I haven't watched the Spanish or Hollywood version of this movie. So,I found it quite interesting. The movie is thrilling. I loved it. One thing that I'm disappointed with is it should have showed the back story more broadly. As the whole the man was driving a car with a bomb in his along with his children's seat. It was all about driving the car whole time and contacting with people to collect money. But when the reason or I can say the culprit is found, the culprit reason of taking revenge is rarely shown.
26 Reviews
Below average movie
mailtaskservice28 February 2022
Few big flaws. They dont know whats police procedures and processes. Lousily made. Not worth pay to watch at all. The conclusion is really nonsense after the multiple nonsenses. They should put more effort instead of producing such a low quality story movie.
Explosive Car ride
kosmasp22 October 2021
This is the third version I watched ... and I heard there will be a Hollywood version as well. So there we go. I can't imagine it getting better than the spanish original. But I would say that the other versions do have certain things that work - not just locally. The police thing was better handled in the German version, the family and father interaction is a bit better in this Korean version.
But as you can imagine and as I already sort of stated, stick with the original movie if you can - and if you either speak spanish or do not have issues with subtitles. All in all this is decent, but I've seen better thrillers from Korea. Technically you cannot fault it at all - and the actors do their best too.
But as you can imagine and as I already sort of stated, stick with the original movie if you can - and if you either speak spanish or do not have issues with subtitles. All in all this is decent, but I've seen better thrillers from Korea. Technically you cannot fault it at all - and the actors do their best too.
"Speed" crossed with "Phone Booth"... a good thriller.
tccandler18 November 2021
This is a remake of a 2015 Spanish film, which will also soon be remade in Hollywood with Liam Neeson at the helm. The premise is exciting -- combining elements of Keanu Reeves in "Speed" and Colin Farrell in "Phone Booth". Hostages, Bombs, Car Chases... It's all fast-paced and well produced. My one quibble was the final outcome. I wish they had been a little braver in the final ten minutes.
90-minute thrillride
toskomst23 July 2021
The main character in "Hard Hit" is taking the kids to school one morning - a boy and a girl - when he gets a restricted call. The unknown caller informs him that a bomb has been placed under his seat. It will explode if he leaves the car.
This is all you need for 90+ minutes of frantic action, I guess, and the unknown caller soon supplies a demand and an explosive argument for making our hero do just like Toto. That is hold the line.
The reliable supporting actor Jo Woo-jin tackles his first lead role playing an ordinary bank employee who gets pinned behind the wheel. His rapport with Lee Jae-in, playing his daughter, provides a human element in all the frenzy. He's understandably desperate. I mean, I would be too, if I had to handle at least two phone calls simultaneously while at the same time calm the kids down and actually drive the car.
It's a saddening reminder of COVID-era realities, by the way, to see beaches and intercity highways in Busan all but deserted with no CGI enhancements needed.
The movie is a remake of an excellent Spanish thriller, "El Desconocido" (2015), starring Luis Tosar in one of his best roles. The Korean version follows the original unusually closely, to such an extent that all they've really done is to translate it to the Korean idiom. And both movies surely owe something to "Speed" (1994) and Dennis Hopper's scheme as the bad guy.
Anyway. The movie keeps the pace up, and it never feels as if the entire plot actually takes place inside or in the immediate vicinity of the hero's car. The unknown caller is online most of the time (those familiar to K-movies and K-dramas will undoubtedly recognize the voice right away), and the Koreans do love their phones and gadgets.
The flow may get a little lost with subtitles, I imagine, but this movie worked for me, built around its ingenious plot. So fasten the seatbelt. Or then again, thinking of the unfortunate hero, maybe better not.
PS: The Korean title refers to a "Restricted Call" as opposed to the meaningless English title, and in everday slang, it's also known as a "black call". Shouldn't miss a chance to show off...
This is all you need for 90+ minutes of frantic action, I guess, and the unknown caller soon supplies a demand and an explosive argument for making our hero do just like Toto. That is hold the line.
The reliable supporting actor Jo Woo-jin tackles his first lead role playing an ordinary bank employee who gets pinned behind the wheel. His rapport with Lee Jae-in, playing his daughter, provides a human element in all the frenzy. He's understandably desperate. I mean, I would be too, if I had to handle at least two phone calls simultaneously while at the same time calm the kids down and actually drive the car.
