Latest news with #Gi-jun
Mint
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Mercy For None review: So Ji-sub leads Netflix's gritty revenge drama that hits hard but lacks originality and depth
Netflix's latest K-drama 'Mercy For None' lives up to its title — there's truly no mercy, especially from its lead character, Nam Gi-jun. A former gangster turned avenger, Gi-jun (So Ji-sub) sets out on a relentless path of vengeance after the death of his younger brother, Gi-seok (Lee Joon-hyuk). From the first scene to the last, Gi-jun has one goal: make those responsible for his brother's death pay, no matter the cost. The premise is as straightforward as it gets: younger brother dies in suspicious circumstances, older brother seeks revenge, and a blood-soaked trail of justice follows. The show is set firmly in the criminal underworld, dominated by two major gangs — Ju-woon and Bong-san — who maintain an uneasy truce until that balance is shattered. Gu Jun-mo (Gong Myung), the arrogant and short-tempered son of Gu Bong-san, orders the killing of Gi-seok, triggering the central conflict. Watch the show's trailer here: So Ji-sub plays Nam Gi-jun with his signature stoicism, a trait fans of 'Doctor Lawyer' or 'A Company Man' will recognise. He's ice-cold, ruthless, and unwavering — a man whose pain fuels his cruelty. If you were even remotely involved in Gi-seok's death, you're either dead, or barely holding on with broken ribs. While the story lacks originality, the performances add weight. Gong Myung is a surprising standout as Gu Jun-mo. Known mostly for his soft, romantic roles, Myung turns menacing here — his violent outbursts chilling and unpredictable. Choo Young-woo also delivers a strong performance as the hidden mastermind, Lee Geum-son. His transformation from a reluctant prosecutor to a cold-blooded heir to a crime empire is one of the show's few satisfying twists. The action choreography is one of 'Mercy For None's clear strengths. The scenes are slick, brutal, and impressively shot. Two moments, in particular, stand out. The first is a chaotic brawl in a computer cafe — our first glimpse at how terrifyingly efficient Gi-jun can be in combat even with a missing Achilles Heel. The second is the final scene, where Gi-jun, bloodied and broken, sits at his remote campsite and imagines his brother beside him. He breaks down, overwhelmed with grief, and dies quietly. It's the only moment we see his vulnerability, and it lands with genuine emotion — though it feels a little too late. Unfortunately, 'Mercy For None' falls into the trap of overdoing the hero's invincibility. Gi-jun takes more beatings, stabbings, and bullets than any man should, yet keeps going like he's made of steel. During the final face-off with Lee Geum-son, he's shot twice and still manages to make it to his secluded campsite. It stretches believability to the limit and gives the show a slightly over-the-top, almost Bollywood-style flair that doesn't quite fit the otherwise gritty tone. In the end, 'Mercy For None' is a visually polished, well-acted revenge drama that doesn't bring much new to the genre. It delivers brutal fights and emotional beats, but the story is too thin and predictable to leave a real mark. So Ji-sub is compelling as ever, and Gong Myung is a revelation in his role — but the show doesn't do enough with its characters to elevate itself beyond average. Verdict: Watch it if you're a fan of dark dramas, but don't expect it to break new ground. 2.5 out of 5 stars for this tale of revenge.
Time Magazine
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
Breaking Down the Violent Ending of Netflix K-Drama Mercy for None
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Mercy for None. Bloody and brutal, the backstabbing in Mercy For None is both figurative and literal. Based on a webtoon called Mercy For None: Plaza Wars, the Netflix noir follows the vengeance campaign of Nam Gi-jun (Doctor Lawyer 's So Ji-sub), a former key member of Seoul's criminal underworld. When Gi-jun's little brother, Nam Gi-seok (Vigilante 's Lee Jun-hyuk) is killed, he returns from exile to bring those responsible to justice. However, determining who is behind Gi-seok's murder is not so simple. Gi-seok had been caught up in the delicate web of power and deceit that holds Seoul's two major gangs—the Juwoon Group and the Bongsan Group—in place. While Gi-jun left his life of crime behind a decade ago, Gi-seok was in line to inherit the Jowoon Group from chairman Lee Ju-woon (Bloodhound 's Huh Joon-ho). Unbeknownst to Chairman Lee, his intention to pass the baton to Gi-seok would lead to Gi-seok's death and, in Gi-jun's vengeance, the deaths of an entire generation of the criminal community. Let's talk about the twisty and twisted ending of Mercy For None … The fall of Beomyeongdong Mercy For None 's story begins over a decade ago, when Seoul was ruled by one gang: Beomyeongdong. Controlled by Chairman Oh, Lee Ju-woon and Gu Bong-san (A Shop For Killers ' Ahn Kil-kang) were his right-hand men, and Gi-jun was their most effective fighter. Under this dream