Night in Paradise (2020) User Reviews

Very good movie

[steli-os · 7/10 · 9 April 2021]

I almost skipped this movie because of the 5.8 stars (at the time of this review). But something clicked inside me when I watched the trailer. I have no idea idea why some people rated this movie so low. It's not a masterpiece, but definitely deserves some credit.

Nice acting, great cinematography, great music. I liked the dark tone from the start. I really liked some conversations. Some of them were surreal and it actually worked nicely.

Not much else to add here. Just don't expect non-stop action. For me, its main selling point was the dramatic scenes and I got what I expected from this movie. But I have to admit, the final scene is amazing. You'll know what I mean when you watch it!

A solid genre mashup with amazing locations n a fantastic climax.

[Fella_shibby · 8/10 · 14 April 2021]

Inspite of the film's lengthy runtime, i never felt bore. The film is indeed very different from ur regular gangster movie.

Gangster drama with a subtle touch !!

[madhukar30 · 7/10 · 3 June 2021]

Director Park Hoon jung's consistency level over the years is just amazing, I wonder how he does it time and again on experimenting a wide range of genres, while keeping the core stories interesting to the viewers. Night in Paradise is about two luckless souls from the same world meeting each other in an island, and for a brief time, they learn to appreciate each other and enjoy each other's company before all hell breaks lose. It's a simple but compelling story. The main characters portray their tragic characters in a very relatable manner.

Cinematography is calm and composed beautifully in line with the mood of the scenes. Screenplay is well written, with well defined characters and interlaced with interesting sub plots. Editing is neat but a 132 minute runtime, could have been a little short. Production design, Music, costumes and makeup are very good. Most of the actors did a wonderful job, especially, the leads Jeon Yeo-been and Uhm Tae-goo, who portray their characters quite convincingly.

Overall, Night of Paradise is story of a man targeted by gangsters and a woman who has given up on life. The movie is a slow burner, with a lot of bleak and brutal moments along with some great fight sequences and action scenes, it is wonderfully laced with a sprinkling of black humour. Night of Paradise is recommended for all Korean movie fans, around the world. 7.3 stars out of 10 for its simple, uncomplicated plot presented in a sophisticated style.

The first half promised better than the second half could deliver...

[tccandler · 6/10 · 11 April 2021]

For the bulk of its running time, this Korean gangster thriller sets a tone that promises a poetic and subtle conclusion. Unfortunately, the final third lands with the delicacy of a sledgehammer to the skull. The two central performances deserved a more intelligent screenplay.

Didn't expect it to be this good..

[privatelyed · 7/10 · 13 April 2021]

Well, I thought the men outside the restaurant would riddle the shooter with bullets ala Bonnie and Clyde. But it didn't happen that way, still very entertaining and likeable characters. Highly recommended//

At last the genuine gritty Korean crime genre is back !!!!

[searchanddestroy-1 · 10/10 · 12 April 2021]

I desperately guessed that the best Korean crime flicks were history, after the terrific wave of the early 2000's: bloody, gritty, brutal and so moving in the same time. I won't repeat the list, there were too many of them. And since several years now, we had to puke watching so many craps, more than the Hollywood garbage junks, with plenty of action and those damn F...HAPPY ENDINGS that I neraly forgot what the korean film industry was. But now, I can breath again. This film is a real hit in the groin. Awesome. I spent one hour sending mails to my friends, ordering them not to miss this jewell, at any cost. I will continue the whole day.

Well directed

[phd_travel · 7/10 · 8 July 2021]

Surprisingly watchable this gangster movie is above the usual standard. I had become disappointed by the genre where the movies were full of angst and depressing and the action felt meaningless. This movie is a notch above. You get drawn in to the characters and I like the 2 leading characters. They were both damaged people - a gangster on the run and a terminally ill gangster's niece. Atmospheric cinematography on Jeju.

Uhm Tae Goo is convincing and realistic not a super hero. Jeon Yeo Bin is likeable here. I found her annoying in Vincenzo because of the failed attempt at comedy. But here you are on her side and she doesn't overact.

The fight and chase sequences are well directed - clear and exciting. The car chase and escape are tense. The fight in the farm is brutal. Surprisingly even though it may seem a downer that the hero dies first and why did he go there to get killed but wait there is a big shoot out that makes you feel okay about things. A happy ending isn't in the cards but it's acceptable.

