The Beast (2011 South Korean Film)

The Beast (Korean: 짐승; RR: Jim Seung) is a 2011 South Korean action film directed by Hwang Yu-Sik. The film follows the story of Tae-Hoon, a man who abandons his military enlistment obligations to rescue his sister, Kang Bo-Ra, after she is abducted and featured on an illicit internet site. With a 48-hour window to find her, Tae-Hoon must navigate a dangerous underworld while evading both criminal elements and military personnel searching for him as an AWOL soldier.

Promotional poster for The Beast — Promotional poster for the 2011 film The Beast.

Production

The production of The Beast commenced on January 28, 2010. The film was directed by Hwang Yu-Sik, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Kim Sun-Ryung. The project was produced by Min Jin-Ki and Kim Ida, with cinematography by Kim Joon-Yum. During its development, the director acknowledged that the film was influenced by the popularity of contemporary action thrillers such as The Man from Nowhere and Taken.

Actor Jung Suk-Won — Jung Suk-Won, who portrays the lead character Tae-Hoon.

Release

The film held its world premiere on July 16, 2011, at the 15th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival, where it was screened as part of the World Fantastic Cinema program. It received a general theatrical release in South Korea on July 28, 2011. The film has a runtime of 93 minutes.

Actress Jeon Se-Hyun — Jeon Se-Hyun, who portrays Se-Yeon.

Cast

Jung Suk-Won as Tae-Hoon
Jeon Se-Hyun as Se-Yeon
Lee Na-Ri as Kang Bo-Ra
Yoon Won-Suk as Jung Oh-Tak
Lee Yu-Ha as Jung Yung-Ji
Jung Joon-Hwan as Han Man-Chul
Kim Young-Hoon as Jae-Gyu

Scene from The Beast — A scene from the film featuring the protagonist.

Q&A session at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival — Director Hwang Yu-Sik, Jung Suk-Won, and Jeon Se-Hyun at a Q&A session following the film's premiere.