“Hit-and-Run Squad” (뺑반)

By Jae-Ha Kim
jaehakim.com
October 26, 2021

Eun Si-Yeon (played by Gong Hyo-Jin)
Jung Jae-Cheol (played by Jo Jung-Suk)
Seo Min-Jae (played by Ryu Jun-Yeol)
↑Note: Korean names denote the surname followed by the given name.

I’m so used to seeing Jo Jung-Suk play the good guy (“Hospital Playlist,” “Oh My Ghost“) that it was fun to watch him chew up the scenery as a bad-boy rich guy who is brutal, immoral and nasty. At its best, the film tackles police corruption and the fast-paced world of auto racing. At its worst, there are several plot holes that need to be filled in to satisfy viewers’ curiosity.

Police lieutenant Eun Si-Yeon is an ambitious officer, who gets demoted to the the hit-and-run squad after she botches a case in the eyes of her superiors. With a tiny staff that includes Min-Jae, who has a complicated history with the law, and help from her prosecutor boyfriend (played by Son Seok-Koo) — who provides her with insider intel — Si-Yeon sets her sights on bringing down Jae-Cheol, who is also a hit-and-run suspect.

Much of Jae-Cheol’s vindictiveness stems from not having been born into a wealthy family. When he was young, he caught chicken pox. His chauffeur father begged a client to borrow a car so that he could take his son to the hospital, but was denied. Jae-Cheol was eventually treated, but developed a stutter after his traumatic illness. He has held onto his anger. He is embarrassed by his upbringing, but also despises his rich colleagues who look down on him because he didn’t grow up as they had: wealthy.

Some of the film’s most memorable vignettes aren’t the high-speed car chases or the fights, but rather the more low-key moments between Min-Jae, his adoptive father (played by Lee Sung-Min, who was so great in “Misaeng“) and their group of friends, which includes SHINee’s Key as a tow truck driver.

In order to fit everything into a 133-minute movie, many of the relationships were pushed aside to focus more on the screeching car chases and action.

But let me repeat: KEY was in this film, he was really good and he was sorely underutilized. What a waste of talent.

Airdates: This 133-minute film released in South Korea on January 30, 2019.

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