A Company Man

From the start, A Company Man follows Ji Hyung-do, a professional hitman whose steady routine begins to crack after he shows mercy to two would-be victims. His act of hesitation unsettles both the targets and his own sense of identity as a killer. Yet the shadowy world he inhabits offers no clean exit; the organization that trains and deploys him treats mercy as a liability and moves to reassert control. As he weighs a possible break with the only life he has known, he must outmaneuver colleagues who see mercy as weakness, and a system that treats loyalty as a price tag. The film centers a man torn between the code that built him and the lure of quitting today.

Directed by Lim Sang-Yun, the 2012 Korean crime drama arrives from an original screenplay globally. So Ji-sub leads the cast, supported by Lee Mi-yeon and Kwak Do-won in a tense, urban underworld setting, anchored by a restrained, stylish directorial voice.

The film was produced on a budget of 3,500,000 and grossed 7,339,398 worldwide, signaling solid commercial performance for a drama driven thriller, with a dedicated audience in Korea and abroad. Critics noted its tight pacing and restrained execution in markets.

Critics note the film's taut pace and moral gray areas, with So Ji-sub delivering a controlled wary performance rather than flashy showiness. The story probes loyalty, the price of a double life, and the clash between personal conscience and the demands of organized crime, power, and money for some viewers.

Within Korean crime cinema, A Company Man sits among films that foreground ambiguous protagonists and organized crime networks. Its restrained tone and focus on everyday danger contribute to a steady undercurrent in the genre and resonate with viewers who crave character driven thrillers that stay with you long after watching.