Admirable film.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

This is one of the most entertaining Korean thrillers I've seen in a while; it feels like it was made by someone who saw all the other Korean crime films and decided to steal a bit from each to make his own movie. That's not bad per se, but each of the borrowed elements feels too familiar. For example, you have a serial killer who operates during rainy nights, a lazy protagonist cop, incompetent police, stereotypical characters who behave just like you would expect and so on.I admit this first paragraph might have sounded a bit harsh. The Deal isn't a bad movie at all, far from it. It's too well made to be easily dismissed. Director Son Young-ho certainly knows what he's doing and shows a lot of potential in his debut. The films' narrative moves at a quick pace that, in my opinion, seemed perfectly timed for the several revelations and twists it has in store. It often felt like watching a Memories of Murder/I Saw the Devil combo, which is a great thing when you're talking about gritty atmosphere or merciless action. Indeed, there are several brutal fight/action scenes that will leave you breathless and are alone worth the price of admission. They look quite realistic and painful.Visually, it's a treat. There is no scene here that looks misplaced or not in sync with the rest of the movie. Everything is just the way it should be; every camera angle is in its place and the use of focus in a couple hallucinatory scenes compliments the beauty of every shot. I really didn't expect such a stylish and glossy looking film from a first time filmmaker.The acting is good, but I do have some complaints. Sang-kyung Kim as the protagonist cop often acts like he's in some grandiose soap opera while Seong-woong Park as the killer sports a sinister smirk that never registers; sometimes he does it even when badly wounded, which is more amusing than threatening. Otherwise, everyone here is decent and there's no one who stands out as a "bad" actor.Although familiar and predictable to a certain extent, The Deal is very entertaining and immersive. You're likely to see a better thriller than this, but rarely do they fly by as quickly as this one.