Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Drug King’ on Netflix, A Korean Rags-to-Riches Criminal Saga

Netflix foreign-language acquisition The Drug King is a relative rarity: a movie about the Korean drug trade. Although the story of a narcotics kingpin’s rise and fall may be a novelty for viewers in its home country, American audiences might feel differently, having seen many such movies over the last several decades. Set in the 1970s and inspired by a true story, the film covers roughly a decade in the life of smuggler-turned-drug lord Lee Doo-Sam, who built a crank-distributing conglomerate and tangled with Japanese Yakuza while being trailed by authorities. Heavy stuff, for sure. But that doesn’t mean the movie is dark and humorless.

THE DRUG KING: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: The Drug King is anchored by Song Kang-ho — who you’ll recognize from Bong Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer and The Host — who plays Lee as a goofball with a grand entrepreneurial streak. At first, Lee is a small-time crook, a Busan-based jewelry smuggler who yearns for more money and power. But he sees big, fat dollar signs upon learning that methamphetamine, or “crank” in the parlance of the decade, can be manufactured nice and crystalline in Korea thanks to its clean water. As his chemist cooks up the product, Lee cooks up a plan to distribute the drug across the sea to Japan.

So Lee propagates his network, dabbling with mobsters from both countries and concocting an elaborate food-exportation front that endears him, amusingly, to politicians, the national volleyball squad and boy scout organizations. Inevitably, the ascent and descent of his empire leads him to the destruction of his family life, a new lover (Doona Bae), his cousin/cohort’s (Kim Dae-Myung) near-self-destruction and, of course, becoming the object of pursuit by a smart-but-arrogant Korean Central Intelligence Agency officer (Jo Jung-Suk).

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: It wouldn’t be surprising if the first letter of every sentence of writer/director Woo Min-ho’s written pitch spelled out “I HEART SCORSESE.” From the head-and-shoulders POV tracking shots to the effective use of ’60s and ’70s-era rock ‘n’ roll on the soundtrack, the filmmaker is clearly inspired by Goodfellas, Casino and The Departed. Its glib comedy is informed by Quentin Tarantino. Its story recalls everything from De Palma’s Scarface to Blow to underrated Tom Cruise vehicle American Made. Min-ho’s influences are rock-solid; here’s hoping he turns them into something a little more his own for his next effort.

Performance Worth Watching: Song’s linchpin performance makes the film. On the page, Lee’s characterization hits the expected dramatic benchmarks of a criminal’s rise and fall. But Song frequently finds the sweet spot between pathetic vulnerability and confident ambition, and therefore between comedy and tragedy. Song’s work is consistently colorful and nuanced even when the screenplay sacrifices depth of character in order to cover more narrative ground. The performance is consistently entertaining as Lee slides down the typical character arc, from family man who wants to provide a better life for his wife and kids, to a grievously compromised individual deep in the throes of greed, addiction and madness.

Memorable Dialogue: “Didn’t you learn division in math class?” Lee says to a partner who betrays his trust by taking more than his share of the earnings. The reply? “Isn’t that what we learn in language class? ‘Don’t cause divisions.'” It’s a moment of hard truth for Lee: there’s little honor among criminals.

Single Best Shot: In the early days of his new business, Lee gets to work in his grimy, dilapidated drug-operation headquarters. He peers wide-eyed through the filthy glass into the lab where his precious crank is being cooked. The toxic effluvium from the mixture sneaks through the porous walls, and he inhales a nasty lungful. It’s a comedic moment, sure, but it’s also Lee’s first whiff of the dangerous substance that’ll eventually put many, many people in its addictive grasp — himself included.

Sex and Skin: Did you really think we’d get through the dramatization of a notorious drug lord’s sleazy, bribe-ridden negotiations without a strip-club scene in which pole dancers twirl the tassels on their pasties?

Our Take: The Drug King is ambitious! It’s also derivative. And funny! And familiar. It’s an epic! But it feels about 20 minutes too long. Song is great! Yet the rest of the characters are one-dimensional. It’s easy to like this type of stylish, genre-blending crime saga! But for some, it may be one stylish, genre-blending crime saga too many. Hey, the soundtrack kicks ass! Yes, the soundtrack kicks ass.

Our Call: STREAM IT — for Song’s strong performance and a Woo’s stylish direction, not to see something fresh and original.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on twitter: @johnserba.

Stream The Drug King on Netflix