Midnight Runners (2017)

I haven't laughed this hard in quite a while. The plot wasn't the most original or complicated but it didn't matter. Simplicity was key for this movie. It didn't need to be hard to understand, all it had to do was make the viewer smile, laugh and maybe even forget about their troubles - and it got the job done.

The casting for this movie was perfect. Kang Ha Neul and Park Seo Joon just work SO WELL together. As reluctant police academy students, they were the best of bros and I was 100% here for it. Ki Joon and Hee Yeol's brain-brawn dynamic made for a wild ride, and I can't think of anyone else that would have delivered like these two did. They played off of each other, and after hearing that they ad-libbed quite a bit during the movie I was sold -- that friendship did not seem like acting at all. The bromance was so strong in this.

Midnight Runners was a great example of what a buddy-cop movie should be (though if you want a super serious police procedural, this isn't it). It balanced Ki Joon and Hee Yeol's light, easygoing antics with the gross (and tbh, kind of scary) villains. Also, it was INFURIATING, and I do mean infuriating at one part. I mean, ignoring a very real, serious issue just because protocol had to be followed?? I was about to tear my hair out. It was so, so frustrating.

Midnight Runners' only issue is that the action doesn't really pick up until around the second half of the movie. The beginning is more of a buildup of Ki Joon and Hee Yeol's dynamic, which I'm not complaining about, but the actual conflict doesn't really begin until about an hour into the movie.

Overall, Midnight Runners was a solid film. It's not anything heavy, and I can definitely think of worse ways to spend 1hr 50min. Even if cop movies aren't really your thing, the bromance and the way the two leads build off of each other is worth watching.

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I don’t usually write reviews but this movie really delivered. Once I saw the trailer and found out it was going to be playing in my local cinema, I decided to go for it. I honestly can’t say I laugh much when watching movies in the cinemas, but man, I was cackling the whole time.

If you’re after an original and riveting crime plot, then Midnight Runners might not be your thing. In terms of the storyline, it’s pretty generic and you basically know exactly what’s going to happen from start to beginning. The strongpoint of this film was the chemistry between Park Seo Joon and Kang Ha Neul and how well this chemistry allowed for the perfect balance between great comedy and seriousness.

Whilst a light-hearted movie, it also delves slightly in the moral dilemmas that people who work in law enforcement face, there were definitely moments that made you feel helpless and sympathetic to the characters. However these conflicts were addressed well and once again, the humour within the movie does clean up and negative emotions you might feel whilst watching it.

This is definitely a pick-me-up movie, I can guarantee that after watching this most of you will walk away feeling happy inside.

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