| The Merciless | |||||||
| Native Name: |
| ||||||
| Director: | Byun Sung-hyun | ||||||
| Producer: | Yun Ji-won | ||||||
| Starring: | Sol Kyung-gu Im Si-wan | ||||||
| Music: | Kim Hong-jip Lee Jin-hee | ||||||
| Cinematography: | Cho Hyoung-rae | ||||||
| Editing: | Kim Jae-bum Kim Sang-bum | ||||||
| Studio: | CJ E&M | ||||||
| Distributor: | CJ Entertainment | ||||||
| Runtime: | 120 minutes | ||||||
| Country: | South Korea | ||||||
| Language: | Korean | ||||||
| Gross: | [1] | ||||||
The Merciless is a 2017 South Korean crime-action film directed by Byun Sung-hyun, and starring Sol Kyung-gu and Im Si-wan. The film was released in South Korea on May 17, 2017. It was shown out of competition in the Midnight Screenings section at the 70th Cannes Film Festival on May 24, 2017.[2]
The story is about the loyalty and betrayal between an inmate leader and an undercover cop/prisoner, who team to take over a gang.It centers around the main character Hyun soo, the undercover cop, and Han Jaeho the inmate leader.
Prior to its local release, the film has been pre-sold to 85 countries including France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, Australia, India, Taiwan, the Philippines and Singapore at the 2017 Hong Kong Film Mart.[3] According to the distributor CJ Entertainment the film was later sold to additional territories, reaching a total of 117 countries worldwide.[4]
The film was released in French cinemas on June 28, 2017, by ARP Distributors.[5] [6]
The film received a seven-minute standing ovation at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.[7]
Michele Halberstadt from ARP Films praised the film for its screenwriting, direction and characters.[8] [9]
According to the Korean Film Council, the film topped the Korean box office on the first day of release and sold 95,261 tickets.[10] [11]
On December 28, 2017, CJ E&M, the production company of The Merciless, announced a television adaptation of the film. According to the company, the script will be written in 2018, and the drama would be produced in 2019.
| Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st JIMFF Awards | JIMFF OST Award | Kim Hong-jip Lee Jin-hee | |
| Korean Film Shining Star Awards[12] | Star Award | ||
| 1st The Seoul Awards[13] [14] | Best Film | The Merciless | |
| Best Actor | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | |||
| Most Popular Actor (Film) | |||
| 26th Buil Film Awards[15] | Best Supporting Actor | ||
| 54th Grand Bell Awards[16] | Best Film | The Merciless | |
| Best Director | Byun Sung-hyun | ||
| Best Actor | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Kim Hee-won | ||
| Best Lighting | Park Jeong-woo | ||
| Best Cinematography | Cho Hyoung-rae | ||
| Best Editing | Kim Sang-beom & Kim Jae-beom | ||
| 37th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards[17] | Best Actor | Sol Kyung-gu | |
| Best Supporting Actress | |||
| Top 10 Films | The Merciless | ||
| 38th Blue Dragon Film Awards[18] | Best Film | ||
| Best Director | Byun Sung-hyun | ||
| Best Actor | |||
| Popular Star Award | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | |||
| Best Cinematography and Lighting | Jo Hyung-rae & Park Jeong-woo | ||
| Best Editing | Kim Sang-beom & Kim Jae-beom | ||
| Best Music | Kim Hong-jip & Lee Jin-hee | ||
| Best Art Direction | Han Ah-reum | ||
| 54th Baeksang Arts Awards[19] | Best Actor (Film) | ||
| Best Supporting Actor (Film) | Kim Hee-won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress (Film) | Jeon Hye-jin | ||
| Technical Award (Film) | Kim Sang-beom | ||
| 23rd Chunsa Film Art Awards[20] | Best Actor | Sol Kyung-gu | |
| Best Supporting Actor | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Jeon Hye-jin |