Remember, director Lee Il-hyeong’s newest film follows a revenge plot carried out by an old war veteran with dementia and his young coworker targeting people from his past, starring Lee Sung-min and Nam Joo-hyuk. The film topped the box office immediately after its release and is currently ranked number two in the nation, with $2.53 million earned during the opening period. It has reached more than 360,000 viewers in Korea as of this weekend. 

Released on October 26th, Remember fills action, history, and drama into its 128-minute run time. Lee Sung-min portrays a man in his 80s named Pil-ju, a former soldier chasing his memory of the people responsible for the loss of his family during the Japanese occupation. He embarks on a road trip with In-gyu, who initially assisted him with his frail memory but later on gets involved in Pil-ju’s 60-year-old revenge plan, despite being ambivalent toward his actions. 

Both Lee Sung-min and Lee Il-hyeong chose the last revenge scene as the most memorable moment in the journey of the entire filming process. “The film addresses emotional topics that are often avoided in our society,” said the director, who states that he let himself be a commercial moviemaker. True to the statement, the movie is an action-packed film with fast-paced street racing yet deals with historical issues in a more sophisticated manner by bringing past incidents into revenge during the present time. 

The most memorable scene in Remember is undoubtedly the ending, which takes place in the Independence Hall of Korea, featuring the Grand Hall of the Nation and Taeguk Square. The director described the location as “the place where Remember’s most important scene was filmed,” as the historical importance of the hall is highlighted in the film when Lee’s character completes his revenge. The hall represents many of the historical aspects shown in the film, and the movie successfully incorporated them to be one of the most iconic of the hall.

The film shows several sequences striking enough to boost the viewer’s interest to visit the historical landmark of Korea and appreciate the stunning architecture and countless historical artifacts. Whether they are history enthusiasts or everyday hero fans, Remember has a lot to offer since most of them are related to those who witnessed major historical moments symbolically depicted in this thought-provoking film. Presold to 115 countries, the film has been released in major cities in the U.S. and receives favorable feedback from K-content platforms.