Enter South Korea’s drug underworld in Hwang Byeng-Gug’s Yadang: The Snitch, a major box office hit in its native land. Lee Kang-soo (Kang Ha-neul) is a cab driver who is framed for being a junkie. While in jail, Prosecutor Goo Gwan-hee (Yoo Hae-jin) gives him the opportunity to be a yadang (snitch) to take down drug operations in favor of a reduced prison sentence. Detective Oh Sang-jae (Park Hae-joon) is always one step behind Kang The Snitch as he fails to capture various drug lords. He recruits the help of an aspiring actress, Uhm Soo-jin (Chae Won-Bin), to aid him in his mission. The drug operations have a major influence throughout the country as they intersect politics, the entertainment industry, and economic trade with other nations.
Kang, Detective Oh, and Soo-jin cross paths after many surreal events. After being injected with meth by gangsters, Kang is left to suffer as an addict. Detective Oh is thrown in jail over “allegedly” taking bribes from the cartels. Soo-jin has become a dealer. All of this occurs as a presidential election is ramping up. Prosecutor Goo is working with Cho Hoon (Ryu Kyung-soo), the son of one of the candidates. Our three unlikely heroes must take down the drug operations with an ingenious scheme of espionage and surveillance.
“Our three unlikely heroes must take down the drug operations with an ingenious scheme of espionage and surveillance.”
Yadang: The Snitch is a highly engaging and tightly constructed action-thriller. Hyo-seok Kim’s screenplay is amazing in how he juggles various tones. Scenes switch from action-comedy to brutal suspense without missing a beat. Lee Mo-gae’s cinematography adds to the brutality, as red conveys the chaos and rage of junkies throughout the film.
From a story perspective, the film gradually builds on its plot twists and balances the ensemble cast. The cast is fantastic, and Kang Ha-neul is an engaging lead as Kang. Yoo Hae-jin portrays Prosecutor Goo with subtlety, revealing the many shades of this morally grey authority figure. The rest of the cast have stand-out performances, especially the character actors and actresses.
In the hands of another filmmaker, Yadang: The Snitch would feel like a condensed television series. All these interlocking plots and flashbacks are cohesive. Its mid-credit scene hints that it could be a future franchise, and I’d be down to see more of Kang The Snitch and Detective Oh! Check out this film if you love edge-of-your-seat action and addictive crime media.
"…always one step behind Kang The Snitch as he fails to capture various drug lords."
