Greed, brotherhood, violence, betrayal – these are all things that one would typically expect from a crime thriller centred around organised crime. Director Yoon Young-bin squeezes all these tried and tested traits into his 2021 gangster flick “Paid in Blood”. However, despite having the glitz and glam of a great crime thriller, Young-bin's film disappoints when considering the talent involved.
In Gangneung, construction is almost complete on a large casino resort that promises riches to those in charge. Entrusted with the casino by his ageing boss, Kim Gil-seok (Yu Oh-Seong) is the unpopular choice to take over the project. However, internally rivalries must be put aside when the ruthless newcomer Lee Min-seok (Jang Hyuk) comes to town with his eyes set on the top of the table.
For the vast majority of “Paid in Blood”, we're presented with lengthy back-and-forth conversations between philosophizing gangsters, with nearly every dialogue-heavy scene ending with an ominous line or two. It has to be said that the talent on screen makes it so that every conversational scene, no matter how conventionally shot, is at the very least engaging. However, it doesn't take too long before you realize that most characters are spouting no more than hot air. In place of characterization, we instead have lofty anecdotes and proverbs, few of which bear any immediate impact on the plot.
Surprisingly, the film moves along at a brisk pace, despite being bogged down in excessive dialogue scenes. The narrative doesn't reinvent the wheel in terms of gangster flicks, but it's competent enough and has a handful of genuinely surprising twists on the way. Unfortunately, the bare-bones plot is hindered by the generic and severely underdeveloped characters. Lee Min-Seok is easily the most complex figure in the film, but even his true motivations are kept irritatingly under wraps. The majority of the supporting cast, at least in terms of characterization, are no more than cardboard cut-outs with smug grins and slicked-back hair.
There comes a point in the narrative where tensions reach boiling point, and the action explodes into life. Young-bin helms these more energetic sequences competently, yet they're far too fleeting. Where you'd expect the narrative to kick on and pick up steam, an unnecessary time jump is quickly followed by another dialogue-heavy lull before the lackluster finale. These flashes of action make the film's overwhelming blandness frustrating, as we can see its potential in moments. At worst, the underwhelming visuals resemble that of a glorified TV episode.
The real winners of “Paid in Blood” are sure to be Yu Oh-seong and Jang Hyuk, who both carry the film with a pair of wonderful performances. Hyuk is cold-blooded and raw as the unhinged Lee Min-seok, carrying an air of ineffable charm despite being seemingly devoid of emotion. Oh-seong matches Hyuk with a restrained performance, his face telling the tale for much of the narrative. The two share some of the film's most engaging conversational scenes, most of which take place at a quaint beach-side café.
“Paid in Blood” is a middle-of-the-road crime thriller, if ever there was one. It's a good-looking film that moves along briskly, so it's certainly an easy watch. There are some surprises along the way with the various twists, turns, and betrayals, and the performances from Oh-seong and Hyuk are strong enough to make the film consistently entertaining. However, a lack of stylistic flair, low stakes, and little narrative substance results in what feels like a missed opportunity.
