TIFF 2024: Harbin Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

The epic action thriller is a genre that is largely familiar to audiences, having flocked to blockbuster after blockbuster. What makes Harbin stand out is how this Korean/Japanese production puts their own spin on it. A period piece focused on a critical time in their shared history, the film wows with its impressive visuals and booming score but more importantly, it will keep audiences on the edge of their seats with a brutal story full of twists and turns. Weaving all those genres seamlessly and making the most out of its 100+ minute running time, it is an independence take that is sure to strike a chord thanks to its powerful cast, led by the charming Hyun Bin. Set in the early 1900s, coming off the 1905 Eulsa Treaty that Japan forced Korea to sign that caused the country to lose its independence and essentially become part of Japan, the film follows a brave band of freedom fighters fighting back against the Japanese and their occupation. A war that was not without its fair share of casualties on both sides, the odds were certainly stacked against them but they continued to fight for their country.

A game of lies and deception, much of the focus went to Ahn Jung-geun (Hyun), and his team, as they set out on a mission to assassinate Itō Hirobumi, the first Japanese Resident-General of Korea. However, that mission saw some tension out of the gate as Ahn’s true allegiances came into question following his actions over a recent successful mission against that Japanese that left most of the men under him slaughtered. Putting a team together, they embarked into enemy territory but ultimately, their biggest threat was arguably one another. Each with their own motives and allegiances, they couldn’t all necessarily be trusted. Over the course of the film, the evolving power dynamic within the team and the shifting political dynamic around them, not to mention the danger they presented, made for a tense watch where everyone was at risk. Whether or not Ahn’s team, including Woo Deok-sun (Jeong-min), Kim Sang-hyun (Woo-jin), and Ms. Gong (Yeo-been), would succeed or even survive their mission was also far from a sure thing.

However, audiences will come to care about the characters in spite of their complex circumstances. Setting the stage with an absolutely epic opening act, the performances from its impressive cast and the writing carry Harbin the rest of the way. Technically speaking, the film features beautiful cinematography, ranging from its brutal opening act to its intimate character moments, while a strong score further accentuates those moments.

In the end, Harbin is an epic period action thriller that is as beautiful as it is impactful, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats throughout.

 still courtesy of CJ Entertainment

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.