The Face Reader

The Face Reader (lit. "Physiognomy") is a 2013 South Korean period action drama film starring Song Kang-ho as the son of a disgraced noble family who goes around Joseon and a gwansang expert. He is able to assess the personality, mental state and habits of a person by looking at his or her face. His talents bring him to the royal courts where he becomes involved in a power struggle between Grand Prince Suyang and general Kim Jong-seo, a high-ranking loyalist to King Munjong. It is the first installment of the Jupiter Film's three-part film project on the Korean fortune-telling traditions and was followed by two sequels, The Princess and the Matchmaker and Feng Shui in 2018.

The Face Reader became one of the highest-grossing films in South Korea in 2013, with 9.1 million admissions. It won six awards at the 50th Grand Bell Awards, including Best Film, Best Director for Han Jae-rim, and Best Actor for Song Kang-ho. This film is Lee Jong-suk's only historical project to date.

Plot
Nae-gyeong, the most skillful face reader in the Joseon dynasty, was living in seclusion when he was offered a lucrative partnership by Yeon-hong, a gisaeng. Nae-gyeong accepts the proposal to read the faces of Yeon-hong’s guests only to get involved in a murder case. With his face reading skills, Nae-gyeong successfully identifies the murderer and his skills are soon acknowledged by King Munjong who orders him to identify the potential traitors who threaten his reign. However, after the unexpected death of Munjong, Nae-gyeong is courted by Grand Prince Suyang who yearns to become King himself by killing the young successor Danjong. Nae-gyeong decides to keep his loyalty to the late King and help Kim Jongseo protect the young King which forces him into the biggest power struggle in the history of the Joseon dynasty.

Cast

 * Song Kang-ho as Nae-gyeong
 * Lee Jung-jae as Grand Prince Suyang
 * Baek Yoon-sik as Kim Jongseo
 * Jo Jung-suk as Paeng-heon, Nae-gyeong's brother-in-law and assistant
 * Lee Jong-suk as Jin-hyeong, Nae-gyeong's son
 * Kim Hye-soo as Yeon-hong
 * Kim Eui-sung as Han Myung-hoi
 * Jung Gyu-soo as Park Cheom-ji
 * Chae Sang-woo as Danjong
 * Lee Yoon-geon as Jo Sang-yong
 * Lee Do-yeop as Kim Seung-kyu
 * Yoo Sang-jae as Hong Yun-seong
 * Lee Ae-rin as Hong-dan
 * Lee Yong-gwan as Yang-jeong
 * Yoon Kyung-ho as Im-woon
 * Seo Hyun-woo as Jin-moo
 * Lee Chang-jik as Hwangbo In
 * Kim Tae-woo as King Munjong
 * Ko Chang-seok as His Excellency Choi
 * Kim Kang-hyeon as Suspect 3

Production
Kim Dong-hyuk's screenplay won the grand prize at the 2010 Korean Scenario Contest held by the Korean Film Council.