A crime action film pitting a violent-crimes detective against a criminal gang. Its hero-centred structure and mix of humour and violence.
The Outlaws is a 2017 crime action film directed by Kang Yoon-sung. Set in and around the Garibong-dong area of Seoul, it starts from the story of a brutal new gang that appears among the local criminal groups and the violent-crimes detectives who go after it. Ma Dong-seok plays the detective Ma Seok-do, Yoon Kye-sang plays Jang Chen, the leader of the new gang, and the cast includes Jo Jae-yoon, Choi Gwi-hwa and Jin Seon-kyu. It was also Kang Yoon-sung's first feature as director.
The film was presented as drawing its motif from real criminal cases. Its characters, plot and action scenes, however, were newly constructed for the screen, and it is not a record that reproduces a real investigation. It is worth watching with care not to link a particular area or its residents directly with crime. The setting is a stage for the story and does not represent the real neighbourhood or the people who live there.
The film's centre is clearly Ma Seok-do. He is portrayed as overwhelmingly strong yet laid-back in speech, someone who cracks jokes even in threatening situations. Rather than worrying that he might lose, the audience looks forward to how he will overpower his opponents, and that anticipation is itself the film's pleasure. Because the structure leans so heavily on the hero's appeal, the actor and the character seem almost to merge, which is another hallmark of the film. And rather than solving everything alone, the hero moves with his fellow detectives, bickering along the way, which makes him more approachable. So although he is formidable, the audience feels less distance from him.
The Outlaws alternates brutal scenes and light humour at short intervals. Idle chatter among the detectives or a single line from the hero releases the tension, and the villain's next scene quickly ratchets it back up. This rhythm turns heavy material into popular entertainment. If you expect a light film because of all the jokes, the brutal scenes may shock you; if you expect a heavy crime drama, the humour may come as a surprise.
The stronger the hero, the stronger the villain has to be for the story to work. Jang Chen, played by Yoon Kye-sang, is portrayed as a man of few words who uses unpredictable violence, creating a tension that is the exact opposite of the hero's ease. With roles split so that one side creates laughter and the other fear, the audience's anticipation gathers on the scenes where the two meet. The gang members and detectives played by the supporting cast also have distinct ways of speaking and habits that add character to each scene.
The Outlaws went on to become a series, with sequels in which the same detective faces different cases and villains. The sequels change the director, the villain and the setting, but the hero's character and the mix of humour and action are broadly kept. The first film is where that framework was first built, so starting here is the natural way into the series. It also has an atmosphere of its own, with a stronger flavour of local crime drama than the sequels.
This is entertainment you can enjoy without knowing the plot in advance. Keeping the following in mind makes the design of its scenes clearer. In the action scenes, watching when the hero holds back and when he unleashes everything at once reveals the rhythm of the direction.
Many scenes are highly violent, so be sure to check the rating before watching. In particular, there are scenes involving bladed weapons, so if you are sensitive to such depictions it is better to know in advance. The investigative methods and use of force on screen are exaggerated for entertainment, so do not assume they reflect real police work. It also takes a habit of separating story from reality so that the film does not feed prejudice against the area it is set in or any particular group.