Korean superstar actors Ha Jung-woo (The Chaser, Nameless Gangsters) and Jang Hyuk (Windstruck, Volcano High) star in this 2011 suspenseful crime thriller directed by Sohn Young-sung. Jang Hyuk plays Han Chul-min, an eccentric man who comes home one day carrying flowers for his wife, only to find his apartment surrounded by neighbors and the police. In his bedroom he discovers a pool of blood, and the police arrest him as a suspect for the murder of his wife. While the blood is confirmed to be that of Han’s wife, her body is nowhere to be found, and the police are unable to find any hard evidence linking Han to the murder of his wife.

Enter Kang Sung-hee (played by Ha Jung-woo), a confident and talented lawyer who is given Han’s case and may be Han’s only chance of defending himself. Kang’s efforts to clear Han’s name, however, are often foiled by Prosecutor Ahn Min-ho (played by Park Hee-soon), a former law school classmate of Kang who seems eagerly bent on winning the case and prevailing over Kang. Mysterious details are revealed as the plot unfolds, leading the viewer to raise many questions about the possible identity of the murderer, and to even wonder if Han’s wife is actually dead. A missing body, the existence of only circumstantial evidence, and a relentless prosecutor who will stop at nothing to bring down Han—full of twists and turns, The Client will keep you glued to your seat and your brain in constant detective mode.

Premiering in North America on Tuesday, August 14th, at Tribeca Cinemas as part of the Korean Cultural Service’s Korean Movie Night series, The Client was a blockbuster hit in South Korea, raking in over 15 million (in USD) at the box office.

This article appears in the book Korean Culture Navigation in NY published by the Korean Cultural Center NY.