# The Merciless

The Merciless is a 2017 South Korean crime-action film directed by Byun Sung-hyun, and starring Sul Kyung-gu and Im Si-wan. The film was released in South Korea on May 17, 2017. It was shown out of competition in the Midnight Screenings section at the 70th Cannes Film Festival on May 24, 2017.

## Plot

The story is about the loyalty and betrayal between an inmate leader and an undercover cop/prisoner, who team to take over a gang. It centers around the main character Hyun soo, the undercover cop, and Han Jaeho the inmate leader.

## Cast

* Sul Kyung-gu as Jae-ho
* Im Si-wan as Hyun-soo
* Kim Hee-won as Byung-gab
* Jeon Hye-jin as Chun In-sook
* Lee Geung-young as Byung-chul
* Jang In-sub as Min-chul
* Kim Ji-hoon as Jung-sik
* Lee Ji-hoon as Public prosecutor Oh
* Choi Byung-mo as Captain Choi
* Moon Ji-yoon as Young-geun
* Nam Gi-ae as Hyun-soo's mother
* Jin Seon-kyu as Prison Security Section Chief

### Special appearance

* Huh Joon-ho as Kim Sung-han

### Cameo

* Shin So-yul as Osean Trading advertisement beauty 1
* Kim Bo-mi as Osean Trading advertisement beauty 2
* Lee Mi-so as Osean Trading advertisement beauty 3
* Kim Sung-oh as Jung Seung-pil

## Release

Prior to its local release, the film has been pre-sold to 85 countries including France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, Australia, India, Taiwan, the Philippines and Singapore at the 2017 Hong Kong Film Mart. According to the distributor CJ Entertainment the film was later sold to additional territories, reaching a total of 117 countries worldwide.
The film was released in French cinemas on June 28, 2017, by ARP Distributors.

## Reception

The film received a seven-minute standing ovation at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.
Michele Halberstadt from ARP Films praised the film for its screenwriting, direction and characters.
According to the Korean Film Council, the film topped the Korean box office on the first day of release and sold 95,261 tickets.

## Adaptation

On December 28, 2017, CJ E&M, the production company of The Merciless, announced a television adaptation of the film. According to the company, the script will be written in 2018, and the drama would be produced in 2019.

## Awards and nominations

| Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 1st JIMFF Awards | JIMFF OST Award | Kim Hong-jip Lee Jin-hee | Won |
| Korean Film Shining Star Awards | Star Award | Sul Kyung-gu | Won |
| 1st The Seoul Awards | Best Film | The Merciless | Nominated |
| 1st The Seoul Awards | Best Actor | Sul Kyung-gu | Nominated |
| 1st The Seoul Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Jeon Hye-jin | Nominated |
| 1st The Seoul Awards | Most Popular Actor (Film) | Im Si-wan | Won |
| 26th Buil Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Kim Hee-won | Won |
| 54th Grand Bell Awards | Best Film | The Merciless | Nominated |
| 54th Grand Bell Awards | Best Director | Byun Sung-hyun | Nominated |
| 54th Grand Bell Awards | Best Actor | Sul Kyung-gu | Won |
| 54th Grand Bell Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Jeon Hye-jin | Nominated |
| 54th Grand Bell Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Kim Hee-won | Nominated |
| 54th Grand Bell Awards | Best Lighting | Park Jeong-woo | Nominated |
| 54th Grand Bell Awards | Best Cinematography | Cho Hyoung-rae | Nominated |
| 54th Grand Bell Awards | Best Editing | Kim Sang-beom & Kim Jae-beom | Nominated |
| 37th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | Best Actor | Sul Kyung-gu | Won |
| 37th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Jeon Hye-jin | Won |
| 37th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | Top 10 Films | The Merciless | Won |
| 38th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Film | The Merciless | Nominated |
| 38th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Director | Byun Sung-hyun | Nominated |
| 38th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Actor | Sul Kyung-gu | Nominated |
| 38th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Popular Star Award | Sul Kyung-gu | Won |
| 38th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Kim Hee-won | Nominated |
| 38th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Jeon Hye-jin | Nominated |
| 38th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Cinematography and Lighting | Jo Hyung-rae & Park Jeong-woo | Won |
| 38th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Editing | Kim Sang-beom & Kim Jae-beom | Nominated |
| 38th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Music | Kim Hong-jip & Lee Jin-hee | Nominated |
| 38th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Art Direction | Han Ah-reum | Nominated |
| 54th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (Film) | Sul Kyung-gu | Nominated |
| 54th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Supporting Actor (Film) | Kim Hee-won | Nominated |
| 54th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Supporting Actress (Film) | Jeon Hye-jin | Nominated |
| 54th Baeksang Arts Awards | Technical Award (Film) | Kim Sang-beom | Nominated |
| 23rd Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Actor | Sul Kyung-gu | Nominated |
| 23rd Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Kim Hee-won | Nominated |
| 23rd Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Jeon Hye-jin | Nominated |