Be warned there is a lot of violence and shooting and stabbing but it is not sickening or gratuitous somehow.

I don't really enjoy violent gangster movies but this good for what it is.

So good

[the_emo_santa · 9/10 · 9 April 2021]

It's a dark, sad och gritty story about gangsters, violence, revenge, backstabbing and death. They actors did a great job and I absolutely recommend this movie.

Nothing to Lose Romance

[perrywins1 · 7/10 · 15 January 2022]

I liked this movie. The beginning setup was great and left me expecting more in the second half. The two lead characters were awesome and I really wish they had spent more time developing the relationship between them. I like the concept of the end of the line, we have nothing to lose love story.

The quiet parts of the film when they share heartfelt moments together and intimate conversations are by far the best scenes. I was hoping the budding romance would be better developed but it wasn't. The writers opted instead to have us suspend our belief for an unlikely airport fight, an unrealistic car chase, and an over long, bloody denouement.

Perhaps what nags at me the most was the protagonists go through all of this personal heartache and pain, but nobody wins. The audience is left without an olive branch of hope, nothing to uplift our spirit in the face of all that suffering and death. I enjoyed it for what it was, but it could have been much better. The Man from Nowhere (2010) is a good example of what I mean from this genre.

A paradise of a brutal, tragic and poignant Korean gangster movie

[bronzeplayer · 25 April 2021]

Gut wrenching and gory. But visceral and electric. Final scene is amazing. A must watch for fans of this genre. One of the best in recent years.

The movie is okay but too long

[Misss25 · 5/10 · 26 April 2021]

I found this movie pretty straightforward; a mobster takes revenge and later the gangs of enemies coming after him to kill him. Acting of the two leads are really good. Specially,I like don't care attitude of the female. Even their interactions and bonding is satisfactory (Kinda unique) . Apart from this I felt too much violence are shown which is hard to watch. Overall it's a good movie to watch if you're action movie lover.

Immersive, beautifully shot and...?

[GeorgeAson · 9/10 · 9 April 2021]

"I won't mince words".

The plot of the film was the least interesting thing about it, not because it's bad, it's just that we have seen it all before again and again. Gangsters, revenge, violence, blah blah.

Simple, right? Wrong.

Why?

Because through the immersive cinematography, the way the story is presented, the dark and mature themes, and the overall atmosphere the film portrays, is top notch. It is more complex than that but it never shows it. Instead, it lets the viewer understand it by going beyond the mainstream - not by using an extraordinary plot but by portraying empty environments, nature, appreciation of quietness and feelings that are hidden behind all of the previous.

The film mostly takes place in a remote place, so the opportunity for portraying said feeling of loneliness and appreciation of simple life and nature, has been well utilized.

There is action, sure, but many could argue that the pacing is a little bit off - boring at times, even. But I believe that it was presented in such a way that every scene added to the character development and the overall climax.

Let me give an example: Showing the main characters eating together, may be boring for some, but if you look beyond the simplicity of the scene, you can see that this was added because bonding is achieved through experiences. Simple or complex. And our protagonists live through many. Simple, like eating food together, going on rides or drinking at night. Complex, like being forced to watch the man you grew to like, unjustly being murdered by people with connections or trying to prevent a girl you've known for a only few hours from committing suicide. And this way, you grow more fond of them and you stop seeing them as indestructible machines most "heroes' are. They are just tormented people that want to be left alone.

And this for me, is the true meaning of the overall theme of the film. Loneliness, depicted through beautiful cinematography and past mistakes.

The ending is also very gritty, this film makes you believe that you will witness Avengers type of action and indestructibility of the main actors. You think that our protagonist will beat the hell out of the bad guys and save the girl. Guess again. And thus, it leaves you with a very sad feeling when the credits roll. Again, loneliness is felt even more.

Immersiveness is key in nearly every film and for me, Park Hoon-jung has created his best film to date.

The acting is also phenomenal, but I haven't yet seen a Korean film with bad acting, tbh.

TL; DR: If you like dark films, beautiful cinematography and appreciate film-making, watch it now. If you expect thousands of plot-twists, 2 hours of action and "good guys always win" mentality, don't.

