[Beanie Recs] More Ha Jung-woo
by DB Staff
Ahoy, Beanies! It’s time to gather your collective genius for a recommendation series that features you and your drama knowledge. Each week we’ll drop a drama conundrum and leave it up to you to provide a drama rec, and the appropriate rationale behind it, be it long or short. Respond below!
Narco-Saints was my first introduction to Ha Jung-woo because he hasn’t acted in many dramas. I want to check out some of his older stuff, but his movie career is quite prolific. I don’t know where to begin! Can you suggest a few of his movies to get me started?
Have a very particular drama itch that needs scratching? In need of a Beanie Rec? Email us at hello @ dramabeans.com and we’ll feature your topic in a future post.
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Tags: Beanie Recs, Drama recommendations
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1 miso
September 14, 2022 at 5:10 AM
Nameless Gangster - Both for Ha Jung-woo's performance and because crime movies really don't get better than this. It's also a bit of a landmark in Korean pop culture. You can still hear dialogues from the movie in variety shows.
I also liked the two Along With the Gods movies though you need to watch Part 2 to really get the payoff for HJW's character.
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kiara
October 5, 2022 at 11:40 AM
"Nameless Gangster" is epic and should never be remade outside Korea.
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2 panshel
September 14, 2022 at 5:35 AM
Ha Jung-woo is charismatic and sexy in everything. Start with his award-winning movies as he's nominated every year.
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3 Fie
September 14, 2022 at 5:47 AM
Start with The Chaser, then My Dear Enemy. Then you’ll get his versatility.
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kiara
October 5, 2022 at 11:21 AM
Comment was deleted
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4 knewbie
September 15, 2022 at 6:16 AM
For me, the landmark Ha Jung-woo films are:
The Unforgiven
His first collaboration with Narco-Saints' director Yoon Jong-bin. He's perfect as a young man who is barely aware of the price he has paid to fit into society.
The Chaser
Possibly his best known film and role. His performance as a serial killer has seared itself into my brain.
The Berlin File
A great spy thriller, with HJW and Jeon Ji-hyun as a North Korean couple trapped in a bloody political mess in gloomy Berlin. Han Seok-kyu and Ryu Seung-beum have the flashier roles, but you root for HJW and JJY all the way.
The Terror Live
HJW in what is in effect a one-man show, as a newsreader negotiating with a terrorist on live TV. Edge-of-the-seat stuff.
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kiara
October 5, 2022 at 11:28 AM
"Never Forever" with the equally impressive Vera Farmiga was my first Jung-woo film, but "The Chaser" made me a fan for life.
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knewbie
October 5, 2022 at 11:49 AM
Unfortunately my "HJW speaking lots of English" film isn't Never Forever but the truly peculiar Take Point. Another HJW film I saw recently was the entertaining but silly Ashfall. I get the feeling he hasn't been getting Chaser-level roles since 2016, the year of The Handmaiden and Tunnel.
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kiara
October 5, 2022 at 12:10 PM
I haven't seen "Take Point" or "Ashfall" yet, but I will check them out. Maybe this weekend.
I hope he goes back to directing, even if it's more challenging than acting.
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