The Childe

The Childe is a 2023 South Korean neo-noir action thriller film directed by Park Hoon-jung, starring Kim Seon-ho and Kang Tae-joo in his film debut and also Kim Kang-woo, and Go Ara. It was released theatrically on June 21, 2023.

Synopsis
Marco resides in the Philippines, caring for his sick mother, while also participating in fights within illegal stadiums in the country. With a complex heritage as the offspring of a Korean father and a Filipino mother, Marco has tirelessly sought his estranged father's whereabouts. His sole motivation is to secure funds for his mother's crucial surgery, yet his relentless pursuit has yielded no results. Following a harrowing encounter with a gang that ultimately lands him in the hospital, a lawyer suddenly emerges, claiming to represent his long-lost father. Seizing the opportunity, they hastily embark on a journey to South Korea that very night. However, during the flight, Marco finds himself in an unsettling encounter with a mysterious individual who possesses an uncanny knowledge beyond what initially meets the eye.

Upon Marco's arrival in South Korea, he is immediately ambushed by an unnamed assassin known only as "Nobleman," the very same individual he had an unsettling encounter with on the plane. He soon discovers that he is being relentlessly pursued by a dangerous group of individuals. Alongside the Nobleman, Marco finds himself a target of Han Yi-sa, a wealthy heir with intentions of claiming his father's vast fortune, and Yoon-ju, a mysterious woman with whom Marco unexpectedly reunites in South Korea. Caught in a whirlwind of unpredictability and madness, Marco becomes entangled in a web of uncertainty. Amidst this chaotic scenario, he is compelled to confront a shocking truth that will shatter everything he once believed about his past and present.

Cast

 * Kim Seon-ho as Nobleman (Gwigongja), an unidentified pursuer who turns Marco's surroundings into a mess.
 * Kang Tae-joo as Marco Han, a Kopino boxer.
 * Kim Kang-woo as Han Yi-sa, a second-generation conglomerate client.
 * Go Ara as Yoon-ju, a mysterious woman.
 * Lee Ki-young as Kim Seon-saeng, a man who runs a center for Kopino.
 * Heo Joon-seok as Andrew Kang (Kang Woon-seok), Han Yi-sa's lawyer
 * Justin John Harvey as a western man who gives Marco an offer he can't refuse.
 * Jeong Ra-el as Han Ga-young, Yi-sa's younger sister.
 * Choi Jung-woo as Chairman Han
 * Caroline Magbojos as Marco's Mother
 * Kim Ho-jun as bodyguard

Production
The first script reading was held on December 3, 2021 and filming began on December 10, 2021. The film's shooting location were in Jangseong, Gokseong, Jeju Island, and overseas. Kim Seon-ho departed for Thailand on March 31, 2022, for the shooting of the film.

Domestic release
Originally titled Sad Tropic on November 30, 2022, the movie distributor Next Entertainment World announced the new title as The Childe and shared that the featured film was planned to be released in 2023. On May 16, 2023 it was reported that the film will be released theatrically on June 21, 2023, in South Korea.

International release
On May 16, 2023, it was reported that the film The Childe will be released theatrically on June 21, 2023 in Taiwan, on July 5 in the Philippines, and on July 27 in Thailand.

On May 17, 2023 Screendaily reported that The Childe was sold to several international distributors, including Well Go USA (North America), MovieCloud (Taiwan), Sahamongkolfilm International (Thailand), Laon Company+ (the Philippines), Encore Inflight, and Clover Films (Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, East Timor, Hong Kong, and Macau). The film was also released in India on August 4.

In North America, The Childe was released on June 30, 2023. The film also took part in several film festivals. It was screened on July 14, 2023 at the 2023 Dallas Asian Film Festival. The Childe had its Quebec premiere on August 2, 2023 at the 27th Fantasia International Film Festival. The Childe was also featured in the Asian Pop-Up Cinema (APUC) Season 17 lineup, with a special encore presentation during the South Korea Cinema Showcase on October 6, 2023 at AMC Newcity 14 in Chicago. Additionally, Eckerd College screened The Childe as part of The International Cinema Series on September 29, 2023 in Florida.

In Europe, the film garnered attention from various film festivals. On August 9, 2023, it was announced that The Childe had been invited to the Òrbita section of the 56th Sitges Film Festival, which took place from October 5 to 15, 2023 in Sitges, Catalonia, Spain. On August 21, 2023, it was announced that The Childe had been chosen as the opening film for L'Étrange Festival - XXIXème édition in Paris, France, making its European premiere on September 5 at the Forum des Images. The Childe also participated in the International Competition for the New Genre Grand Prize and the Audience Award at the festival.

