Gang-pae is #2 gangster in his organization who longs to become an actor. Su-ta is a superstar actor who takes on the role of a gangster in an action movie called Rough Cut. When another actor leaves the set due to Su-tas violent ways, the production is on the verge of shutting down. Su-ta asks Gang-pae, whom he met by chance, to play alongside him in the movie in order to save the production.
Acting
So Ji-sub's terrifying stillness vs Kang Ji-hwan's unhinged energy
Writing
Script blurs reality and performance until you can't tell which is which
Direction
Jang Hoon lets tension build through what characters DON'T say
Director
Jang Hoon
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
So Ji-sub was primarily a rapper and model before this; Kang Ji-hwan had mostly done rom-coms. Both were playing against type while their characters did the same.
The film's Korean title 'Yeong-hwa-neun Yeong-hwa-da' literally means 'A Movie is a Movie' — the entire thing is a meditation on whether there's any difference between performed violence and real violence when both leave actual bruises.
KR