Over-long action/crime pic with a surplus of blood

[Groverdox · 7/10 · 29 April 2021]

"Night in Paradise" has some very good sequences, but is hopelessly over-long. Nobody could blame you for tuning out. It also has some good characters. Most movies don't have one memorable bad guy (or character) but here we have three that make an impression.

The movie is really more of an action movie than a gangster flick. The plot is actually quite simple, without a whole lot of the machinations we expect from a gangster movie, and it really comes alive during its scenes of action, which are extraordinarily bloody.

It also has a couple of unexpected twists at the end, and a fairly satisfying conclusion. It's just too bad about the needless padding. The movie even continues for a few pointless shots after what few would disagree should have been its absolute closer.

Really

[svader · 2/10 · 11 April 2021]

A majority of the 9s and 10s have only ever left one film review. I find that a little strange.

Literally nothing happens in this filming of people talking to each other. That is what it is. Overacting talking to each other for sooooo long.

I felt the movie dragged beyond slowness. It is extremely boring.

The two leads may as well have filmed their parts on screen alone. There is no chemistry at all.

I would definitely not recommend.

Good movie, lots of action.

[zachary-68690 · 7/10 · 19 April 2021]

If you need some action and a revenge film this I'd recommend.

To live in agony

[wjosephjorob · 7/10 · 28 April 2021]

If you set out to make a gangster movie in these times. This is how it should be done, right hand man loses his family, the blame is placed on a rival gang, his grief causes him to sacrifice his career in the family on revenge, in order to smooth things over, he has to leave town and settle elsewhere, in a small town he stays with a old gangster and his quirky niece , meanwhile back on the home front , the two rival gangs battle for supremacy, and things don't work in favor of the gang of the right hand man who had to leave town, the big boss wants revenge and don't care how he obtains it, this sets up the second half of this film quite well in my opinion, because the right hand man and the quirky niece both get to know each other and discover they both have their share of grief and sorrow in their life, to which it becomes apparently clear that things will not get better at all, the right hand gets betrayed by his boss and this set off a chain of explosive and tragic events, this story of grief, betrayal and revenge is bloody, unrelenting yet at the same time atmospheric, moody and a beautifully filmed production, the third act of this movie got me applauding , the last Korean gangster movie that I really liked a lot was the Yellow sea, it had all the elements of this movie , the acting in this movie was excellent, it had some unintentional hilarious lines between the main bosses , the main character who portrayed the right hand man was fantastic, the director did a excellent job of not watering down nothing, he gave us , a straight to the point gangster movie, if you like it hardcore and gritty welcome aboard, I recommend this movie , if you enjoy crime thrillers .

Best Movie since 2020 started.

[nate_smith · 10/10 · 13 April 2021]

Amazing writing, directing, cinematography. Will definitely win awards at the end of this year. I'd put it down as one of the best movies since 2020 started.

My girlfriend and I gave it a standing ovation in our bedroom.

READ: If you are too lazy to read subtitles, any films other than those of your native language are NOT for you. It changes the whole dynamic/experience. I wouldn't dare to hear some crappy voiceovers on a masterpiece such as this. Any low reviews you see are the pawns who watched it dubbed, which shouldn't ever be done to any movie, in any language.

Average crime drama with a decent ending

[mtz-22825 · 6/10 · 11 April 2021]

As far as crime dramas go this is fairly run of the mill, with the only thing making it stand out a bit being the ending. This is a shame considering the director also made one of the best movies in genre: I Saw the Devil.

Another quality crime thriller by Park Hoon-jung

[alain-kapel5 · 8/10 · 10 April 2021]

Premiering at Venice film festival last year, Night in Paradise left a mostly positive impression on those lucky enough to catch the screening. This, together with the fact it was directed by Park Hoon-jung, marked it as an item of interest for us genre fans. Well, now that it has finally been released worldwide, I'm glad to say that the wait was worth it. It's not top notch in every aspect, unfortunately, but the overall feeling is that of satisfaction.

This is a prestigious looking gangster drama in the vein of modern Korean genre hits like A Dirty Carnival or A Bittersweet Life. It begins with Tae-gu, a right-hand henchman for gang boss Yang, commiting an act of violence against a rival gang. Since Yang didn't approve it, Tae-gu is forced to leave for Jeju island to lay low and await further orders from the boss. There he also meets Jae-yeon, a lonely girl suffering from a mysterious disease...

