A hardboiled action thriller “The Man from Nowhere” follows the travails of an ex-secret agent with a painful past as he tries to rescue a neighborhood girl after she is kidnapped by gangsters.

The film’s protagonist is Cha Tae-sik, a former secret agent who leads an isolated life. After losing his pregnant wife in a tragic incident, he locked himself up in his obscure, run-down pawnshop. His only connection to the outside world is a ten-year-old girl named So-mi, who lives next door. Tae-sik doesn’t say much and doesn’t even care to cut his hair. While he appears to be indifferent to the little girl who lives alone with her nightclub dancer mother, he takes good care of her. The reserved man begins to open up his heart to the cheerful girl and the two develop a friendship as they spend time together. But when So-mi is kidnapped by members of a drug and organ trafficking ring, with her mother involved in a case, Tae-sik breaks out of his self-built shell and embarks on a blood-splattering mission to save the kidnapped child, who is his only friend.

The ultra-violent thriller quickly unfolds into a story of revenge. Bloodcurdling scenes of brutal stabbings, shootings, snapping necks and fierce hand-to-hand combats are shown throughout the film, making weak-hearted viewers turn their eyes away. On top of the unflinching violence, the film touches on disturbing subjects such as drugs, child trafficking and the terrifying reality of illegal organ trade.

While the picture of revenge is certainly gruesome on the surface, it is not always serious. The scenes depicting Tae-sik and the little girl are full of brightness and warmth, touching the soft spot in the hearts of the audiences. There are a number of lighthearted moments to help the viewers relax their concentration on the fast-paced action flick for a while, which is one of the strong points of this movie.

Actor Won Bin’s stellar performance is worth mentioning. The heartthrob got rid of his trademark pretty boy image and successfully transformed into a knife-wielding madman in this film, which reminds viewers of movies such as “Leon” or “Man on Fire.” To pull off the character of a merciless killer and demonstrate his knack for high kicks and intense tussles, the actor trained for three months with a martial arts director. He did many of the stunts himself. Won Bin seems really scary in the cruel action scenes, but at the same time, his conventional image works well in expressing the warm relationship with a little girl. By complementing the two very different sides of the character effectively, Won Bin proved himself a reputable actor who is capable of performing such an emotionally complex role.

The hit movie drew 6.2 million viewers in Korea, becoming the highest grossing film in 2010. The crime drama was also a big hit in Japan and China in 2011, although it is rated for ages 18 and up and has many violent scenes.