Crime, Action, Drama  •  2018  •  139 min

The Drug King (2018)

The Drug King poster

The Drug King (2018)


Rating & Dimensions

Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Center
Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate

Viewer Rating
6.7

Overview

Busan, South Korea, 1970s. Lee Doo-sam is a small-time smuggler. After helping a drug gang to smuggle meth, he falls into the dark crime world. Quick-witted and full of ambition, he eventually takes over the drug underworld and starts to lead a double life: a good community leader during the day but an infamous drug lord during the night.


Starring Cast

Song Kang-ho  •   Jo Jung-suk  •   Bae Doona


Where to watch

Detailed Bias Analysis

Analyzing...
Center

Primary

Political: Center
Confidence: High

The film primarily functions as a character study and a cautionary tale about the rise and fall of a drug lord, depicting the consequences of unchecked ambition and corruption without explicitly advocating for a specific political ideology or solution.

Diversity: Moderate
Confidence: Medium

This South Korean crime drama features a cast that is culturally appropriate to its setting, without engaging in explicit DEI-driven casting or recasting of traditionally white roles. The narrative focuses on the criminal underworld and does not explicitly critique traditional identities or center DEI themes.

Secondary

LGBTQ: N/A
Confidence: High

The film 'The Drug King' does not feature any identifiable LGBTQ+ characters or themes. Its narrative focuses on the rise and fall of a drug trafficker in 1970s Korea, with no elements related to queer identity or experiences.

Trans: N/R

There is not enough publicly available information for AI to assess this category for this movie.

Female Combat: No
Confidence: High

The film primarily focuses on the male protagonist's rise and fall in the drug trade. While female characters are present in significant roles, such as Bae Doona's lobbyist character, none are depicted engaging in or winning direct physical combat against male opponents.

Gender Swap: No
Confidence: High

The film is a biopic based on the real-life drug lord Lee Doo-sam, who was historically male and is portrayed as such. There is no evidence of any other historically or canonically established character being portrayed as a different gender.

Race Swap: No
Confidence: High

The film is a South Korean production based on a real Korean historical figure and events, starring Korean actors. There is no indication that any character, historically or canonically established as one race, is portrayed by an actor of a different race.


Viewer Rating Breakdown

6.7

Viewer Rating

Combines user and critic ratings from four sources

User Ratings

IMDB logo
6.2
The Movie Database logo
6.3

Critic Ratings

Rotten Tomatoes logo
7.5
Metacritic logo
N/A

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