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A Bittersweet Life

Play trailer Poster for A Bittersweet Life 2005 2h 0m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 12 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
A gangster (Lee Byung-hun) starts a violent feud after he refuses to kill his boss's (Kim Yeong-cheol) cheating girlfriend.

Critics Reviews

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Anton Bitel Little White Lies 04/11/2024
scenes of Tarantino-esque mayhem, messy rebirth and ultra-violent destruction serve to dramatise Sun-woo’s conflicting inner desires as he shadow-boxes with himself as much as taking down everyone else. Go to Full Review
Panos Kotzathanasis HanCinema 12/16/2018
The film is filled with cliches of the category, starting with the script and continuing with the characters. However, Kim Jee-woon seems to realize the fact, and does not take the film so seriously, in a tactic that adds to the entertainment it offers Go to Full Review
Tim Brayton Antagony & Ecstasy 03/04/2015
8/10
The worst things about it are still awfully solid, and the best things are deep and probing far beyond what you'd ever naturally expect from a film of this model. Go to Full Review
Adam Lippe Examiner.com 12/17/2011
It's all artifice. No matter how good the acting, how stylish the visuals, or efficient the screenplay, A Bittersweet Life never convinces us that it's not a movie. Go to Full Review
Don Willmott Filmcritic.com 03/10/2009
4/5
What's great about all this isn't just the gloriously choreographed violence (among the best I've ever seen) but also Lee Byeong-heon's bravura and surprisingly profound performance Go to Full Review
Beth Accomando KPBS.org 10/28/2006
10/10
The story revolves around Sun-woo (Lee Byung-hun), a sleek and elegant mobster whose cat-like grace recalls Alain Delon in Le Samourai. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Torben E @Torben 3d This movie is an absolute cinematic masterpiece. I became an admirer of South Korean cinema thanks to this fantastic film. The backstory of "A Bittersweet Life" might be simple but it is filled with flawless, brilliant acting, especially by the renowned, highly talented Lee Byung-hun. The overall look and style of this film, the atmosphere, the camera work...absolutely flawless. I've watched this movie countless times and it ages like fine wine. Everyone who truly loves cinema (or wants to get into film-making) should watch (and hopefully enjoy) this timeless masterpiece. See more tm c @rottentomtom Feb 9 Beautiful film, fantastic gun fight choreography and music See more Zoltán P @RT54419698 Nov 19 Impressive, dramatic, poetic. Masterpiece!!! See more Mark C @RT46032481 Jul 8 Heavily romanticized gang film saved by Lee's magnetism. See more Rehan T @RT81460504 Jun 2 It's a very sad movie, so much going on in the movie. The lead actor can't shoot, they portray him as the quiet, mysterious and a ruthless man and still he can't fight three guys that jumped hum. The mafia guys hardly have any guns, there is no police at all... See more Will S @Deadski 04/05/2025 Simply outstanding. Gratuitous without being excessive. Mean, but with a great sense of humor. Extremely awesome John Wooish modern gangster film. See more Read all reviews
A Bittersweet Life

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis A gangster (Lee Byung-hun) starts a violent feud after he refuses to kill his boss's (Kim Yeong-cheol) cheating girlfriend.
Director
Kim Jee-woon
Producer
Oh Jeong-wan
Screenwriter
Kim Jee-woon
Production Co
Bom Film Productions
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Korean
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 22, 2019
Runtime
2h 0m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital Surround EX