The Man Standing Next – Nice Political Thriller
Director: Min-ho Woo
Writer: Ji-min Lee, Min-ho Woo (Screenplay)
Starring: Lee Byung-hun, Sung-min Lee, Do-won Kwak, Lee Hee-joon, So-jin Kim, Eric Bernard, Jerry Rector
Plot: In the 1970s Korea is under the absolute control of the president Park who controls the KCIA the organization with the edge over any branch of government.
Runtime: 1 Hour 54 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Man Standing Next starts as we learn about President Park (Lee) reign in power over Korea with the KCIA organization keeping him in power, but the former director Park Yong-Gak (Kwak) is looking to expose the meaning behind his power, while current director Kim Kyu-Pyeong (Byung-hun) is torn between the truth and an old friend, needing to let the evidence prove which side he should be fighting for.
Thoughts on The Man Standing Next
Thoughts – The Man Standing Next follows the political coup that took place in Korea during the 1970s, which will see how the President found himself being exposed for the covering up he has been through over his reign of terror, showing just how much he was covering up to make sure he remained in power. The story is told with one man finding himself in the middle of truth, knowing what would happen if he exposed the truth, but knowing he needs to know what needs to change. This will keep you guessing to what will happen next, with the strong performances throughout elevating the film to the next level. This is a nice example of what has come out through the world of history and is one that could be used to show how the world can start to spiral out of control unless the right people step up.
Blue Finch Film Releasing presents The Man Standing Next in Virtual Cinemas including Curzon Home Cinema 25 June and on Digital Download 5 July
Final Thoughts – The Man Standing Next is a good history lesson on Korean politics and the people that tried to do the right thing.