SummaryIn 1993, former military officer Suk-young Park is recruited as a spy by South Korea's National Intelligence Service, and given the code name "Black Venus". He is then sent to infiltrate a group of high-ranking North Korean officials based in Beijing, with the ultimate goal of acquiring information on the North's nuclear program. After becoming c... Read More
Directed By:Jong-bin Yoon
Written By:Jong-bin Yoon, Myeong-chan Park, Sung-hui Kwon
The Spy Gone North
Metascore
Generally Favorable
69
User score
Generally Favorable
7.2
My Score
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
83% Positive
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
17% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Aug 9, 2018
80
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.
Aug 9, 2018
70
This well-crafted work deserves to be seen for its thorough account of intricate workings of secret service and political skullduggery.
Aug 9, 2018
70
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.
Aug 9, 2018
70
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.
Aug 9, 2018
67
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.
Aug 7, 2018
60
Yoon executes all the classic double-agent set pieces with finesse, and those enamoured of the genre will appreciate a change of setting.
User score
Generally Favorable
80% Positive
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
13% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
7% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Nov 24, 2021
7
This is a fairly slow moving film. It can somewhat tense scenes but its certainly not one for someone after a lot of quick action scene. I liked that there was some historical context provided at the start of the film and it gives you a feel for what people in authority in Korea may be like. I thought it was interesting seeing the typewriter with Korean letters - I suppopse I hadn't considered a non roman alphabet keyboard/typewriter but of course such things must exist. Its a fairly interesting film, in terms of seeing how more lowly figures judge those in higher authority and what happens in terms of the politics of things. I wouldn't say this is a particularly exciting or even an entirely fascinating film but it is pretty interesting and perhaps somewhat **** has some witty dialogue too and not too many special effects (including battle/fights and the like). It's still interesting in terms of showing how people can try to read others motives and try to outwit the others. I suppose it's a 'who will blink first?' kind of a film. I'd only watch this if your particularly interested in Koreans and the time this depicts, so overall I wouldn't especially recommend it, no.
Apr 26, 2020
2
C'est soit-disant inspiré de faits réels mais pour le reste, ça brode à n'en plus pouvoir (et à n'en plus finir) des complots hallucinés et fort peu crédibles entre les deux Corée... Et ça rajoute vers la fin un peu de guimauve pour faire "passer" même si pour un film coréen, la guimauve reste bien entendu très discrète. L'autre gros souci qui plombe le film est sans conteste sa longueur et sa langueur qui font souvent piquer du nez ; et pour cause puisque le machin dépasse les deux plombes et quart sans se gêner ! il fallait garder la version longue pour la sortie DVD (pour les amateurs de siestes) au lieu de nous la mettre d'office sans crier gare... La mise en scène reste cela dit très appliquée (mais ce n'est pas un film d'action, loin de là.... ceci expliquant cela) et la narration tout-à-fait claire pour un film d'espionnage, aussi dingo soit-il. Trop lourd à digérer en tout cas ce merdier, tout ça pour des "élections" à la mords-moi-le-noeud... de là à ce qu'ils nous fassent gober que les cocos du nord sont super sympas et que les connards sont tous au sud... il n'y a qu'un pas, je suppose !
Production Company:
- CJ E&M Film Financing & Investment Entertainment & Comics
- CJ Entertainment
- InfinityOne Comics Entertainment
- Moonlight Film
- Sanai Pictures
Release Date:Aug 10, 2018
Duration:2 h 17 m
Tagline:In the lasting days of the cold war
Awards
Grand Bell Awards, South Korea
• 3 Wins & 13 Nominations
Blue Dragon Awards
• 3 Wins & 10 Nominations
Buil Film Awards
• 5 Wins & 7 Nominations




