It's a saddening reminder of COVID-era realities, by the way, to see beaches and intercity highways in Busan all but deserted with no CGI enhancements needed.
The movie is a remake of an excellent Spanish thriller, "El Desconocido" (2015), starring Luis Tosar in one of his best roles. The Korean version follows the original unusually closely, to such an extent that all they've really done is to translate it to the Korean idiom. And both movies surely owe something to "Speed" (1994) and Dennis Hopper's scheme as the bad guy.
Anyway. The movie keeps the pace up, and it never feels as if the entire plot actually takes place inside or in the immediate vicinity of the hero's car. The unknown caller is online most of the time (those familiar to K-movies and K-dramas will undoubtedly recognize the voice right away), and the Koreans do love their phones and gadgets.
The flow may get a little lost with subtitles, I imagine, but this movie worked for me, built around its ingenious plot. So fasten the seatbelt. Or then again, thinking of the unfortunate hero, maybe better not.
PS: The Korean title refers to a "Restricted Call" as opposed to the meaningless English title, and in everday slang, it's also known as a "black call". Shouldn't miss a chance to show off...
Hits Hard
BabySharkDoDoDie15 December 2021
A good remake of the Spanish film El desconocido (2015) with very good acting from the lead actor. The supporting cast was also decent in what they were given & I enjoyed the background music as well.
The only drawback is the villain's intentions which was not clear enough in the movie & some loopholes in the police part. Still a decent watch.
The only drawback is the villain's intentions which was not clear enough in the movie & some loopholes in the police part. Still a decent watch.
say hello to high speed and a bomb.
smonster0016 November 2021
It's an enjoyable movie. There is nothing wrong technically speaking...
Some things were kind of lazy; like how the police handled things and the rushed but weird editing and ending of the last 15 minutes of the film.
The acting is very great storywise not so much and you shouldn't expect a great bomb thriller story since I think this is a remake I've seen before years ago.
So what's wrong? At the end of the film certain editing choices doesn't make logical sense compared to the rest of this film. It feels like the director or the editor just wanted to finish the film due to a (personal) deadline or made a mistake during story boarding and not shooting scenes to connect it with the general flow and editing of the film.
As for the back story of the villain; uhmm...yeah? I guess where he is coming from but there doesn't seem to be any real justice and the film just made me feel I've been used as an old chewing gum.
Even though it is selling well/streaming well in South - Korea the general score it has gotten there by around 1 million viewers is around 5.3 as I write this, which in my opinion is an accurate representation if you look past the great acting, which is like a 9/10! If you are only interested cos you want to learn acting or just so you can talk about it cos all of your friends watched it; then sure watch this...otherwise? Mweh... Watch a different film if you can instead.
Some things were kind of lazy; like how the police handled things and the rushed but weird editing and ending of the last 15 minutes of the film.
The acting is very great storywise not so much and you shouldn't expect a great bomb thriller story since I think this is a remake I've seen before years ago.
So what's wrong? At the end of the film certain editing choices doesn't make logical sense compared to the rest of this film. It feels like the director or the editor just wanted to finish the film due to a (personal) deadline or made a mistake during story boarding and not shooting scenes to connect it with the general flow and editing of the film.
As for the back story of the villain; uhmm...yeah? I guess where he is coming from but there doesn't seem to be any real justice and the film just made me feel I've been used as an old chewing gum.
Even though it is selling well/streaming well in South - Korea the general score it has gotten there by around 1 million viewers is around 5.3 as I write this, which in my opinion is an accurate representation if you look past the great acting, which is like a 9/10! If you are only interested cos you want to learn acting or just so you can talk about it cos all of your friends watched it; then sure watch this...otherwise? Mweh... Watch a different film if you can instead.
Nerve cracking
sayantanroy-1118611 July 2021
Intense thriller
T-xoo25 September 2021
Definitely has some flaws. Everything is not perfect like the police's actions. However, the film is intense. From the first minute to the end, the movie is really fast pace. The 90 so minutes will pass super fast. There are a couple slow moments in the middle of the movie but this is to introduce the villain. Overall, great to watch.
It was alright, the execution of the plot not so much.
vleeazn14 March 2022
The filming quality and views were amazing, the music was also okay-ish at adding suspense however there was something I really did not like about the plot.
