Review: Ryoo Seung-wan’s ‘Humint’ hits a new peak of classic spy-action elegance

“It’s romantic. The lighting, the temperature, the humidity …” a guest on a variety show once said. The point was that place, weather and how you feel combine to create an atmosphere. Movies work the same way: your mood and experience can become part of how you judge what you see. “ChoiCine Review” is a column that introduces films through the writer’s own perspective, in a more relaxed, everyday voice.
Director Ryoo Seung-wan’s films arrive with a recognizable rhythm. If his earlier work moved like upbeat disco or punk, his new film, “Humint,” shifts into something closer to a full orchestra — heavier, colder and more controlled. The result is a polished new high point for Ryoo’s brand of action, refined even beyond “The Berlin File.”

The story follows Jo, a National Intelligence Service black-ops agent known as Manager Jo (Zo In-sung), who is tracking an international crime case in Southeast Asia when he picks up a clue left by an informant killed during his earlier human-intelligence operation. He heads to Vladivostok, where he makes contact with Chae Seon-hwa (Shin Se-kyung), an employee at a North Korean restaurant, and selects her as a source for a new operation. Elsewhere, Park Geon (Park Jung-min), a State Security Department team leader sent to investigate disappearances near the border, senses that North Korea’s consul general, Hwang Chi-seong (Park Hae-joon), is involved. Using the pasts of Chae and Park as leverage, Hwang pressures them, and the players begin a dangerous balancing act.
 
Rather than replaying power struggles head-on, Ryoo focuses on what is left unsaid — the gaps between records. The film keeps the poise of classic spy cinema while stripping away excess technique, making “Humint” one of the most tightly constructed espionage entries in his filmography.

That control shows in the locations and staging. A Latvia shoot stands in for Vladivostok, bringing a chill texture to the screen. Buildings marked by Russia’s past create an unfamiliar mood, while heavy concrete surfaces help visualize the harsh reality surrounding the characters.

The camera alternates between wide landscapes and tight close-ups at key moments, holding on faces to capture emotional shifts. The contrast between the weight of the setting and the instability in the characters’ expressions helps regulate tension scene by scene.
 
The action is designed to match character and tempo, not just deliver thrills. Movements shaped through actual NIS training add professional detail, and the direction counts bullets in gunfights to give scenes a realistic weight. The texture of each fight reflects the characters’ circumstances and temperaments, pushing the story forward.

Zo handles firearms with a composed, agentlike presence, using his physicality to give the action a measured style. Park Jung-min brings contained movement with bursts of energy, from his first appearance throwing darts to a car chase. Park Hae-joon tightens suspense with a coldness that turns everyday tools into weapons, while Shin anchors the film with a forceful performance built around decisive choices for survival.

Together, the cast’s physical performances lock into an ensemble, building individual arcs within shared spaces and drawing a clear line between harsh reality and human conflict. “Humint” opens in theaters on the 11th. It runs 119 minutes and is rated for viewers 15 and older.