Sign in
Trailer

A Bittersweet Life

2005Movie1 h 59 min

Drama
89
ExcellentGoodWatch score
IMDb7.4Rotten Tomatoes100%90%

A nerve-racking, brutally violent action movie about everyday modern life and crime, with standout cinematography.

Good for date night · friends night · thought-provoking

Skip it if you need an uplifting mood · you want fast pacing · graphic violence bothers you

Where to watch

Set your services

Not streaming in United States. Where it is:

Fingerprint

Not for warmth, comfort or laughs.

Movies with

Story

When doing right goes very, very wrong.

Kim Sun-woo is an enforcer and manager for a hotel owned by a cold, calculative crime boss, Kang who assigns Sun-woo to a simple errand while he is away on a business trip; to shadow his young mistress, Hee-soo, for fear that she may be cheating on him with a younger man with the mandate that he must kill them both if he discovers their affair.

Feels like

  • Neo-Noir Crime Thriller
  • Stylish Action
  • Moral Conflict
  • Betrayal and Revenge
  • Gangster Underworld
  • Melancholic Tone
  • Cinematically Striking
  • Psychological Depth
  • Slow Burn

Cast

24 of 30

Crew

Directed by
Kim Jee-woon
Written by
Kim Jee-woon
Produced by
Choi Pyung-ho, Lee Eugene, Oh Jung-wan
Music by
Jang Young-gyu, Dalpalan

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

April 1, 2005 · 1 h 59 min · Violence, Disturbing Imagery

Released
April 1, 2005
Runtime
1 h 59 min
Content
Violence, Disturbing Imagery
Genres
Action, Drama, Crime
Original language
Korean
Also spoken
Russian
Made in
South Korea
Box office
$8 million
Available in
18 countries

Tropes

Call-Back, Dying Dream, Combat Pragmatist +9

  • Call-Back
  • Dying Dream
  • Combat Pragmatist
  • Not So Stoic
  • Downer Ending
  • Homage
  • Four Eyes, Zero Soul
  • Destination Defenestration
  • Avenging the Villain
  • The Worf Effect
  • Action Hero
  • Made of Iron

12 of 22 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

5 questions, like "Where can I stream A Bittersweet Life?"

Questions about A Bittersweet Life

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream A Bittersweet Life?

It streams in 13 other countries, but not in the United States.

Is A Bittersweet Life worth watching?

89
ExcellentGoodWatch score

Yes, it's widely acclaimed, with a GoodWatch score of 89 (IMDb 7.4 and Rotten Tomatoes 100%). Critics rate it higher (100 out of 100) than audiences (82).

Will I feel good after watching A Bittersweet Life?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 9 of 10 for bleakness and 8 for melancholy, against 3 for hopefulness.

Is A Bittersweet Life in English?

KoreanRussian

No, it was made in Korean, with some Russian.

What tropes does A Bittersweet Life use?

Call-BackDying DreamCombat PragmatistNot So StoicDowner EndingHomageFour Eyes, Zero SoulDestination DefenestrationAvenging the VillainThe Worf EffectAction HeroMade of Ironand 10 more

TV Tropes lists 22 tropes for it, including Call-Back, Dying Dream, and Combat Pragmatist.