Decibel (2022) User Reviews

A classic trolley problem

[ayundaanisa · 7/10 · 31 May 2023]

Running against time involving bomb, which a new style bomb, the bomb uses the sound to detonate it. Innovative feature that make this movie feels thrilling and high tension. Taking member of family to be hostages

The casts are excellent, korean actors are really good to act. The main casts really doing a great job for capturing each characters

It had full and intense action and drama for 110 minutes The story build up fine, it's easy to follow. About how hard to be a leader and making decision for others. At the end we know that there's no perfect solution for every problem. This is a good movie.

one time watch!

[anaaannya · 7/10 · 13 February 2023]

Decibel might ride on the damsel-in-distress cliche but scores well in the execution of action scenes. The sound-responsive bomb is an innovative feature that heightens the tension and creates a distinct brand of multisensory suspense. These unforgiving bombs increase viewers' sensitivity to sound.

The cast's excellent screen presence adds to the tension. Decibel is one of the few times fans get to see Lee JongSuk play the antagonist, and he does not disappoint. His performance of villain-grade lunacy, driven by profound pain, elicited gasps from the audience. Cha EunWoo also had his moments to shine, as he conveyed a heartfelt farewell on the submarine. Jung SangHoon balances the intense action with his humanity and some slapstick moments before things get too serious.

To be honest, it was soo heartbreaking to see the aftermath of a terrible accident in which truths were swept under the rug and accident victims were left with mental traumas. With that, I felt, the submarine problem is an important part of the film that may have been overshadowed by the bombs and action. DoYoung's dilemma immediately brings to mind the classic trolley problem experiment, and viewers are called to ponder what they would have done in that situation. However, as it demonstrates, there is no perfect solution to every problem.

In a nutshell, Decibel has a heartfelt plot. It was a film that revealed the weight of being a leader and the decisions that must be made. The decision costs lives and changes the lives of others. Perfect one for one time watch!

Good action and suspenseful.

[deloudelouvain · 7/10 · 21 February 2023]

I watched this South Korean movie with very bad subtitles which kinda ruined the experience a bit. The translator had problems with the genders as he constantly made the mistake between her and him or he and she. Also the names of the Koreans are just very difficult to remember for an European so that on top of the very fast dialogues just lead to confusion. I wonder if Koreans have the same difficulties to remember our names like John, Paul or Guy? That said the story was very entertaining, with constant suspense and action. I would have scored it eight if the subtitles weren't that bad. The acting was good, not overacting like it's sometimes the case with Asian actors. South Koreans just know how to act and how to make movies. Definitely the best Asian country for quality movies. I see Decibel is also categorized as a horror movie but that's absolutely not the case. It's an action thriller, a good one.

6/10. Watchable but not recommended

[athanasiosze · 6/10 · 6 August 2023]

Korean's Cinema glory days belong in the past. Now it's decaying. Actors overacting, the same overdramatic context again and again. It's like we are watching the same movie, just with variations. And it's a shame, because there are many talented people involving in this area. Great action scenes, original stories etc. Please, do something, Korea is a big hope for the global film industry.

This has its moments. Action scenes are good. It's interesting and enjoyable. But it's longer than it should be. Viewer does not connect with the characters, it's too fast, chaotic and messy. At some point, i didn't care about what happened. Acting is wooden, except Rae-won Kim, he is very good. For sure, it's not a bad action movie. If you are a big a fan of this genre, maybe you will enjoy it more than me.

Fascinating

[emrecolak55 · 7/10 · 2 December 2022]

I had full of action 110 minutes. If it'd have been just a "catch the bomber guy" movie, it wouldn't have been that good. But with the story behind, it drew me in. The timing of transitions between the submarine and now was good as well.

I just didn't like some effects such as explosion of cars. It looked a little fake. I can not cut any points of how the story is processed but maybe it'd be nicer to know more about some of the side characters or maybe more details of the life of the soldier in the submarine. It's hard to put everyting in 1h and 50 minutes it would be intersting to watch more submarine life.