At the very start, MC gets a call from the bomber telling him his car is bombed then gets another call from his colleague (that has his wife on the car) & realizes that he's also received a similar call and their situation is about the same so he drives all the way to him.
The wife however is adamant that the bomb is fictional and just cannot control herself on not getting off, practically has an urge to jump off the car by any possible means knowing there could be a possibility of death to... go to work.
Anyway the wife gets off, effectively blowing : herself, the car & her poor husband (I applauded) the first thing MC does however is driving off at full speed then later realizes his son is hurt so he wants to drive to the ER but ends up in a remote area where the plots begins.
There are two things that are massive plot-hole ignored so the movie could happen that bothered me :
-The first is when he didn't switch the audio from earpiece to the car's after he's already told his kids what is happening.
-The second is he had to flee the crime scene at full speed so he could avoid policemen, firemen & medics after the bombing.
The movie happening in a narrow space limiting the movie set & budget will have to heavily rely on the plot, not to spoil but I watched until the end & I just found it was alright.
The wife blowing off everything to go to work honestly was the highlight for me haha.
At the very start, MC gets a call from the bomber telling him his car is bombed then gets another call from his colleague (that has his wife on the car) & realizes that he's also received a similar call and their situation is about the same so he drives all the way to him.
The wife however is adamant that the bomb is fictional and just cannot control herself on not getting off, practically has an urge to jump off the car by any possible means knowing there could be a possibility of death to... go to work.
Anyway the wife gets off, effectively blowing : herself, the car & her poor husband (I applauded) the first thing MC does however is driving off at full speed then later realizes his son is hurt so he wants to drive to the ER but ends up in a remote area where the plots begins.
There are two things that are massive plot-hole ignored so the movie could happen that bothered me :
-The first is when he didn't switch the audio from earpiece to the car's after he's already told his kids what is happening.
-The second is he had to flee the crime scene at full speed so he could avoid policemen, firemen & medics after the bombing.
The movie happening in a narrow space limiting the movie set & budget will have to heavily rely on the plot, not to spoil but I watched until the end & I just found it was alright.
The wife blowing off everything to go to work honestly was the highlight for me haha.
Watch it if you like 'speed' kinda bomb threat movies
Sdh5555 November 2021
A family in car with bomb planted under seats threatens to blow off if his demands wont get fulfilled on time. Hope you understand the plot of movie. Taking, screenplay, acting is top notch as usual we expect from korean thrillers. Few scenes are absolutely terrific with good story plot. Worth the time you spend with no regrets for sure. Enjoy!
Intense and Edgy.
visionandyouth28 January 2022
Really wow , i mean Koreans never disappoint with the type of movies where you always feel on edge of your seat. Good narrative too . The actors are chosen wisely here with big talent left and right. It really is a Thriller you don't wanna miss.
Great potential wasted
bloomquick26 March 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This movie could have been great. It's not without reason there are so many remakes for this subject. But it disappoints. The first half was so thrilling I couldn't wait to tell my friends and family, but second half was such a duller. I mean it just tests your patience with lapses in logic. Like how is it that the villain can trace every book and corner the car goes to ( he even explains it) but the sophisticated police cannot , just so the hero and villain can have a face off!! I mean cmon!! The lady detonator does everything but detonate the bomb. A simple narrative but confusing at times.. Like " The suspects brother"!! Really? The police just believes someone who walks in and claims he is the brother??? And it takes the wifes call who happens to catch it on TV to let the police know that he is not the brother?? This movie unintentionally mocks at the Korean police. Even at the end, it took just about the same time to rescue the father from sea for the police guy to unbuckle the daughter from the car!! These small things just take away the fun and thrill the movies first half promised. And wth is Ji Chang doing these roles? Of course it's dark and different from the mushy romcoms but he can't just do anything for the heck of a change. Anybody could have played his role, there was no scope or need to bring Ji Chang here. He is really underplaying his talent. Hope he chooses better projects in the future.
Slightly flawed but engaging thriller
witra_as20 September 2021
Slightly flawed but engaging South Korean thriller. Kim Chang-ju made noteworthy directorial debut though at times kinda forced higher stake by strange character's decisions. There's big moral message about doing right thing and paying for sins which Jo Woo-jin managed to do. Lee Jae-in also performed well in the backseat.