The Childe was featured in the lineup of Asian films screened at the 17th Lisbon International Horror Film Festival, held in Lisbon, Portugal, from September 5 to 11, 2023. The film was also included in the Korean films showcased at the 12th Korean Film Festival Frankfurt, held from October 25 to 29, 2023, in Germany. Furthermore, it was screened at the Canary Islands Ciudad de La Laguna Calavera Island Fantastic Film Festival, taking place from November 10 to 19, 2023, and the 33rd Fantastic Film Festival of the University of Málaga, also known as Fancine Málaga, at Cine Albéniz in Málaga, Spain, on November 11 and 14, 2023. It was also featured in the 7th edition of the Maniatic Film Festival, taking place from November 20 to 25 at the ABC Park Cinemas in Spain, on November 24.

The Childe had a strong presence in Asian film festivals as well. It was part of the selection of 16 South Korean and Indonesian films showcased at the "Korea Indonesia Film Festival" (KIFF) held from October 20 to 22, 2023, across CGV Cinemas Indonesia in four cities in Indonesia: Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, and Surabaya. Continuing its journey, the film was also featured in the "2023 ASEAN-Korea Film Festival" held from November 27 to November 30, 2023, at CGV Mall Pacific Place in Jakarta. This festival showcased a lineup of nine films from Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and South Korea. The Childe was screened on November 28.

The Childe had theatrical releases in Spain, titled "El Bastardo," scheduled for February 23, 2024. The film is also part of the lineup of South Korean films to be showcased in the Korean Horizons segment at the 22nd Florence Korea Film Festival, happening from March 21 to 30, 2024, in Firenze, Italy, and was screened on March 22, 2024 at 22:30 at Cinema La Compagnia.

The Japanese release of the film, titled "Kikoushi," took place on April 12, 2024. On April 8th, Kim Seon-ho made a surprise appearance at the Japan premiere, joining Korean culture journalist Masayuki Furuya for a stage greeting attended by around 600 people. Furthermore, an exhibition showcasing Kim's film costumes were held at Marunouchi Piccadilly in Shinjuku, Tokyo, and Namba Parks Cinema, Osaka. The exhibition begin on April 12th to coincide with the theatrical release of the film, which also started on the same day. It will also be screened at the 36th Fukuoka Asian Film Festival on September 7 to 8, 2024.

Home media
The Childe launched a simultaneous VOD service for IPTV and theaters on July 18, 2023, through various platforms such as IPTV (Genie TV, SK Btv, LG U+TV), Home Choice, Google Play, Wavve, Naver Series on, KT skylife, and Cine Fox.

In February 2024, The Childe premiered on terrestrial TV on SBS channel as part of the 2024 Lunar New Year holiday special film. It aired at 22:30 p.m. KST on Saturday, February 10. The movie ranked 8th in the Nielsen TOP 20 household viewership ratings with a 4.3% rating and 5th in the TOP 20 Viewers Nationwide with 910,000 viewers. As part of its special movies programming, cable channel OCN broadcast The Childe on Saturday, February 11, at 10:00 p.m.. On Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at 10:20 p.m., SBS channel aired a re-run of The Childe. The movie ranked 15th in the Nielsen TOP 20 household viewership ratings with a 3.4% rating and 18th in the TOP 20 Viewers Nationwide with 345,000 viewers.

Reception
On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 94% based on reviews from 16 critics as well as 95% based on reviews from audiences.

Peter Marsh of the South China Morning Post gave The Childe three out of five rating, said that, "K-drama heartthrob Kim Seon-ho steals the show... injecting his well-groomed assassin with a refreshing dose of self-effacing irreverence... Like a shotgun-toting episode of Succession, The Childe escalates into a greed-fuelled bloodbath." Cary Darling of Houston Chronicle stated that, "This twisty thriller...is what might happen if Quentin Tarantino, with a bit of an assist from John Woo, Park Chan-wook's Old Boy and the spirit of Alfred Hitchcock, had directed an episode of Succession."

Newsen reported audience reviews, with some stating, "Exciting chase action, unpredictable story, and a feast of attractive characters." The film The Childe is receiving enthusiastic acclaim, with actual audience members expressing their thoughts such as, "2 hours without a dull moment" and another viewer mentioning, "Director Park Hoon-jung's action, a touch of black comedy, and a new frontier in noir." It is worth noting that The Childe is the only film among the top 10 box office hits that is not accessible to young audiences (R-Rated). Despite this restriction, the film has maintained high rankings in both box office revenue and reservation rates, creating expectations for a successful box office run.

On July 11, 2023, CBI Pictures announced that "The Childe" had become the second-highest-grossing South Korean film in Indonesia. As of August 25, 2023, the film has continued to hold its place among the Top Ten Korean Commercial Films of 2023, according to the Kobiz Database.