| The Divine Move | |
|---|---|
Theatrical poster
| |
| Directed by | Jo Bum-gu |
| Written by | Yu Seong-hyeop |
| Produced by | Park Mae-hee Yu Jeong-hun Hwang Geun-ha |
| Starring | Jung Woo-sung Lee Beom-soo Ahn Sung-ki Kim In-kwon Lee Si-young Ahn Gil-kang Choi Jin-hyuk |
| Cinematography | Kim Dong-young |
| Edited by | Shin Min-kyung |
| Music by | Chang Hyuk-jin |
Production |
Showbox/Mediaplex |
| Distributed by | Showbox/Mediaplex |
Release date |
|
Running time | 117 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Box office | US$27.9 million[1][2] |
The Divine Move (Korean: 신의 한 수; RR: Sin-ui Hansu) is a 2014 South Korean neo-noir action crime film directed by Jo Bum-gu. It stars Jung Woo-sung as a former baduk player, and revolves around his quest for revenge.[3][4][5][6]
The title refers to a particularly brilliant move, considered to be a "once in a lifetime" experience for only the best professionals, in the board game baduk (called Go in the West) which often turns what was a losing or close game into a winning effort at the most crucial moment.
A prequel spin-off, The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful, was released on November 7, 2019.[7]
Professional baduk player Tae-seok loses a high-stakes game to infamous underground gambler Sal-soo, and ends up framed for the murder of his own brother and locked up in prison. He vows revenge and trains ferociously. After serving his seven-year sentence, he gets in touch with his brother's former associate "Tricks," hermit and blind master player "The Lord," and skillful junkyard owner Mok-su, "the Carpenter"; together, they begin formulating a plan to get back at Sal-soo and his men. Tae-seok slowly penetrates Sal-soo's inner circle and his gambling joint, and eliminates Sal-soo's men one by one. But Sal-soo discovers Tae-seok's true identity and engages him in one final game that will seal the fates of the two men involved.
Since opening in South Korea on July 3, 2014, the film has grossed ₩28.3 billion (US$27.6 million) on 3.5 million admissions.[11][12][13]
The Divine Move received a limited theatrical release in the United States on July 25, 2014. It was screened in seven major cities in Germany from August 27 to September 21, 2014 as part of the local Fantasy Filmfest's lineup.[12][14]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Best Actor | Jung Woo-sung | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Kim In-kwon | Nominated | ||
| Best New Actor | Choi Jin-hyuk | Nominated | ||
| Best Editing | Shin Min-kyung | Won | ||
| Best Actor | Jung Woo-sung | Nominated | ||
| Best New Actor | Choi Jin-hyuk | Nominated | ||
| Best Editing | Shin Min-kyung | Nominated | ||
| Technical Award | Choi Bong-rok (martial arts) | Nominated |
