“Seoul Vibe” (서울대작전)

By Jae-Ha Kim
jaehakim.com
August 30, 2022

Dong-wook (played by Yoo Ah-in)
Woo-sam (played by Go Kyung-pyo)
↑Note: Korean names denote the surname followed by the given name.

As the film’s star Yoo Ah-in said at a press conference, “[‘Seoul Vibe’] is a fun and brainless film.”

Indeed, it is. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Set in the lead-up to the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul — when South Korea’s goal was to show the world it was no longer a war-torn country — “Seoul Vibe” is set during the last year of dictator Chun Doo-hwan’s presidency. The fast-paced movie addresses many topics, including massive government corruption. But ultimately it’s an undercover caper with era-appropriate music … and lots of squealing tires.

Koreans who lived during that era may feel a sense of nostalgia listening to the soundtrack and watching the small (seemingly meaningless) vignettes. For instance, watching a character’s excitement as he anticipates eating a McDonald’s burger felt very real. (The fast food chain timed its opening in Korea to the 1988 Olympics.) 

Yoo Ah-in leads the cast as Dong-wook, the ace driver whose moral compass is skewed, but not corrupted. His love of money doesn’t overshadow his loyalty to his driving team, who are also his best friends. After they are caught committing a crime, they are given the choice of going to prison OR having their records expunged and given the opportunity to start a new life in the United States (which was seen as a mecca for struggling Koreans).

Go Kyung-pyo is particularly good as a D.J. who is part of Dong-wook’s crew. He’s joined by his “Reply 1988” castmate Kim Sung-kyun, who plays a henchman for a powerful woman operating an underground economy with a huge slush fund.

“Seoul Vibe” is full of backstabbing, murder and mayhem. Director Moon Hyun-sung does a commendable job at keeping the plot moving. But he knows that the wild car chases are the key to this movie. 

Release date: The 2-hour 18-minute film was released on Netflix on August 26, 2022.

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