agmtw logo
search
The Man from Nowhere (2010)

The Man from Nowhere (2010)

A quiet stranger saves a child in this emotional revenge thriller

7.6

Movie

South Korea
English, Korean
Action, Crime, Thriller
2010
JEONG-BEOM LEE, LEE JEONG-BEOM
Bin Won, Hong So-hee, Hwang Min-Ho
119 min

TLDR

Think Leon the Professional mixed with Taken.

What it's about

Quiet pawnshop keeper Cha Tae-sik only has one friend: a child named So-mi. After So-mi is kidnapped, Tae-sik takes on a drug-and-organ trafficking ring in hopes of saving his only friend.

The take

When a quiet and mysterious stranger comes and befriends your child, most parents would be wary about that. Stranger danger, after all, there’s simply not enough trust built yet. The Man from Nowhere is one such friendship, but rather than this being the reason for danger, this friendship is the reason for a child being saved, albeit with brutal and stylish action sequences directed by Lee Jeong-beom. The revenge thriller takes familiar tropes, with a mysterious savior employing standard action moves with a fairly predictable backstory, but it’s that friendship that makes these familiar fights hold emotional weight, making The Man from Nowhere an exciting drama.

What stands out

The ending.

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Bedevilled (2010)

A terrifying and tragic depiction of violence going unchecked

7.6

Ballerina (2023)

A gruesome yet restrained Korean revenge thriller that rains vengeance on sexual predators

7.8

Badland Hunters (2024)

Don Lee punches through a dystopian world in this thrilling action spin-off

6.8

The Outlaws (2017)

Don Lee takes down gangsters in this gritty and humorous crime thriller

7.0

The Tiger (2015)

The Korean wilderness is not easily conquered in this epic, yet contemplative period creature thriller

7.2

The Great Battle (2018)

Ancient Korean warriors take a stand in this action-packed, spectacular historical epic

7.0

Once Were Warriors (1994)

A Maori family survives in an alienating Auckland in this raw, tragic drama

8.0

Silenced (2011)

A brutal and harrowing exposé of the schoolwide abuse case that sparked outrage in Korea

9.0

Laapataa Ladies (2024)

Two brides are accidentally swapped in this refreshing comedy of errors

8.9

The Substance (2024)

Demi Moore swaps bodies in this standout chaotic body dysmorphia horror

8.3

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.