Public Enemy review

Kang Cheol-gu (Sol Kyung-gu) is a good-for-nuthin' rozzer, motivated more by money than justice. Then his partner kills himself and Internal Affairs takes an interest, forcing him to at least pretend he cares about catching criminals. A routine stakeout leads to a real case, with Kang scrapping with a hooded stranger who's been fingered for slaying an elderly couple. But who is he? Kang suspects the OAPs' son, Kyo-hwan (Lee Seong-jae). He's right. The respectable businessman is really a cold-hearted bastard. Proving it, though, is a whole different matter...

Brutal, violent and blackly comic, this sorta-redemption tale is pretty startling. Over-talky and overlong, it compensates with a unique blend of thrills, horror and action, crunching gears between shocking slaughter and semi-slapstick. It doesn't always work, but any jolts are smoothed by Seong-jae's excellent turn as the Far East's Patrick Bateman. In South Korea, this rising star's best known for his comic skills. Here, he's literally splitting sides.