The Point Men (2023), A Premise Without a Punch

Despite being led by two talented stars, Hwang Jung-min and Hyun Bin, and directed by Yim Soon-rye, who had previously had success on a similar project, The Whistleblower, The Point Men fell short of expectations and failed to deliver a comparable quality.

The Point Men is a dramatization of the real-life event in which 23 South Korean missionaries were taken hostage by the Taliban. Hwang Jung-min stars as Jung Jae-ho, the negotiator appointed by the South Korean government to bring the hostages home. Park Dae-sik (Hyun Bin), an intelligence agent seeking to redeem his failure in Iraq, is also sent to assist in the mission. With tension mounting, the two must work together to save the hostages in this thrilling drama.

Yim Soon-rye is an acclaimed director, renowned for her skillful execution of dramatic works, such as The Whistleblower (2013), Waikiki Brothers (2001), and Little Forest (2018). Unfortunately, The Point Men is a rare misstep; the film suffers from a fractured narrative and a disappointing screenplay, which neither her direction nor her talented cast could save.

The Point Men has the ingredients to be an enjoyable movie, but unfortunately these ingredients are not used to their full potential. The central premise – a negotiator – has the potential to be the backbone of an exciting thriller (or maybe, action plus thriller), but instead the film is weighed down by a script that fails to deliver on this promising premise.

The Point Men fails to create a sense of connection between its audience and the events unfolding onscreen. Also, the key moments, such as the climax of the third act, fail to hit the mark and provide an exciting, shared experience. Additionally, the jarring scene transitions impede the narrative flow, leaving viewers confused and unable to fully appreciate the story. Even as a film about negotiation, The Point Men does not show any “big” moments in that particular idea. 

The film also suffers from its lack of integration of character Dae-sik into the narrative. To remain true to reality, Hyun Bin's character was unable to infiltrate a Taliban stronghold single-handedly, thus leading to an action sequence which, while showcasing his action hero appeal, felt unnatural and out of place. Dae-sik is virtually absent from the third act, which instead focuses on the negotiation process, further undermining his importance within the plot.

The film is confused as to which direction to take, whether it should be like Argo (2012) or The Negotiation (2018) or a bombastic action spectacle. Aside from its identity crisis, the film also features some offensive moments (towards Arabs and Muslims). Some of these may be due to lack of in-depth research but there are parts that truly sound racist. 

Another problem is, despite Hwang Jung-min's commendable performance, the film is marred by a multitude of factors, chief among them the clunky English dialogue. It appears to be a common issue with South Korean films, as I've seen it countless times before. While there are also other mistakes that don't necessarily have to do with a lack of research for the script, it is the dialogue that truly detracts from the viewing experience.

Overall, The Point Men was an absolute misstep in terms of narrative. The premise was interesting, but the script and direction failed to do it justice and the talents of Hwang Jung-min and Hyun Bin were mostly wasted due to their limited screen time together. If they try this again, it would be wise to find a more ambitious writer who can do the story justice.