Korean production keeps kicking Hollywood
Muvilava22 January 2022
The actors playing father and daughter pulled off their roles very well. The cinematography was excellent. Midway the story almost fell apart, but the good quality of everything else made me look away from that misstep and still enjoy immensely.
While not as hardhitting or raw as the Spanish original, this remake of Retribution is still tense and built on a strong performance from Jo Woo-jin
IonicBreezeMachine19 August 2023
Banking executive Lee Seong-gyu (Jo Woo-Jin) begins his day taking his kids to school on his way to work when a phone left in his car rings revealing the stranger (Ji Chang-Wook) on the other end has planted a bomb in the car. As the caller demands Seong-gyu come up with a specific amount of money, it becomes apparent the caller is someone affected by Seong-gyu's work in banking.
Hard Hit, aka Restricted Call, is a 2021 South Korean action thriller and the second remake of Spanish thriller Retribution following the 2018 German adaptation Don't. Get. Out!. Hard Hit is a pretty faithful adaptation of the simple story of the original and covers many of the same beats, and while it's not as good as its inspiration it does deliver on the tension and strong performance of Jo Woo-jin.
As with the original, the story is only as good as its lead actor and thankfully Jo Woo-Jin does solid work in the role of Seong-Gyu who taps into the desperation and remorse of this character which is needed in order for the movie to work. I also liked Lee Jae-in as Seong-gyu's daughter who is slightly expanded from her role in the first film (only slightly) and has some good moments such as a scene where she and Seong-gyu are making plans for a family outing to take their minds off the situation. A key difference between Hard Hit and Retribution is in the directorial style where Retribution was more gritty and confining with the first hour staying primarily within the car, while with Hard Hit director Kim Chang-ju gives the film a more polished look and often travels away from the car such as giving the perspective of the police who enter the story much earlier than the original and I think this dilutes some of the tension to a degree. The movie also doesn't have the same amount of rawness to its portrayal as Retribution tapped into the ongoing Spanish Financial Crisis of the time giving that film a level of presence and gravitas with its air of institutional frustration, and while there is some of that it's mostly confined to the end of the movie rather than littered throughout.
Hard Hit isn't one of my favorite South Korean genre films as it plays like a slightly above average "movie of the week", but it's a efficient and well made thriller that does its job adequately.
Hard Hit, aka Restricted Call, is a 2021 South Korean action thriller and the second remake of Spanish thriller Retribution following the 2018 German adaptation Don't. Get. Out!. Hard Hit is a pretty faithful adaptation of the simple story of the original and covers many of the same beats, and while it's not as good as its inspiration it does deliver on the tension and strong performance of Jo Woo-jin.
As with the original, the story is only as good as its lead actor and thankfully Jo Woo-Jin does solid work in the role of Seong-Gyu who taps into the desperation and remorse of this character which is needed in order for the movie to work. I also liked Lee Jae-in as Seong-gyu's daughter who is slightly expanded from her role in the first film (only slightly) and has some good moments such as a scene where she and Seong-gyu are making plans for a family outing to take their minds off the situation. A key difference between Hard Hit and Retribution is in the directorial style where Retribution was more gritty and confining with the first hour staying primarily within the car, while with Hard Hit director Kim Chang-ju gives the film a more polished look and often travels away from the car such as giving the perspective of the police who enter the story much earlier than the original and I think this dilutes some of the tension to a degree. The movie also doesn't have the same amount of rawness to its portrayal as Retribution tapped into the ongoing Spanish Financial Crisis of the time giving that film a level of presence and gravitas with its air of institutional frustration, and while there is some of that it's mostly confined to the end of the movie rather than littered throughout.
Hard Hit isn't one of my favorite South Korean genre films as it plays like a slightly above average "movie of the week", but it's a efficient and well made thriller that does its job adequately.
Great movie
kanifuker-8470821 October 2021
Great movie, especially if you're into South Korean cinema. The acting from the two kids and the father was amazing, great acting from all three. My only hate in this movie was that horrible grating droll swarmy background music that annoyed me throughout but i still give the movie a 10/10. Well worth a watch and will recommend this to family and friends.
