The Drug King
Seen it?2018 | 139 min | Crime, Action, Drama
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (83% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office flop and almost no lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime-drama fans and action fans. If you loved American Gangster, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Dark and gritty.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 19 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Korean, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Busan, South Korea, 1970s. Lee Doo-sam is a small-time smuggler. After helping a drug gang to smuggle meth, he falls into the dark crime world. Quick-witted and full of ambition, he eventually takes over the drug underworld and starts to lead a double life: a good community leader during the day but an infamous drug lord during the night.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
83% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesBelow par
6.3 out of 10
- AwardsWeak
0 wins and 1 nomination from smaller awards and festivals
- Reach & staying powerWeak
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; interest faded quickly after launch
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 17K people sought it out in the past year
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Cast & crew
Directed by Woo Min-ho
- Song Kang-hoLee Doo-sam
- Cho Jung-seokKim In-goo
- Bae DoonaKim Jeong-ah
- Kim So-jinSeong Sook-kyeong
- Kim Dae-myungLee Doo-hwan
- Lee Sung-minSeo Sang-hoon
- Lee Hee-junChoi Jin-pil
- Jo Woo-jinJo Seong-gang
- Yoon Je-moonKim Soon-pyeong
- Song Young-changUN Ambassador