Countdown

Jeon Do-youn plays a beautiful ex-con who, after being released from prison, tries to make some quick cash by manipulating a heartless debt collector.

Jeon Do-yeon (The Housemaid) is playing a con-artist, opposite Jung Jae-young who plays a heartless debt collector with a 100% success rate in getting his mark to pay up. He puts his life on the line as he chases her down, but meets his match in Jeon Do-yeon’s character. She can’t pass up one last score, and cons him even as he hunts her relentlessly. What ensues is a cat-and-mouse game where the better con wins.
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An exhilarating caper starring two of Korea’s top actors, Jung Jae-Young and award-winning actress Jeon Do-Yeon, Countdown is an highly assured debut feature by Huh Jong-ho that takes the audience through an entertaining journey through the underbelly of Korea.

First feature | South Korean | Crime | Adventure
Programmer's Note

One of the most expressive actors of her generation, South Korean star Jeon Do-youn ( The Housemaid , Secret Sunshine ) continues to reach new heights. Together with Jung Jae-young, famous for his roles as angry young men, she turns this assured debut from writer/director Huh Jong-ho into an exhilarating journey through the underbelly of contemporary Korea.

Tae (Jung) is the best collection agent in his firm, admired by his colleagues and dreaded by those he visits. He’s known for gathering his debts by any means necessary, and keeps a cattle prod handy while on the job. Following a series of unexpected fainting spells, Tae is told by a doctor that he has liver cancer, and would need a transplant to have any chance of surviving beyond three months. And so he puts his professional skills to work, setting out to collect a different sort of debt by tracking down the recipients of organs donated by his late son. First among his sources for a liver is Cha Ha-yeon (Jeon), a beguiling fraudster with a long list of enemies.

Locating Cha turns out to be easy, since she’s about to be released from prison. The deal she proposes, however, which includes getting even with the sleazy crime boss who set her up, jeopardizes Tae’s future. He struggles desperately to keep Cha, and her liver, safe until the transplant — even while Cha has other plans.

Jung, one of the most versatile actors in Korea, gives a subtle and moving performance as the seemingly emotionless tortured soul with a dark past. Jeon, who cements her position as one of her country’s best actors, is fantastic as the ruthlessly manipulative Cha.

Countdown , with its wit, style, perfect pacing and wonderful performances, establishes Huh as a talent to watch.

Giovanna Fulvi

Director's Bio

Huh Jong-ho graduated from the School of Film, TV and Multimedia at the Korea National University of Arts. Countdown (11) is his feature debut.