From Wikipedia - Reading time: 10 min
| Smugglers | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Hangul | 밀수 |
| Hanja | 密輸 |
| RR | Milsu |
| MR | Milsu |
| Directed by | Ryoo Seung-wan |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Choi Young-hwan |
| Edited by | Lee Kang-hee |
| Music by | Chang Kiha |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Next Entertainment World |
Release date |
|
Running time | 129 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Box office | US$36.9 million[1] |
Smugglers (Korean: 밀수; RR: Milsu) is a 2023 South Korean crime film directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, who co-wrote the film with Kim Jeong-yeon. The film stars Kim Hye-soo, Yum Jung-ah, Zo In-sung, Park Jeong-min, Kim Jong-soo, and Go Min-si. It was released theatrically on July 26, 2023.[2][3]
The film is said to be based on the motif of haenyeo who participated in smuggling in the 1970s, overlapping with the fact that a female smuggling ring was active in Busan at the time.[4]
In 1974, in the small coastal village of Guncheon, a group of female divers (haenyeo), including Jo Chun-ja and Um Jin-sook, struggle to make a living due to pollution from a nearby chemical plant. With their catches spoiled, Jin-sook's father, Captain Um, is persuaded by a smuggling broker to use their fishing boat, Maengryong-ho, for underwater smuggling. Initially hesitant, the haenyeo eventually agree to retrieve goods dumped underwater in exchange for money, leading to sudden prosperity in their impoverished village.
As the smuggling escalates, Chun-ja convinces the others to participate in a gold smuggling operation without informing Captain Um. During the mission, a box accidentally breaks open, revealing the gold, just as customs officers arrive. In a frantic escape, the ship's anchor gets stuck, and Jin-sook's brother, Jin-goo, is knocked unconscious. Captain Um dies trying to save him, leaving Jin-sook devastated. Chun-ja escapes unnoticed, while the rest of the haenyeo are arrested and jailed, Jin-sook for the longest.
Years later, Chun-ja is running her own smuggling business in Seoul, but when she encroaches on a major gangster's turf, she is forced to offer Guncheon as an alternative smuggling route. Reconnecting with her old community, Chun-ja finds the haenyeo ruined by the past, with Jin-sook now working under a corrupt former crewman, Jang Do-ri. Tensions rise as Chun-ja tries to win control over the smuggling network while growing closer to the gangster Kwon, and Jin-sook begins to suspect Chun-ja of betrayal.
Chun-ja and Jin-sook briefly unite when they uncover that Jang Do-ri and customs officer Jang-chun were behind the tragic betrayal years earlier. They devise a plan to pit the two against each other. However, Do-ri, now ambitious and ruthless, brings in gangsters to seize full control, resulting in a violent confrontation where Chun-ja is kidnapped and forced into another smuggling dive under duress. With clever manipulation and coordination, the haenyeo stage a counterattack and begin to turn the tide.
Do-ri is tricked and overpowered by the haenyeo. Though Jin-sook is tempted to kill him, Chun-ja stops her from crossing the line. As the women claim the sea and their freedom, Do-ri meets his gruesome end. It is revealed Kwon survived and is surprised by Chun-ja, who slyly returns one of the stolen diamonds, tucked atop a bowl of rice.
Principal photography began on June 5, 2021 and ended on October 13.[10]
The film was officially invited to the Special Presentations section at 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, which held from September 7 to 17 following the Locarno International Film Festival.[11]
The film was released on July 26, 2023 in South Korea. The opening recorded 318,084 admissions and topped the South Korean box office for two weeks. The film surpassed 1 million admissions on fourth day of its released and surpassed 4 million on their 17th days of released. Smugglers became the second movie to reach break-even point in 2023 after The Roundup: No Way Out.
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2024 | Best Director | Ryoo Seung-wan | Nominated | [12][13] |
| Best Actress | Yum Jung-ah | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Kim Jong-soo | Won | |||
| Park Jeong-min | Nominated | ||||
| Best New Actress | Go Min-si | Nominated | |||
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2023 | Best Film | Smugglers | Won | [14][15] |
| Best Director | Ryoo Seung-wan | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress | Kim Hye-soo | Nominated | |||
| Yum Jung-ah | Nominated | ||||
| Best Supporting Actor | Zo In-sung | Won | |||
| Park Jeong-min | Nominated | ||||
| Best New Actress | Go Min-si | Won | |||
| Best Screenplay | Ryoo Seung-wan | Nominated | |||
| Best Music | Chang Kiha | Won | |||
| Best Cinematography and lighting | Choi Young-hwan, Lee Jae-hyeok | Nominated | |||
| Best Art Direction | Lee Hoo-kyoung | Nominated | |||
| Best Film Editing | Lee Gang-hee | Nominated | |||
| Buil Film Awards | 2023 | Best Supporting Actor | Kim Jong-soo | Won | [16][17] |
| Best Supporting Actress | Go Min-si | Won | |||
| Best New Actress | Nominated | ||||
| Best Actress | Yum Jung-ah | Nominated | |||
| Best Film | Smugglers | Nominated | |||
| Best Director | Ryoo Seung-wan | Nominated | |||
| Best Music | Chang Kiha | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Choi Young-hwan | Nominated | |||
| Art/technical Award | Lee Hoo-kyoung | Nominated | |||
| Busan International Film Festival with Marie Claire Asia Star Awards | 2023 | Face of Asia Award | Go Min-si | Won | [18] |
| Chunsa Film Art Awards | 2023 | Best Actress | Kim Hye-soo | Won | [19] |
| Best Supporting Actor | Kim Jong-soo | Won | |||
| Best New Actress | Go Min-si | Won | |||
| Grand Bell Awards | 2023 | Best Film | Smugglers | Nominated | [20][21] |
| Best Director | Ryoo Seung-wan | Won | |||
| Best Actress | Yum Jung-ah | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Go Min-si | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Park Jeong-min | Nominated | |||
| Kim Jong-soo | Nominated | ||||
| Best Music | Chang Kiha | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Choi Young-hwan | Won | |||
| Best Film Editing | Lee Gang-hee | Nominated | |||
| Best Art Direction | Lee Hoo-kyung | Nominated | |||
| Best Costume Design | Yoon Jung-hee, Kwon Soo-kyung | Nominated | |||
| Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | 2023 | Best Supporting Actor | Kim Jong-soo | Won | [22] |
| Technical Award: (Art) | Lee Hoo-kyoung | Won | |||
| Music Award | Chang Kiha | Won |