven way. The intelligent conclusion will make you think and invites to discuss the movie with your friends long after it has ended.

Great surprise

[jules1202000 · 9/10 · 6 September 2019]

I selected this thriller without any expectation and in the end was highly surprised!Very stylish and entertaining detective movie with lots of dark humour, bizarre characters, plot twists, and great scenery.I highly recommend it.

Briliant.

[reallyevilboy · 10/10 · 27 February 2019]

For those of you that like edgy Korean action movies this is the one. The usual stuff for a good Korean movie, great plot, runs smooth and fast. Plus probably one of the best trailers I have seen.

it is a copy idea of the usual suspect movie..

[johnkar-99704 · 8/10 · 19 May 2020]

Many write about drug war.. but I suggeste them remember usual suspect or watch it.. it,s a copy idea.. howover, this movie also mind blowing.