The flavor of action characteristic of Ryu Seung-wan is fully realized in the film "Humint."
The film Humint, which opened on the 11th (director Ryu Seung-wan, distributed/provided by NEW, produced by Oeyunaegang), has been sailing smoothly, ranking No. 1 at the domestic box office from its opening day (110,741 on the 11th, cumulative audience 212,817). It is expected to maintain its box office momentum through the Lunar New Year holiday. Meanwhile, we picked action points that fully stimulate the film's charms.
# 'Height 186cm' Zo In-sung's physique is refreshingly impressive
Humint is a film about people with different objectives clashing in Vladivostok, where both secrets and truths are submerged in a cold sea of ice, and centers on NIS black agent Director Jo (Zo In-sung). Director Ryu Seung-wan, who chose Zo In-sung for the third time after Mogadishu and Smuggling, emphasizes that it was a choice made with conviction, delivering awe with Director Jo's flawless action.
In reality, Zo In-sung boasts a model-like physique at 186cm tall. The striking impact and visuals that come from his long limbs and slim height deliver a truly intense sense of excitement, which, combined with Ryu Seung-wan's faultless-action style, amplifies that charm. The sense of impact, speed, and the visual elongation that disperses the gaze and brings rhythm to the cuts all come alive, plainly showing that action master Ryu Seung-wan's choice was right once again.
# 2026 Ryu Seung-wan flavor revives Hong Kong noir
In addition to Director Jo, the action protagonists in Humint are mainly Jo, Park Geon (Park Jeongmin) of North Korea's State Security Department, Consul General Hwang Chi-seong (Park Hae-jun) at the North Korean consulate in Vladivostok, Russia, and the beautiful North Korean-born Humint Chae Seon-hwa (Shin Sae-kyeong). Among them, Director Jo and Park Geon stand at the center of opposing forces — the NIS and the State Security Department — and although they confront each other, they also show a shared desire to protect Chae Seon-hwa, and in the process sometimes stand back-to-back with an enemy, producing action with the sensibility of Chinese martial arts fiction or Hong Kong noir.
The coat hem trailing behind Zo In-sung's tall frame evokes the trench coats of past Hong Kong films, and the momentary sight of backs touching as they fire at an opponent looks like an homage to the archetype of Hong Kong action films. Of course, Ryu Seung-wan's own touch, which emphasizes "real-feeling action," fills the film with the thrill of romance laced with tension.
# an action hotspot that doesn't disappoint expectations
From delivering a refreshing thrill with Arahan: The Martial Arts Fantasy to works such as The City of Violence, The Berlin File, the Veteran series, and now Humint, Ryu Seung-wan's action has been beloved as action movies that meet audience expectations. At the center of that is action with reason. Although Director Jo carried a pistol loaded with bullets, when his superior said, "This is an unauthorized operation so we didn't get the budget," he grips the trigger backwards and swings the firearm like a blunt weapon.
Such seemingly minor changes in movement stand out in Humint's narrative as traces of painstaking consideration so that they make sense, not just look cool. A film that answers a cold, frigid espionage war in wind-whipped Russia with passionate, heated action, Humint's well-ripened flavor is expected to draw audiences over the Lunar New Year holiday.<
[Photo] Provided by NEW.
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