Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead (2018)

Detective K is a movie series from South Korea which has three movies until now, they are Detective K: Secret of the Virtous Widow (2011), Secret of the Lost Island (2015), and Secret of The Living Dead (2018). I don’t watch the first and second movies yet, but I’ve enjoyed the third. First time I saw the movie’s poster, I repeatedly asked myself what kind of movie is this? Because they use “detective” word on title and the characters on poster wear traditional Korean clothes. It didn’t make sense, for me, but let me skipped that vagueness and continued to watch this movie. So, Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead tells about a mysterious beautiful woman who has powerful strength but has amnesia after revived. She is an eternal creature, if she draws blood, it can heal over by itself. Then, she meets a detective and his partner from city when they come to observate a serial murder case which can bring old memory to the woman when she sees the murder victims. The detective thinks that she can help him to reveal murder case and the woman thinks that he can help her to find her identity, then they collaborate to find the next murder target by a clue left behind on a dead body. In process of time, the woman’s identity reveals after the emerges of the villain and they turned out to be interacted each other.

This movie is directed by Kim Suk-Yoon and released on February 8, 2018. The setting is about Joseon Dynasty with comedy, adventure and mystery genre. I don’t think it is a history or not because I don’t know for sure, this story is base on true or not, also between Joseon Dynasty, detective, and vampire are don’t make sense and I can’t find any explanation about it. Actually the main idea from this movie is same as other detective series but presents in more light way and has much funny parts but still holds the strain too. They mix strain scene with funny moment, so it’s not merely serious. My favorite funny part is when Soe-Pil being pranked by Kim Min as if Soe-Pil has changed to be a vampire. The plot successfully can make me curious about what will happen then, they tell about the present then past time in the end, so their story can surprise me as well besides its vagueness.

It is played by Kim Myung-Min as Detective Kim Min, Oh Dal-Su as Soe-Pil (detective’s partner), Kim Ji-Won as Wol-Young (the beautiful woman), Lee Min-Ki as Heukdopo (the villain), Kim Beom as Cheon-Moo, Kim Jung-Hwa as Choi Jae-Hee, and many other additional cast members. They can play the characters very well as their own role. Kim Myung-Min, for example, he can play not only as a arrogant and clever detective same as Sherlock Holmes, but also he can acting out in some funny parts. Then, Kim Ji-Won can play as a mysterious and amnesia woman with her natural beauty which can make me spellbounds with her.

When I hear its music and sound, I think it’s almost same as the Sherlock Holmes but they arrange it a bit and they change some tunes with traditional Korean instrument, maybe, as we consider the story is taking place from Joseon Dynasty. The cinematography and editing is quite well, although there are some night scenes and I only watch black color on my laptop screen while wondering what happens on that part. They also put some effects on movie, such as when Kim Min tries to reveal mysterious codes form a Buddhist monk to get a clue.

I get some moral values from this movie: we have to forgive people who has mistakes to us although they make us lose out, suffer, and even culminate in death. Because if we pay off old scores, it can’t change what has happened and actually forgiveness can make something better. Another moral value: loyalty and reliance are precious thing, once you get those thing make use of it and keep it adversely. I give three stars from five to this movie and in case you look for another version from Sherlock Holmes, watch this movie. They have some similarities in some parts, such as actor’s charracteristic, but it present in a more light way and not merely serious.