team, Beomyeongdong's power and wealth grew, leading to rumors that Chairman Oh was planning to pass the organization on to Ju-woon and Bong-san after his death. These rumors didn't sit well with Oh's son, Seung-won. He ordered hits on Bong-san and Ju-woon. Meanwhile, dirty cop Cha Yeong-do (Our Blues ' Cha Seung-won), known in the crime world by alias Mr. Kim, saw an opportunity to grow his control within the organization. He told Gi-seok (at that time, a rookie member of Beomyeongdong) that Oh Seung-won planned on killing his brother, Gi-jun. Gi-seok killed Seung-won, sending the organization into further chaos. In order to protect his brother, Gi-jun encouraged Ju-woon and Bong-san to stage a coup. He helped them overthrow Oh, and the gang was split into two: the Bongsan Group and the Juwoon Group. Still, someone had to pay for upsetting the balance. Gi-jun took the fall for it all, leading people to believe that it was him, and not his little brother, who killed Oh Seung-won. Ju-woon and Bong-san owed Gi-jun a lot, so they made a deal: If Gi-jun left the business and never came back, they would let him live. To prove his commitment, Gi-jun sliced his own Achilles tendon, diminishing his ability to fight, and disappeared into the countryside. Before he left, he made Ju-woon promise to look after Gi-seok. The Graveyard hit Initially, the death of Gi-seok is blamed on a group of young hooligans, who pick up the job of killing Gi-seok on The Graveyard, a kind of gig economy app for the criminal community. In the first episode, we see the ragtag group of wannabe gangsters attack Gi-seok in a parking garage, getting in some good hits, but ultimately not finishing the job. Later, we find out the hit was ordered by Chairman Gu's dangerously entitled son, Gu Jun-mo (Way Back Love 's Gong Myung). Gu Jun-mo is a thorn in his father's side, causing chaos within the Bongsang Group, and rarely facing accountability for his actions. When Jun-mo hires some foreign thugs to kill a fellow Bongsan manager encroaching on his share of the business, Chairman Gu asks old friend Chairman Lee for his help. He needs to make it clear to his son that his behavior is unacceptable, but thinks it will look bad if it comes from him. In exchange, Gu promises to help Lee with some of his land acquisition troubles. Lee agrees to the deal, and sends Gi-seok to rough Jun-mo up. Jun-mo takes out the hit on Gi-seok in retribution. When the truth of Jun-mo's hit against Gi-seok surfaces, the carefully maintained peace between the Bongsan Group and the Juwoon Group is threatened. They turn against one another, and Ju-woon comes out on top, with a little help from Ju-woon's prosecutor son, Lee Geum-son (The Trauma Code 's Choo Young-woo), who greenlights a raid on the Bongsan Group. Ju-woon kills Bong-san, the man who was once his colleague and friend, but his victory will be short-lived. Meanwhile, Gi-jun's rogue mission to find justice for his brother has led to Jun-mo's death. Gi-jun fights through dozens of men to do so, and kills Jun-mo even after realizing that it was not Jun-mo's hired thugs who dealt the killing blow on his brother. For Gi-jun, it is enough that Jun-mo tried. The plot behind Gi-seok's death Gi-seok's death was envisioned as the catalyst for a gang war. The person behind it all? Chairman Lee's son, Geum-son. For his whole life, Geum-son has been intentionally kept from the criminal world by his father, who wanted a better life for his son. When we meet Geum-son, he is a prosecutor in the Seoul Central District Attorney's office, living his life on the right side of the law. However, Geum-son dreams of running a criminal organization like his father, and will do anything to make it happen. He hatches a plan to take over both the Juwoon Group and the Bongsan Group. He recruits Cha Yeong-do, whose plan led to the fall of Beomyeongdong 11 years prior, to help. Together, they put into motion the death of Gi-seok, and the plan to pin it on Jun-mo. To ensure that Gi-seok actually dies, Geum-son sends assassin Shimane to finish him off. When the dust settles on the gang war that follows, Ju-woon has killed Bong-san, Yeong-do has killed Ju-woon, and Geum-son is in charge of the organization. Gi-jun's relentless rampage But Gi-jun doesn't care about power; he only cares about his brother. While Chairman Gu, Chairman Lee, Cha Yeong-do, Gu Jun-mo, and Lee Geum-son fight for control of the criminal organizations, Gi-jun cuts a relentless, ruthless path through their ranks. He kills Jun-mo, Shimane, Yeong-do, and eventually Geum-son for their roles in Gi-seok's death. Before Gi-jun kills Geum-son, they discuss the plot that would lead to so much death and destruction. Geum-son feels no remorse, but he also isn't sure if it was worth it. Gi-jun has leaked Yeong-do's recording of Geum-son, implicating him in the murder of Gi-seok, to the press. Geum-son has lost everything, including his father. 'Everyone feels that way,' Gi-jun tells him, offering insight but no mercy. 