Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

A deaf man and his girlfriend hatch a plan to fund his sister's kidney transplant. They believe a risky scheme can turn a debt into a chance for life, but the move reverberates beyond their apartment walls. As they pursue the money, hidden loyalties surface and sharp misjudgments pull in friends, rivals, and casual bystanders. The city becomes a cold witness to a decision that feels simple at first yet quickly spirals into a brutal cycle of misfortune. Characters on all sides reveal stubborn ideals and fractured compassion, and the pressure to erase the past gives way to a harsher truth than either of them expected. The result is a stark meditation on revenge and the costs that follow today.

Directed by Park Chan-wook, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance stems from an original screenplay with story by Lee Jong-yong, Lee Jae-soon and Lee Mu-yeong. Released in 2002, the film announced Park as a fearless voice in Korean cinema to international audiences.

Box office results place the film at roughly 1.95 million dollars worldwide, made on a budget of about 4 million. Despite modest earnings, it drew attention for its bold visuals, brutal violence, and uncompromising moral focus within international film circles.

The film helped position Park Chan-wook as a leading figure in the Korean New Wave, influencing a generation of thrillers that blend grim realism with stylish, deadly flair. Its stark, graphic confrontations and morally grey characters have lingered in discussions of early 2000s neo-noir cinema. Its influence lingers worldwide today.

Critics praised the film for its uncompromising take on revenge and the way it threads mood, character, and consequence. The story examines how poverty, loyalty, and fatal choices escalate violence, asking whether any act of retribution can ever repair a broken family or justify a mounting price for many viewers.