‘Smugglers’ Review – Fresh, Fun, But Lacks Focus [SXSW 2024]

For all of Smugglers’ (Milsu) charm from the culture and locals, the plot is fairly conventional. On one hand, the plot is equivalent to any gang of misfits looking to score enough cash to live the good life. The film’s beginning tries to create a funky feel equivalent to the “Me Decade” times—something hip, exciting, and ultimately sobering when things become violent. Even the fight scenes are almost an homage to 1970s action sequences, while others are purposely played over-the-tope for laughs.

However, the real intrigue of Smugglers lies in its female-led nature. It pays homage to South Korean cinema films with strong female characters, such as Insect Woman, Winter Woman, and The Woman Who Walks on Water, presenting an entertaining story of moral ambiguity and enduring memories.

The story follows a group of women known as the Haenyeo—professional women divers who dive into the sea without any mechanical equipment to catch sea products—living off the coast of a fishing village in South Korea. These women dive deep and collect oysters and flatfish. However, when they return to shore, the shellfish are rotten, as you can see chemical plants blowing smoke from afar.

The ship’s captain and divers decide to dabble in illegal smuggling to make ends meet. They succeed, bringing in things like Vaseline, alcohol, and cigarettes not available in their country. They begin to live a comfortable life and develop energy that comes across, like Ray Liotta’s narration in Goodfellas, talking about how well the scheme was working.

That’s until Smugglers‘ two main characters, Choon-ja (Kim Hye-su) and Jin-sook (Yum Jung-ah), get greedy, trying to bring in outside currency, like gold bars. On the day of the big score, the Korean government arrives behind the captain’s back. The family who owns the boat turns instantly into fish food during a propeller accident. Following the arrests, everyone except for Choon-Ja serves prison time, prompting questions about her escape.

FIPRESCI Prize-winning filmmaker Ryu Seung-wan (Crying Fist, Die Bad, and City of Violence) has made a very entertaining film. Yet, this epic caper has a frenetic focus that it cannot shake. This results from a script with too many hands in the kitchen, involving not only the director but also Cha-won Choi and Kim Jung Youn in the final copy. The end product feels like a fun heist film rewrites of classic crime film elements, which is far from seamless.

The cinematography of Young-hwan Choi (The Berlin File) is a pleasant surprise. In particular, the beginning underwater scenes are evocative when learning how these women operate. Also, in some exciting underwater action scenes, credit should be given to the cast and stunt coordinator, Choi Chun-beom, for such a novel take on these thrilling sequences.

Some of the interactions between the cast members can come across as cartoonish. However, as you begin to take Smugglers in and immerse yourself in Ryu Seung-wan’s world, you begin to realize that his film equates to a graphic crime novel that comes to life. Akin to Stray Bullets, Parker and The Kitchen brings to life an underworld with rich, long-form storytelling of themes like socioeconomic inequality.

Smugglers is worth watching if you choose not to take the film too seriously. The movie is fresh and fun but sometimes lacks focus due to too many influences, and genre blends that occasionally work against each other. That being said, there is a certain energy in Ryu Seung-wan’s film that makes it a highly addictive heist romp with flaws that are easy to digest.

Smugglers had its U.S. Premiere at SXSW 2024 in the Festival Favorite section.

Director: Ryoo Seung-wan

Screenwriters: Ryoo Seung-wan, Kim Jung-youn, Choi Cha-won

Rated: NR

Runtime: 129m