F in the wind.
deception_point4 September 2021
First of all I'd like to say that I love South Korean movies. I saw the devil, Oldboy, The Wailing are some of my favorite movies overall. If I start to list every Korean movie that I like I'm afraid I won't finish until next week.
But this, this was such a waste of time. Unfortunately just like some recent Korean movies. It's like authors take movie fans for complete fools. For example the episode where they were "checking" the dudes "brothers" identity?) Wut? The so called "villain" didn't have any relation to the main character and was still allowed to pass by the police?! Overall the storyline is too simple and very predictable. It almost seems like after Parasites won the Academy Award, Korean movie makers decided that they have to start making "American" movies. That's exactly the opposite of what Parasites did to win the Oscars. Don't get me wrong I love American movies, best in the world. But I'm talking about old American classics not modern American movies which are all ideological clones of each other and movies like this one.
P. S. The movie didn't clarify too well the financial fraud which the main character was a part of, but I want to say that everyone is responsible for their financial decisions personally. Don't blame banks or other individuals if you can't operate your own finances properly. So inconclusion the message of this movie is not good as well.
But this, this was such a waste of time. Unfortunately just like some recent Korean movies. It's like authors take movie fans for complete fools. For example the episode where they were "checking" the dudes "brothers" identity?) Wut? The so called "villain" didn't have any relation to the main character and was still allowed to pass by the police?! Overall the storyline is too simple and very predictable. It almost seems like after Parasites won the Academy Award, Korean movie makers decided that they have to start making "American" movies. That's exactly the opposite of what Parasites did to win the Oscars. Don't get me wrong I love American movies, best in the world. But I'm talking about old American classics not modern American movies which are all ideological clones of each other and movies like this one.
P. S. The movie didn't clarify too well the financial fraud which the main character was a part of, but I want to say that everyone is responsible for their financial decisions personally. Don't blame banks or other individuals if you can't operate your own finances properly. So inconclusion the message of this movie is not good as well.
Simple thriller of the highest order
godsnames22 January 2022
All of the ingredients are there: fast-paced action with appropriate character development, good actors to execute them, amazing cinematography, and an exceptional original score which will linger in your mind for a while. Good cinema. Well worth watching.
8/10.
8/10.
Waaaaaay too long
ctmine4 July 2022
The movie felt like it would never end. It took me three weeks to finish the movie bc it was so boring. I finally dad forwarded to the last 15 min to see the end (didn't realize this was a remake of the Spanish movie else I would just have read the summary of that film). The movie's focus was on family being trapped in a car speed chasing through the city and not on the backstory of the plot. I would have liked this movie better if the majority of the film was on the flashbacks to tell the backstory instead.
Inspired by other movie
kumar_delish29 January 2022
These movie is inspired by Spanish film Retribution
The fantastic movie seat edge thriller movie but these movie is not up to the mark
Maybe lous tusar acting make the movie better then this one
My advice is watch the Spanish movie
Because the first one made is best then the others are better..
Nice watch
mikkiparker22 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
A very exciting action film. Although it is a remake of the Spanish Retribution, the director and screenwriter Kim Chang Ju still managed to add interesting additions. Each scene has its own charm, Jo Woo Jin in the lead role perfectly depicts a desperate father and husband who will do whatever is necessary for the safety of his family. Ji Chang Wook, a villain whom we first meet on the phone, can completely steal the scene with only his voice. The scene in which the main actors meet for the first time perfectly demonstrates their acting talent. The story is an engaging one with realistic dialogues. Highly recommend, probably one of the best action films from 2021!
A pretty decent action-oriented bomb thriller.
whackcar1 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
It's nothing new but the execution is good. It's a bit slow in parts, but overall stays pretty exciting. I loved the scene where the daughter risks her life to protect her father. It was well shot & beautiful to witness. Ending felt a bit flat, but will leave you with a relaxed mind. Watch it with your family or friends, it's good enough.
A good story with good execution
emeraldhettiarachchi31 January 2022
This movie carries a good story-it may be a remake, but this is really good- and the execution of the movie is really good. From acting to direction this is a good movie.
However, it had several flaws with the convincing of financial fraud the main characters involved in. Other than that the movie is better than this kind of movies out there.
Watch it. You won't regret it.
However, it had several flaws with the convincing of financial fraud the main characters involved in. Other than that the movie is better than this kind of movies out there.
Watch it. You won't regret it.
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