Gauran Sharma, Delhi

Directed by Jason Kim, Midnight Runners is an action-comedy film that was released in August 2017. If you are a fan of watching the kinds of cop movies that have cool cops with cool cars and fancy action scenes, then Midnight Runners is not the one you’re looking for. This movie is an awkward yet realistic cop comedy that stars Park Seo-joon and Kang Ha-neul who play the role of two students studying at the Korean National Police University. The two actors have done an amazing job in portraying their characters with their hilarious comic timing and impeccable acting skills.

Park Seo-joon plays the character of Ki-joon, who is only attending the academy because it does not require any fee whereas, Kang Ha-neul is seen playing the role of Hee-yeol, who is a complete nerd. They start off as two guys who have no motivation to become police officers. They are just going with the flow until everything changes one day when they stumble upon a crime being committed right under the nose of the local police force. A case of kidnapping, which the local police refuse to investigate in its golden hours, forces the two to take it upon themselves by putting their police credentials and life in danger.

This movie shows how mundane yet complicated a cop’s life could get and how hard they have to work to become a cop. The chemistry between both the lead characters has been pulled off greatly by the two actors, who also became good friends on the sets. This dark comedy film is a must-watch for viewers who enjoy this genre. From a viewer’s point of view, the script of the movie and the direction are commendable.

The scenes where the cops-in-training put what they have been taught in theory to use is peak comedy and slapstick humour at its best. Though awkward, they are able to pull it off well. The two friends bickering even in serious situations makes their chemistry stand out. As they dig deeper into their investigation about the kidnapping, they realise that the situation is far more dangerous than expected, and that they might probably be meddling into an organised crime run by a notorious gang. Despite having a conflict in mind, they inform the police department and firmly decide to pursue the gang’s leader by themselves. This is a movie that the viewers can enjoy as it has comedy, suspense, action, and awkward (yet handsome) cops. What more can you ask for? Enjoy the trailer of the movie here:

Have you seen this movie? What do you think of it? Share your thoughts in the comment section.