Generally it was quite amusing to see this movie. I can recommend.

Shh!!! The bomb will hear you...

[PANDIAN120621 · 7/10 · 24 January 2023]

With the two base plots(Submarine & Bomb) the run time of 2hrs is Crispy that makes watchable... Being tagged as sound terror movie where a bomb explodes if it reaches certain level of decibel is enough to crave for the movie... The combination of all lead actors was a tremendous job where every characters move along the flick to give a emotional texture especially Lee Jong's villainous act is a show stealer... Though the plot wasn't boring the writing falls flat at later part making it to feel an ordinary movie that uncovers the plot with belated time... The best part is a glimpses of Submarine portion scenes could have been an extended Overall a high octane action movie with some human value makes it watch worthy.

bombs away

[cdcrb · 7/10 · 4 December 2022]

After a terrible "accident" aboard a submarine, a lt cdr , suffering from tremendous guilt, receives threatening telephone calls about bombs going off. His phone is locked into the bomber and he must race around trying to prevent disaster from happening. Naturally his wife and child are involved, a must in these kind of stories, and there is indeed a lot of action. There is also another story which i can't give away. This all makes for an exciting adventure and the main character is very good. The scenes aboard the submarine are very effective and realistic. You know the end, but what the hey. Its a great way to spend a rainy saturday afternoon in nyc.

Not Enough Spark To It To Make It The Big Bang Thriller It Was Meant To Be!

[silicontourist · 3/10 · 23 January 2023]

Not all of the actors were convincing or acted well in this drab feature but, for the 2 or 3 who were very good I have given the film a 3 star(instead of the 1 I was going to award it).

This was -for me- the dullest film in every way and, that is a rare thing to say indeed for a South Korean film...no matter what genre it falls into. It failed to light any spark of tension to have me sitting on the edge of my seat and, it failed to explain itself clearly in every single film piece. So! After about 20 minutes into the film I found myself at the point of not giving a damn who or what the the hell was blown up next.

Its a story that has been done before but the director just appears to have not been up to the job of getting his actors to give him what the audience needed to find it worth watching!

Involving dilemma but should have unfolded chronologically

[phd_travel · 7/10 · 5 September 2023]

There is a mistake in the narrative of this show. The story should have been told in a linear chronological manner. They should have shown what happened in the sub before showing the terror. I was wondering for the first part what happened and that detracted from the tension. Because of recent sub sinking incidents the disaster element felt quite plausible. The terror parts were fairly well handled.

The Korean aspect of this film compared to Hollywood thrillers is that the bad guy has a good reason for what he is doing and the hero made some mistakes. The commander had to choose to sacrifice some to save some. So Lee Jong Suk was wrong to oppose that. But Kim Rae Won should have let him switch places with his brother Cha Eun Woo if he wanted to. No reason why people can't voluntarily switch. So when what happened in the sub was finally revealed I was more on Lee Jong Suk's side.

This film is worth a watch but be prepared it's not a pure adrenaline thriller.

Pretty amazing movie, sad to see many people not appreciate it for what it is

[abeerasif-04562 · 10/10 · 1 April 2023]

I made an IMDB account just to leave a positive review on this movie.

I think most people may be a bit disappointed since some of the very popular actors like Cha Eun Woo and minhi were in the flashbacks but that's a really unfair reason to be biased for In itself the movie was absolutely amazing from beginning to end. I loved it and it absolutely kept me at the edge of my seat.

Sure, the directors didnt need to add in so many renowned actors, Lee Jong Suk would've been enough. BUTTT please overlook that and judge the movie for THE MOVIE and you'll realize how amazing it is. Performance, storyline, and scenes are just *chef's kiss*

The girls in my screen cheering for Lee Jong-Suk would've breached the Decibel barrier.

[chand-suhas · 6/10 · 18 March 2023]

This is the second Korean film I watched on the big screen after Parasite and it was quite an experience. I really didn't expect the audience demography to be this lopsided and their madness for Lee Jong-Suk to be the cherry on top. Korean action thrillers have an unique quality when it comes to keeping the narrative engaging. Decibel is decent enough blend between a nail biting thriller and emotional drama. The emotional flashback do their job in elevating the story.

