The action thriller is one of the most popular genres in the world. With time marching on, it is increasingly difficult to bring something fresh to it. That isn’t to say there aren’t still quality releases. A film doesn’t have to change the wheel to be entertaining as long as it is well made, but the opportunity to bring something original to proceedings has been severely diminished through the decades.
Recent South Korean release Yadang: The Snitch may not reinvent the wheel, but it does slightly upend the formula, bringing something different to the genre, focusing on the shady world of the Yadang. To the uninitiated (namely me), a Yadang is an informant who brokers deals to sell criminals’ info. The criminals will then use this information to reduce sentences. Alternatively, Yadangs can also do work for law enforcement, with the information they broker being used for arrests. It all depends on who is the highest bidder.
Of course, there have been multiple movies made to include informants, but the type that is covered in Yadang: The Snitch is quite different from what we have seen before. During the opening moments of the film, you would be almost forgiven for thinking lead character Lee Kang-soo (Kang Ha-neul) is a cop. With a fair amount of bravado, Lee appears to be in charge of the investigation, making deals with lowly criminals to take down a bigger target. It is only afterwards I realized that he was in fact the snitch of the title.
Lee Kang-soo, it turns out works in collaboration with prosecutor Koo Gwan Hee (Yoo Hae-jin). It was in fact Koo that talked Lee into becoming a Yadang years before, offering him a reduced sentence if he worked for him. Years on their partnership has proven to be extremely fruitful, with Koo able to climb up the ranks because of Lee’s double dealings.
Such double dealings put the two of them in the crossfire of narcotics detective Oh Sang-jae (Park Hae-joon), whose investigations are continuously hampered because of the duo. Oh makes it his mission to uncover the real connection between them and put a stop to it, but those higher up may have other plans for him, as well as our titular Yadang.
Director Hwang Byeong-guk kicks things off with an energy reminiscent of Guy Ritchie, with it appearing like he has gone out his way to create a good humored criminal caper like Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) or Snatch (2000). However, after the initial introductions, the film takes a decidedly darker turn, turning into a gritty realistic crime thriller. Loyalties are tested and there isn’t a character that leaves the film unscathed, be it either emotionally or physically. Or both.
Apparently, Hwang carried out his own research on the criminal underworld, interviewing over 100 people including several narcotics officers as well as former Yadang, all so that he could make the film as realistic as possible. As expected, there is some creative license taken to make the film more exciting. This isn’t a documentary after all. Even so, for the most part Hwang keeps the story elements grounded, which is further demonstrated in the film’s action scenes.
When it comes to the action, it is all capably done, with action director Heo Myeong-haeng choreographing several brutal set pieces. Heo has become one of the best in the business, with him currently being best known for his involvement in the Roundup series. Like those films, the action is more rough and ready, with a strong focus on brawling. The action put me in mind of Ringo Lam in his prime, with my only complaint being that there wasn’t more of it. While Yadang: The Snitch may be sold as an action movie, it really isn’t. Sure, the action is there but it isn’t as prevalent as I expected, with the majority of the film being more focused on the world of the Yadang and the corruption within the government.
While there isn’t as much action as I anticipated, Hwang still keeps events moving along at a brisk pace. At no point during the films runtime was I ever bored, with Hwang able to build the tension even as the plot gets somewhat convoluted. Still, the mix of criminal conspiracy and solid character work makes Yadang: The Snitch a notable crime thriller.
It does help that Hwang has put together a trio of quality actors to lead the film. Kang Ha-neul brings a cocky swagger to Lee Kang-soo, which as the film progresses changes to angry determination. He eventually retains some of that swagger we witnessed as the film begins but that isn’t until he is put through the wringer, both emotionally and physically. It’s another quality turn from Kang, going hand in hand with his other 2025 release Streamer.
Park Hae-joon’s narcotics detective Oh Sang-jae is probably the closest the film has to a traditional hero, but even he isn’t so clear cut. Park brings a great deal of personality to his wronged detective, who like Lee Kang-soo goes through quite the ordeal in his mission to bring those who wronged him to justice. Due to his gruffness, Oh Sang-jae can be a hard character to like, but you will find yourself siding with him as the plot develops, with the uneasy partnership that builds between him and Lee Kang-soo turning into a winning partnership. If only there could have been more of it, with it sometimes seeming like Park is relegated to a side character rather than one of the main characters. Luckily this is mostly rectified come the finale.
As great as Kang and Park are though, the film is unsurprisingly stolen by the always excellent Yoo Hae-jin as the unscrupulous Prosecutor Koo Gwan-hee. At first he appears to quite the amiable fellow, quickly befriending Kang Ha-neul, even claiming that he is his “brother”. This amiability hides his real ambitions, with Yoo playing his role like a coiled snake ready to strike when you least expect it. The majority of those who surround him underestimate his determination and how far he is willing to go.
Yoo portrays Koo as if he is always the smartest man in the room, or at least thinks he is. The casualness he brings to his character also makes Koo an unexpected delight, with him not playing him like he’e the villain. During the opening I honestly did think he would be one of the film’s heroes, striving to bring criminals to justice through unconventional means, not realizing he would be the criminal that needs to be taken down.
The need for Kang to bring Koo to justice also gives the film a much needed emotional punch, with the breakdown of the relationship between them due to Koo’s betrayal being the plot’s main driving force.
Cinematographer Lee Mo-gae gives everything a slick but gritty look, similar to what he brought to the earlier crime thriller Asura: The City of Madness (2016). His visuals really raise Yadang up from just another crime thriller. It’s no surprise, with Lee having worked on some of the most notable South Korean features of the last three decades, with the likes of A Tale of Two Sisters (2003), I Saw the Devil (2010) and the recent Exhuma (2024) all being under his belt, amongst many others.
Yadang: The Snitch won’t go down as a modern classic. There has definitely been more noteworthy movies to emerge from South Korea, but it’s nice to see a film attempt something different (even when not wholly successful), with Hwang Byeong-guk’s film being an exciting crime thriller with solid performances. It’s also another quality release to come from Well Go USA.
Plot: 3.5/5
Acting: 4/5
Action: 3/5
Overall: 3.5/5
