Review of The Age of Shadows (2016) by Francisco Q — 04 Jun 2017

This movie is great on so many levels. Every frame has been beautifully crafted. The film oozes a Noir-like visual aesthetic. At its heart, it is a simple cat and mouse affair between Korean revolutionaries and Japanese invaders, but exquisite acting, especially by it's lead, and simplistic yet wonderful narrative twists and turns kept me glued to my seat.

A extended sequence set inside a train is tense and gripping. Perhaps the greatest highlight of the entire affair is that it does not make use of any romantic subplot as a narrative device as Hollywood is naturally inclined to do.

This is a true spy thriller at its heart, completely worth the two hours running time and definitely worth revisiting.