The defence The Big-Idea Head
“Its refusal to behave is the point.”
The strange choices create the kind of friction that follows you out of the theatre and into the argument.
Back to trending 
The Merciless
Action · Crime · Mystery · 2017
Jae-ho, who aims to become the number one in a crime organization, gets to build up trust with Hyun-su, an ambitious newbie in prison. When they try to take over the organization after their release, their ulterior motives start to emerge.
Movie details
The Merciless
“Careful who you trust.”
2017 Action · Crime · Mystery 2h 0m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
7.2 / 10
Community rating
Jae-ho, who aims to become the number one in a crime organization, gets to build up trust with Hyun-su, an ambitious newbie in prison. When they try to take over the organization after their release, their ulterior motives start to emerge.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over The Merciless?
For the defence
The Big-Idea Head
“You watch with your brain, not your gut.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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Midnight Runners
Comedy · 2017
Two apathetic police academy recruits who become best buddies through the tough training together witness a woman being abducted right before their very eyes. As they were taught in the academy, they quickly report the incident to the police, but the police are in no hurry to jump on the case. So the duo decide to take the matter into their own hands and rescue the woman.
The Bad Guys: Reign of Chaos
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A respectable village head decides to keep his son away from the violent politics of rural life. However, fate intervenes, forcing the young man to not only return home, but also take up the sickle.
The Seven-Ups
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A tough detective who is part of an elite New York City unit is trying to find out who killed his partner, but uncovers a plot to kidnap mobsters for money.
Limbo
Crime · 2023
Travis, a jaded detective, arrives in the remote outback town of Limbo to investigate the cold case murder of local Indigenous girl Charlotte Hayes 20 years ago. As truths about the murder begin to unfold, the detective gains a new insight into the unsolved case.
F.I.S.T.
Drama · 1978
Johnny Kovak joins the Teamsters trade-union in a local chapter in the 1930s and works his way up in the organization. As he climbs higher and higher his methods become more ruthless and finally senator Madison starts a campaign to find the truth about the alleged connections with the Mob.
Glengarry Glen Ross
Crime · 1992
Times are tough at Premiere Properties. Shelley "the machine" Levene and Dave Moss are veteran salesmen, but only Ricky Roma is on a hot streak. The new Glengarry sales leads could turn everything around, but the front office is holding them back until these "losers" prove themselves. Then someone decides to take matters into his own hands, stealing the Glengarry leads and leaving everyone wondering who did it.
She's on Duty
Comedy · 2005
A boisterous detective goes undercover in a high school in order to befriend the teenage daughter of a notorious gangster.
Mobsters
Action · 1991
The story of a group of friends in turn of the century New York, from their early days as street hoods to their rise in the world of organized crime...
Overdrive
Thriller · 2017
Master car thieves square off against French gangsters in the South of France with money, women and lives all on the line.
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Byun Sung-hyun
Written by
Byun Sung-hyun · Kim Min-su
Sul Kyung-gu
Han Jae-ho
Yim Si-wan
Jo Hyun-su
Kim Hie-won
Byung-gab
Jeon Hye-jin
In-sook
Lee Kyung-young
Byung-chul
Moon Ji-yoon
Young-geun
Jang In-sub
Min-chul
Court is in session
Put The Merciless on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist
“Oddness is not depth.”
A film can break every rule and still leave nothing behind but the memory of how hard it tried to be singular.