Synopsis
South Korea, 1993. An agent of the National Intelligence Service is sent to Beijing to infiltrate a group of North Korean officials with the ultimate goal of obtaining information about their nuclear program.
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Cast
- Hwang Jung-minHeuk Geum-seong / Park Seok-yeong
- Lee Sung-minRi Myeong-woon
- Cho Jin-woongChoi Hak-seong
- Ju Ji-hoonSection Chief Jeong Moo-taek
- Jung So-riLee Hong-seol
- Kim Hong-paKim Myung-soo
- Gi Ju-bongPresident Kim Jong-il
- Kim Eung-sooDepartment Head Kim
- Chae YongHwang Byeong-cheol
- Park Sung-woongHan Chang-joo
Recommendations
- 80
Screen Daily
A film about stellar spycraft that’s been made with comparable steely intelligence, The Spy Gone North (Gongjak) boasts little action but compensates with director Yoon Jong-bin’s considerable ability to weave suspense while depicting the subtle maneuverings of a fraught covert operation. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
The film succeeds at being both exciting and character-driven, but only after a confused first half that will leave international viewers frustrated over who’s who and what’s going on. - 70
Los Angeles Times
There are no spies who “dump” or “shag” anyone here, much less jump out of airplanes or buildings, but The Spy Gone North, based on the exploits of a true-life double agent code-named Black Venus, remains a taut, slowly engrossing, effectively old-fashioned Cold War thriller. - 70
Variety
This well-crafted work deserves to be seen for its thorough account of intricate workings of secret service and political skullduggery. - 67
IndieWire
Entertaining and exasperating in equal measure, it’s a nine-dimensional chess game in which the pawns think they’re working towards a better future, but the powers controlling them are only determined to maintain the status quo. - 60
The Guardian
Yoon executes all the classic double-agent set pieces with finesse, and those enamoured of the genre will appreciate a change of setting.
