The Night Owl

In Korea in 1645, Gyeong-su, a partially blind acupuncturist, is summoned to the Joseon palace to work alongside the royal physician. Gyeong-su cannot see by day but can see in the dark, and he tells no one. In the same days Crown Prince Sohyeon returns to the palace after years held by the Qing dynasty. Father and son do not agree about the future of the dynasty. One night, in the dark, Gyeong-su sees something he should not have seen. An Tae-jin's film tells the historically contested death of Prince Sohyeon through an invented witness. The idea behind the narrative is simple and effective: a man who cannot say what he saw, and a court that does not want to see. Ryu Jun-yeol plays Gyeong-su and Yoo Hai-jin plays King Injo. Yoo Hai-jin's reading of a king sliding into paranoia is what carries the film. Who it's for: Viewers who like Korean period thrillers, court intrigue, and tension structured around a single night. Who it's not for: The first half hour is dense for anyone unfamiliar with the historical context. The violence in the closing sections is also harsh.