Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang — bang. Six gunshots rang out inside the National Theater of Korea on Aug. 15, 1974. The venue was hosting the 29th Liberation Day ceremony. In an unprecedented incident broadcast live to the entire nation, the first lady was shot. The film begins with this event, which remains part of the historical record, and digs into the questions and gaps that official accounts have never explained.
To bring the era vividly to life, the film ushers viewers into what feels like a history museum recreating the 1970s. A remodeled hanok house, worn alleyways, period cars and shops, the characters' clothing and hairstyles, furniture and office fixtures — the landscape of this country half a century ago is reproduced so closely that viewers may feel they have traveled back in time. For younger audiences it is a discovery of the past; for middle-aged and older viewers, a summoning of memories.
At the center of the shooting that inspired the film are Cheol-gu (Yoo Hae-jin), the detective who was at the scene, Jae-hwan (Park Hae-il), the social affairs editor at the Dongseong Ilbo who chases what lies behind the case, and Han Young-il (Lee Min-ho), a rookie reporter who witnessed the chaos. Six shots were fired, but only four bullets were found. From that gap, the film traces the missing rounds and the circumstances of the case one by one. Each answered question spawns another, and the tension never lets up across the 131-minute running time.
Director Hur Jin-ho layers his signature delicate touch over a historical event that sweeps forward with force. Rather than ratcheting up tension through sensationalism, he builds characters and situations calmly, delivering a polished thriller. The film's gaze does not rest solely on who was behind the shooting. Through Jae-hwan, who tries to record the truth under censorship and pressure, and Cheol-gu and Young-il, who seek to confirm what they saw, it asks in earnest why we must pursue the truth. Small moments of laughter from Cheol-gu's family, breaking out amid the taut pacing, breathe air into a story that could otherwise turn heavy — a mark of the film's cinematic appeal. Special appearances by accomplished actors including Oh Jung-se, Park Hae-joon, Shim Eun-kyung, Jung Woo-sung, Shin Hyun-been, Im Won-hee, Yoo Yeon-seok, Park Sung-hoon, Ryu Kyung-soo, Bae Sung-woo and Oh Dal-su add to the pleasure of watching.
Opening over the Chuseok holiday, the film also draws attention for its cross-generational reach. For middle-aged and older viewers, the 1970s setting and the incident summon memories; for younger audiences, it offers a chance to encounter unfamiliar history as a mystery thriller. On both counts, it could serve as common ground for conversation across generations. Opens on the 23rd. Rated 12 and over. 131 minutes.
