The sequel to the classic movie “Friend” from back 2001 took 12 years to come. I think it worked for the best, because the director was conscious about the things he wanted to say and how to portray them.
What is this about:
Directed and written by Kwak Kyung Taek. Star Yu Oh Seong, Kim Woo Bin, Joo Jin Mo.
17 years after the end of the previous movie, Lee Joon Suk (Yu Oh Seong) is released from the prison and he faces a different world from what he remembered. In prison he meets Choi Sung Hoon (Kim Woo Bin), son of one his high school friends and they form a father-son bond. Together they will try to change the status quo in the current leadership of the gang.
My review:
I think the best equivalent to this sequel is Godfather II. Like Coppola, Kwak Kyung-taek changed the focus from the four teenage friends of the first movie and their coming of age tale to Lee Joon Suk’s tale of regret and redemption. With the introduction of Choi Sung Hoon, he created parallels between different generations of gangsters.
Lee Joon Suk (Yu Oh Seong) is a born leader. He comes out of prison, sees that he is replaced by Eun Gi and starts to plan how to take back the leadership. But at the same time he is filled with guilt and regret about the last movie’s events and wants somehow to redeem himself. This is where Sung Hoon (Kim Woo Bin) enters, reminding him of himself and his bestfriends. Yu Oh Seong is a wonderful actor and, like a good wine, he became even better with time. He managed to express so much emotion and complexity with his eyes, face expressions and body language, without overacting. Kudos.
Choi Sung Hoon (Kim Woo Bin) is a rebellious and troublemaker young man. He has his reasons for his violence, namely a lack of proper father figure. In Joon Suk he finds the closest to a father and he formed a heartwarming relationship (kinda) with him. As much as I like Kim Woo Bin, he posed more often than he acted in this movie. Honestly, I expected more intensity from him.
Friends 2 is Kwak Kyung Taek’s work as much as the first one was. Yes, it is more polished, better camera work, higher quality image. But it still has its director’s unique style of storytelling and world building. What I found interesting was the parallel between Joon Suk and Sung Hoon. The first represents the old school gangster, who builds families and loyalty means more to him than money, while the second is newer generation that thinks everything can be bought with money. Different views, different eras. What stayed the same is how gangster life is presented. Many times we see on the silver and small screen gangsters being glorified and shown as really cool guys. Here, they are tragic figures that cannot break free from the circle of violence.
Why you should watch:
- One of the best gangster movies.
- The unique directing of Kwak Kyung Taek.
- Very good performances from most of the actors – Yu Oh Seong is excellent as Lee Joon Suk.
- Well choreographed fight scenes.
- Those who liked Godfather II might enjoy it.
Why not to watch:
- If you don’t like gangster movies.
- The direction is not for everyone.
- It has a lot of violence and mention of sex and drugs.
Final verdict:
8/10. A thoughtful sequel to the classic that doesn’t recycle the success of the previous, but delivers its own theme. Yu Oh Seong carries the movie on his shoulders masterfully and deserves your time watching this movie.
The sequel to the classic movie “Friend” from back 2001 took 12 years to come. I think it worked for the best, because the director was conscious about the things he wanted to say and how to portray them. 
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