This initial setup contains many elements you may have already seen; a brooding young gangster, slick and treacherous gang bosses about to start a war, knife-wielding action, a potential romantic partner and so on. It's all familiar, but rendered with a lot of care by Park, who is becoming an increasingly refined visual stylist. In terms of plot and pacing, however, there are a few setbacks. The story is presented in a low-key fashion with bursts of violence sometimes verging on extreme. This creates an interesting dynamic given that it demands more patience than a typical gangster film would. On the other hand, some scenes do seem drawn out as a result. Add to that the film's long-ish runtime of approximately 130 minutes and you have an uneven mix of brutal action and quiet drama that won't be to everyone's taste.

Personally, I'd say it's peculiar enough to seem fresh, but it also ticks all the expected boxes that lovers of Asian crime thrillers anticipate. Thus I believe that many of you will be satisfied by much of what it has to offer, be it melancholic ruminating or intense action. The latter is demonstrated in some great looking setpieces that will keep you on the edge of your seat, so don't think Night is just about staring into the sunset with a cigarette in hand.

Overall, this is a solid crime thriller that marks another successful entry in Park's genre-based filmography. Give it a chance.

Solid South Korean mob violence.

[deloudelouvain · 7/10 · 20 November 2021]

Night In Paradise is yet another good movie coming from South Korea. This country releases good movies over and over again. Not every Asian country does that but South Korea is definitely the best Asian country when it's about quality movies. No overacting here, all solid performances from the entire cast. You have to be able to indulge some violence though, hardcore violence, the Clockwork Orange kind, the ultra violence. It can be very bloody and violent but it's a mob movie so what else do you expect? It was all very well directed, great cinematography as well. I'm not surprised anymore when it comes from South Korea. In fact I search for those little gems now coming from there. The list is too long with solid movies from there. Night In Paradise is a long movie but it never fails to entertain, from beginning till the end.

Just watch it

[safiyetrabzon · 22 April 2021]

That was just amazing. I felt that movie. It's not bad when movie doesn't end well. Cause you can feel it, cause that's a real life. Everything can happen in life.

K-Soap masquerading as a gangster flic

[dharmathug · 2/10 · 19 April 2021]

This is a 20 minute short dragged on for 135 mins of endless boring drama, if boring can describe endless glorified violence and retread tragedy. It certainly describes a hackneyed plot and endless filler scenes that only remind us how boring the film is and how unoriginal anything about it is.

I want those 135 mins back.

Good Movie with Breathtaking Final !

[ogunduz38 · 8/10 · 9 April 2021]

I am in love with this movie. The characters,scenario,dialogues,acing,scene shooting,processing of the movie, are all very good. Acion, drama, love, you can find every of them. Especially the final was a masterpiece. Watch and. Make it watch.

Exacerbated violence

[faer_kr · 7/10 · 12 April 2021]

A drama combined with a Korean thriller.

It is about a mafia murderer who seeks revenge for the murder of his relatives and with the help of his boss, he confronts the opposite side, unleashing chaos and war.

Quality.

Exacerbated violence Good shots, lots of blood, the scenes look raw and real.

At times the blood feels exaggerated.

Most of the effects are good, only two moments are not well achieved.

Not romanticized.

Mostly entertaining.

The performances are good.

The first and last acts are the most action-packed, the second takes a bit of time to develop the characters and can feel slow as it starts off at a good pace.

The ending is consistent.

It looks a lot like the "Hunting Time" formula.

Excellent if you enjoy violent movies with drama.

Great script, camera, but lacking in details especially in special effect

[momomojojo · 4/10 · 9 August 2021]

The story line is nice, but there is no moral to the story. Also the introduction is a bit long, could shorten it down, making the story more interesting. The characters are introduced too short making it for the audience hard to follow, because there are too much relationship to cope.

The acting is really Korean style, a bit "too fake" but you can say it is how they are. The good point is that it is realistic done not over the top, pitty they used too much non-perfect special effect dragging down the quality of the overall of the movie.

The storyline is done great with plots evolving, but I think what Hollywood can learn is nothing is impossible, it does not have to be a good end, like a drama movie

A movie that is good for a weekend evening to enjoy, to really sit down, no distraction.