Chingoo (Friend) (Chingu) poster & wallpaper
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Oh-seong Yu, Dong-gun Jang, Tae-hwa Seo, Un-taek Jeong, Dong-Kun Jang ... see more see more... , Suh Tae Hwa

Conflicting criminal alliances turn old friends into mortal enemies in this taut drama. Thoughtful Sang-taek (Tae-hwa Seo), hot-tempered Jeong-suk (Yu Oh-seong), bookish Jeong-ho (Un-taek Jeong), and ... read more read more...hair-triggered Dong-su (Jang Dong-gun) are four friends who grew up together in a small town in South Korea. The four came of age in the politically tumultuous early '80s, and while in high school, the boys began to drift into a life of crime as members of a teenage gang. Three years after graduating, Dong-su has ended up in prison and Jeong-suk is addicted to drugs, while Jeong-ho and Sang-taek have walked away from their delinquent pasts and are enrolled in college, though they occasionally visit Dong-su behind bars. When Dong-su is finally released, he returns to a life of street crime, but turning his back on Jeong-suk, he aligns himself with a different underworld gang. Despite his drug habit, Jeong-suk has risen to a position of no small power on the streets, and as Dong-su's star rises, it leads to an inevitable collision between the two friends. Chingu proved to be a massive commercial success in South Korea, setting a record for racking up six million admissions faster than any local feature in the nation's history. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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86% liked it

3,712 ratings

Unrated, 1 hr. 53 min.

Directed by: Kyung-Taek Kwak

Release Date: March 31, 2001

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DVD Release Date: June 25, 2002

Stats: 201 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (201)

  • 76Majikat
    December 4, 2009
    76Majikat
    I think this definitely has the potential for a higher rating, but I did get a little lost somewhere in the middle and is definitely a film that would benefit from multiple viewings. Enjoyed the characters and of course the friendship from young, watching them grow, it did get a... read more little exciting far too late in my opinion, but was a well made film, enjoyable Gangster flick!
  • skactopus
    August 4, 2009
    skactopus
    Spanning a period of around 20 years, Friend follows 4 ... well ... friends as they grow up and each choose their paths in life. It is a nice idea that is reminiscent of Stand By Me. In the beginning anyway.

    The younger years of the 4 friends are the more entert

    ... read moreaining parts of the film and it is probably because of the mischievousness of the characters at a young age. The introduction of the characters with the freeze frames is also a nice touch. Slowly by slowly the story eventually becomes more and more bland. By the second half of the film the main focus is only on 2 of the friends, while the other 2 just appear from time to time. Its not that the story is bad, it just needs to be a little more eventful.

    The violence is somewhat bloody since the 2 characters that the film focuses on in the latter parts deals with Korean gangs. The language is also entertaining, since it gets highly offensive at times.

    The acting is one of the stronger elements of this picture. Dong-Kun Jang, who is no stranger to big Korean films, and Oh-seong Yu put on good performances. Tae-hwa Seo and Un-taek Jeong are good early, but slowly fade out as the film progresses. Bo-kyeong Kim is the lowly decent sized female character and she lacks the airtime to be anything really important.

    "Friendship" is the key theme with Friend and while this is nothing out of the ordinary, it is a pretty strong film out of Korea. I just think more is needed to make this a more interesting movie.
  • DrBenway
    August 6, 2008
    DrBenway
    One of the most succesful films from Korea is this stylish gangster flick that follows a group of four friends over a period of almost three decades as their lives move from boyhood friendship. Two of the boys become members in rival gangs, while the other two pursue more conven... read moretional paths.

    The film goes deeper than most of its' kind in exploring the root of violence, from the sadistic school teacher who beats his children in the classroom to the killings of gang warfare. Gang violence is usually quick, intense and often exquisitely shot. The body count is high, however Kyung-Taek does care to show that when a man is stabbed to death, it is both brutal and intimate. At times feels more of a truly personal film than trying to deliver a message, it's still strong enough to recommend but it could've been a lot more. Worth viewing.
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  • kiriyamakazou
    December 17, 2006
    kiriyamakazou
    Another example as to why Korea is the leader in cinema right now. A gangster film that spans a large amount of time, we feel for every character and understand all their decisions. The relationships feel well fleshed out. The action and humour are also deposited with style. Some... read more incredible cinematography, especially in the rain murder scene.
  • threefolddado
    August 4, 2009
    threefolddado
    Good action/drama about how friendships drift apart.
  • levelboss15
    February 4, 2008
    levelboss15
    Powerful, moving and ultimately very tragic (hey, it's Korean!) flick that causes the viewer to truly question what one would do for a friend.
  • ingy57
    January 24, 2007
    ingy57
    I cry at the end of this movie EVERY TIME I watch it. A friend recommended it to me & I've been a fan of Jang Dong-Gunn ever since.
  • decals74
    August 15, 2006
    decals74
    4 kids growing up together, 2 go to college, 2 become gangsters. the plot isn't very innovative, this has been done countless times but this is the first korean gangster movie i've seen that actually felt believable. considered by some as the 'goodfellas' of modern korean cinema.

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Critic Reviews

Dana Stevens
April 11, 2005
Dana Stevens, New York Times

No review available.

Michael Dequina
January 12, 2007
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com

No review available.

Emanuel Levy
August 10, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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