The Spy Gone North
Seen it?2018 | 138 min | Drama, Thriller
Friday Night FlickWhy it’s a Friday Night Flick
Critics loved it (100% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it drew serious awards attention. Make plans for this one.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing. If you loved Relay or Three Days of the Condor, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 18 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated PG-13. Probably too much for younger kids.
- It's in Korean, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
South Korea, 1993. An agent of the National Intelligence Service is sent to Beijing to infiltrate a group of North Korean officials with the ultimate goal of obtaining information about their nuclear program.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
100% on Rotten Tomatoes, 69 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.3 out of 10
- AwardsStrong
23 wins and 22 nominations from smaller awards and festivals
- Box office & staying powerSolid
$39 million worldwide on a $17 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 36K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Yoon Jong-bin
- Hwang Jung-minHeuk Geum-seong / Park Seok-yeong
- Lee Sung-minRi Myeong-woon
- Cho Jin-woongChoi Hak-seong
- Ju Ji-hoonSection Chief Jeong Moo-taek
- Jeong So-riLee Hong-seol
- Kim Hong-paKim Myung-soo
- Ki Joo-bongPresident Kim Jong-il
- Kim Eung-sooDepartment Head Kim
- Chae YongHwang Byeong-cheol
- Park Sung-woongHan Chang-joo