Public Enemy

I watched Public Enemy and it’s a weird, messy mix of crime thriller and dark comedy. The film follows Detective Kang, a loud and corrupt cop played by Sol Kyung-gu, who’s more interested in fighting gangsters than doing real police work. His chaotic life changes when he meets Cho Gyu-hwan, a wealthy banker who just murdered his own parents. From there, it becomes a cat and mouse game between two men who are both terrible in different ways.

Detective Kang is a complete disaster. He’s unshaved, rude, morally questionable, and yet somehow likable. Sol Kyung-gu makes him feel real and brings both humor and shock to the role. He’s a cop who’s lost control of everything but still has a tiny bit of justice left in him.

Lee Sung-jae plays Cho as calm, polished, and completely cold inside. His opening scene where he kills his parents is chilling, but sadly his character becomes less interesting as the film goes on. He could’ve been explored more deeply instead of just becoming another movie psycho.

The biggest issue is the tone. One minute it’s a bloody, serious thriller and the next it’s slapstick comedy. Some scenes are shockingly violent while others are so ridiculous you can’t help laughing. Director Kang Woo-suk clearly wanted to blend humor and darkness, but the balance feels off. I couldn’t tell if I should take it seriously or just enjoy the absurdity.

The movie has energy though. The fights are well done and there’s a raw charm in how it shows Seoul’s criminal underworld. The humor is very Korean, full of shouting and chaos. But at over two hours, it drags and loses focus. The plot becomes predictable and Kang’s transformation from crooked cop to hero feels rushed and unearned.

Public Enemy hints at bigger ideas about corruption in Korean society, with both the rich killer and the dirty cop representing deeper problems. But instead of exploring that, it turns into a standard revenge story. Still, I can’t call it boring.

It’s uneven but full of life. It made me laugh, cringe, and shake my head all at once. It’s an entertaining mess that shows Korean cinema trying to figure out its identity between serious drama and crowd pleasing comedy.