'They'll do anything to get there. But when they finally do, only emptiness is left. Because they can only go down from there.' Geum-son tries to shoot himself in the head, but Gi-jun stops him, hacking into his wrist. 'You don't get to die like that,' he tells Geum-son, before slicing his throat and killing Geum-son himself. How Mercy For None ends After Gi-jun kills Geum-son, he returns to the campground he runs. As he sits dying from the many bullet and stab wounds he accumulated during his rampage, he remembers his brother. Gi-seok visited Gi-jun shortly before his death, and they sat by the campfire. 'Should I just come work with you here?' He remembers Gi-seok asking—later, Gi-jun will find books on the business of camping that imply Gi-seok was really considering it. Gi-jun tells him to do it, and the brothers laugh together. They both already know that there is no leaving the organization behind—not really. Gi-jun dies, after having avenged his little brother, immune to the promises of power that swayed so many.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New on Netflix May 31-June 6: 7 new TV shows and movies to stream this week, picked by our editor
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Want to find yourself something new on Netflix this week, for a binge-watch or just an evening's entertainment? I'm on the case. As part of my job as What to Watch's streaming editor, compile weekly lists of the best new additions that Netflix releases. This week, I'm looking at new shows, movies and specials that'll release on Netflix between Saturday, May 31 and Friday, June 6. Many of the Netflix Originals I pick end up on our list of the best Netflix shows and best Netflix movies. Not all of them but I want to give you multiple options depending on your taste. Netflix's overall list this week had quite a few returning shows but I wanted a balance of original and popular ones, so there's a fair blend here. There's lots of crime, but that's Netflix for you. So let's find you something to watch on Netflix this week: We begin the week in Spain, for a six-part crime drama about a former spy called Sara. Woman in the Shadows is about this woman who forces herself to return to the intelligence game because she wants to get revenge for the death of her son. However her task sees her having to confront some uncomfortable facts about who her son really was. Releases on Tuesday, June 3 Shaquille O'Neal probably needs no introduction, but the famous basketball player has since his sporting days proven just as successful in business. And his new docuseries coming mid-week explores that side of him. Power Moves is a part-sport, part-business docuseries about Shaq's time leading the Reebok Basketball brand. He tries to revitalize it using his knowledge and passion for the game as well as his financial and branding acumen. Releases on Wednesday, June 4 A beloved though also divisive drama series returns to Netflix this week with Ginny & Georgia season 3, which gets all ten episodes of its new run at the same time. The show is about a mother and daughter (and the mother's other child) who try to find a way to settle down after being on the run for many years. In the season 2 finale, Georgia was arrested for murder, so season 3 will show Ginny trying to free her. Releases on Thursday, June 5 Shane Gillis' home-made workplace comedy Tires returns this week. The first season was made and funded by the divisive comedian and it was successful enough to get Netflix to create a second. Tires is about the workers of an auto shop who struggle to keep in business despite the incompetent and nervous owner, and the slacking attitude of everyone else. Season 2 follows them struggling to come to terms with unexpected new success. Releases on Thursday, June 5 Another Korean action series lands on Friday, June 6 with Mercy for None, which is set among Seoul's seedy criminal underbelly. Mercy for None tells the story of Gi-jun, who was a mob enforcer but left his brother and that life (and the city) behind over a decade ago. However when his brother is killed, Gi-jun returns to the city to find the murderer, a journey which involves fighting lots of the gang members. Releases on Friday, June 6 His partnership with Netflix mostly focuses on TV shows, but prolific creator Tyler Perry has a new movie arriving on Friday, June 6 which he wrote and directed. Straw is about a single mother called Janiyah whose daughter is sick. Janiyah is struggling to keep caring for the child and something happens which pushes her to the edge. Releases on Friday, June 6 We travel to Australia for our final series of the week, which is based on a book by Jane Harper. The Survivors stars Charlie Vickers and Yerin Ha and it's set in a fictional town in Tasmania. The Survivors is about a young boy who leaves said town after the mysterious death of two children and the disappearance of a third. Fifteen years later he returns to the town, this time with a wife and young baby in tow. However another murder takes place, and it sparks off an investigation which seems linked to the last crime. Secrets are revealed which affect the man and his family. Releases on Friday, June 6