The fast paced narrative takes a breather during the flashbacks. But the celebrated navy officer being drawn into this run against time game involving bombs spread across the city and uses sound to detonate it. The suspense wrt the mystery bomber was well maintained till the third act, though the glimpse at the poster alone will reveal who is it. There is enough humor as well to cut the tension, not too action packed but the performances ensure Decibel ends up as a worthy watch.

such a pure movie and it's just flow like water

[pujipujiannisa · 7/10 · 24 September 2023]

Suddenly, I wanted to watch a film about terrorism, and this title appeared, and I just watched it. The first time I saw the setting, to be honest, I am a typical person who is not quick enough to digest the setting of a film and cannot predict the ending of any film. For me, this decibel was less digestible at the start of the film, but when it lasted +- 50 minutes, I was able to digest it :D The film is dramatic, it tells of loyalty, revenge, anger, and honesty, and is very true. , it seems like it really happened, about a brother and boy who love each other, but are so respectful of their leader's decisions.

I like this film, and I give it a 7/10, not quite tense enough, but seeing the characters Kang Do-Young, Jeon Tae Song, and Jeon Tae Ryeong is really real!

Good thriller film!

[balletteacher · 8/10 · 3 July 2023]

As a fan of Kim Rae Won, this was another action film which did him Justice. I frankly have never seen him so physical, perhaps why he has lost some weight. This probably would've been better as a series so we could've delved into the lives of the fellow sailors. There was so much to learn, but in a 2-hr movie, it's not enough character development. Like the reporter, for example. He could've been any person. Everything just seemed rush, the leading actors didn't have much to do. Except for KRW. I understand why the producers decided on casting the "idol" actors-who did amazingly despite short screen time-to attract the younger audiences. Again...DECIBEL would've been better as a series. Nvertheless, this movie kept me glued to my seat!!

Acting beyond the limits

[oliveruschmann · 10/10 · 28 January 2023]

The real heart of this film is not the innovatively conceived and title-giving nature of the bombs invented by the villain, but the hard-hitting backstory. This story shows - this "villain" named Jeon Tae-seong (Lee Jong-suk) is not a villain at all. He is a man who wanted to be a hero in the most extreme situation imaginable, who wanted to trade his life for that of his brother. Down there, at the bottom of the sea, in a submarine for whose crew salvation will come so late that half the men will sacrifice themselves for the other half. From the hand of their commander Kang Do-young (Kim Rae-won) they pull strings, draw lots to see who gets to live and who has to die. Jeon Tae-seong draws life, his brother draws death... and Tae-seong is not allowed to change places with him. Hence his despair, his urge for retribution, especially since the truth about what happened down there has never come to light. So what happens above, in the daylight of action, gets its meaning from what literally as well as symbolically lies hidden in the deep.... and what takes one's breath away through the incredibly intense acting of Lee Jong-suk. When this actor portrays the despair of a man who has to send his brother to his death, it goes so deep, as if he were losing a human being just in reality. How he goes to the limit, how he cries and screams and his world collapses, that is incomparable, that is no longer a representation, but a reality that transports itself directly into the soul of the viewer. Personally, it makes me think of the way Bryan Garris screams, vocalist for Knocked Loose, arguably the most intense hardcore band of our day. Others just roar, like attackers, like men about to come to blows. Garris, on the other hand, screams from the wounded soul of someone who has already crossed the edge of despair. Lee Jong-suk plays the same way, it goes through the marrow. In one scene he even plays within the acting, in the chair of a military psychologist. One minute he is crying hopelessly, and in a split second his face changes to that of a bitter, cynical man asking if this was a good job now. Lee Jong-suk's portrayal of Jeon Tae-seong thus gives weight to the background story about a merciless triage and gives the "villain" a comprehensible reason for his urge for revenge and the step across borders after which there is no turning back. One of the best actors of our time, worldwide.