There is nothing like a good old fashioned gangster flick. They get the blood-boiling and stakes rising. Throw in a little betrayal and a couple of bad attitudes and you've got yourself a great way to spend Saturday night in. Since one movie isn't enough to justify a dinner of cold beers and salty chips, here are two outstanding movies with riveting stories flawlessly connected even after a 12 year gap. Friend (2001) and Friend 2 (2013) are both tough as nails with just enough humanism to break through to the coldest heart.
The original story starts off in earlier times reminiscing on simpler days. It was a time when four young friends meant the world to one another and all they cared about was hanging out together. Though as expected, life happened as they matured into men following their own paths, paths which were destined to crisscross. It's at that fateful crossing that boys who were once inseparable friends now found themselves enemies in the games of other men.
Unfortunately there was never very much hope for them as their lives were fated for disaster since birth. The two main characters were the closest of the four and, of course, the most damaged. Joon Seok, played by the infamous Yu Oh Seong, is a drug-addicted son of a crime lord with no real hope for a peaceful future.
There weren't too many ways but down for him to go in the first place. Then there is Jang Dong Gun's character, Dong Su, a pretty boy with a habit of violence and a major chip on his shoulder. After getting into trouble in high school and dropping out, Dong Su and Joon Seok found themselves facing off as rival gang members. One thing leads to another in the form of an unauthorized hit causing all hell to break loose.
Even in the midst of danger and violence Joon Seok has not forgotten his loyalty to his friend and tries in the best way he knows how to save him. It's not long before the quartet finds themselves at odds with one another in a life separated by loyalty and violence.
Fast forward a decade or so to Friend 2 where the sins of the father visit the son. Dong Su's son is brought to life by Hallyu star, Kim Woo Bin. Woo Bin puts a fresh twist on Sung Hoon as a new age gangster with hints of O.G. and cigarette smoke. The story picks up behind the same bars that it left off, only this time Sung Hoon is the one hearing the heavy sounds of the jail house doors clink shut behind him.
His mother's love pushes her to seek out the only person she knows can protect him in his current situation. Enter Joon Seok. Never having forgotten the friend he truly cared for, he takes Sung Hoon under his wing and molds him into a formidable adversary for anyone that may challenge him. It doesn't take long for past and present to collide and bring in all the demons with it.
Blood was shed brutally and without hesitation. New bonds were forged and new foes were realized. All in all, the sequel does not disappoint and lives up to the legacy established by the original.
Friend and Friend 2 were both directed by Kwak Kyung Taek. Friend debuted as the highest grossing South Korean film at that time. Kwak Kyung Taek carefully planned out the connection between the first and second film, giving each character's arch the time and attention necessary to warrant investment into their survival. You simply cannot watch one and not the other.
Don't cheat yourself out of the story by only watching the newest film. You will only regret it later. Watching Friend 2 directly after Friend is such a satisfying movie-watching experience that you will be recommending it to your friends as well. Next time you find yourself at home on a Saturday night without much to do, grab a couple of cold ones and your favorite chips for a great night of movie-watching.
