CinemaBravo

There may be times in life when your circumstances feel confining and the future looks grim from your perspective. It’s natural to desire an escape—not just a brief mental break, but a real chance to pursue a brighter future, even if it means taking significant risks.

Directed by LEE Jong-pil (Samjin Company English Class, The Sound of a Flower), the Korean action-military-drama film “Escape” tells the story of Sgt. Kyu-nam (LEE Je-hoon), a North Korean soldier who is nearing the end of his 10-year service at a North Korean frontline unit near the Demilitarized Zone. Faced with the reality that as long as he is living in the North, he wouldn’t be able to live the life that he wants, Kyu-nam prepares to flee to the South. 

In the Philippines, the new Korean film is relased and distributed by VIVA International Pictures. It opens July 17 in cinemas nationwide.

Dong-hyuk (HONG Xa-bin), a junior soldier, discovers Kyu-nam’s plan. He asks if the South will really be like paradise, to which Kyu-nam replies that it may not be, “but at least I’ll have the freedom to try and fail at what I want to do.”

Dong-hyuk asks to be taken along, but when he gets refused, he attempts to escape on his own which results to his capture. To save him and for them to run away together, Kyu-nam hastens his own escape plans. But one man is hell-bent on stopping him. 

Hyun-sang (KOO Kyo-hwan), a major in the North Korean State Security Bureau, protects Kyu-nam at first, claiming that he is a hero who captured Dong-hyuk. However, when Kyu-nam’s real escape begins, he relentlessly pursues him to safeguard his own reputation and power. All the while keeping a calm demeanor, Hyun-sang creates a stark contrast with Kyu-nam’s frantic run.

Since Kyu-nam’s fundamental desire is to break free from his current fate, he never stops, no matter the obstacles. He approaches checkpoints head-on, crosses swamps with a death-defying determination, strides through minefields without hesitation, and leaps off cliffs into water with pursuers hot on his heels.

Lee Je-hoon reveals that playing the role of Kyu-nam was so physically demanding that he thought he “might die from running out of breath or that (his) legs might really give out.” He transformed his body to reflect Kyu-nam’s wiry frame, capturing the essence of a desperate, continuously laboring fugitive.

Director LEE Jong-pil envisioned LEE Je-hoon, with his “intense eyes, vivid expressions, and the seamless blend of flexibility and straightforwardness,” as the ideal choice for Kyu-nam. For the relentless pursuer Hyun-sang, the director wanted KOO Kyo-hwan, known for his versatile expressiveness and instinctive acting, always defying expectations.

In a society where standards of happiness are often imposed, “Escape” stands out by emphasizing personal choice and the quest for individual happiness. Audiences are expected to connect deeply with Kyu-nam’s story of seizing control of his fate and daringly pursuing it.

Mark your calendars for “Escape,” which is now showing in cinemas near you.