The Night Owl (2022 Film)

The Night Owl (Korean: 올빼미; RR: Olbbaemi) is a 2022 South Korean historical thriller film directed by An Tae-Jin. The film, which explores themes of political intrigue and moral conflict, was released in South Korea on November 23, 2022.

The Night Owl promotional poster — Promotional poster for The Night Owl.

Plot

The story follows Kyeong-Soo (Ryu Jun-Yeol), a blind acupuncturist who possesses a unique condition: he is unable to see during the day but regains his sight at night. While working in the royal palace, he inadvertently witnesses the death of the Crown Prince Sohyeon (Kim Sung-Cheol). This discovery forces Kyeong-Soo into a dangerous struggle to expose the truth behind the prince's demise, while King Injo (Yu Hae-Jin) descends into paranoia and madness as a result of the incident.

Ryu Jun-Yeol as Kyeong-Soo — Ryu Jun-Yeol portrays the protagonist, Kyeong-Soo.

Cast

Ryu Jun-Yeol as Cheon Kyeong-Soo
Yu Hae-Jin as King Injo
Choi Moo-Sung as Lee Hyung-Ik
Cho Seong-Ha as Nobleman Cho
Park Myoung-Hoon as Man-Sik
Kim Sung-Cheol as Crown Prince Sohyeon
Ahn Eun-Jin as Soyong Jo
Jo Yun-Seo as Kang-Bin

Yu Hae-Jin as King Injo — Yu Hae-Jin stars as King Injo.

Reception and Awards

The film received critical acclaim and recognition at several major South Korean film ceremonies in 2023. At the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards, it won Best Film, Best Actor for Ryu Jun-Yeol, and Best New Director for An Tae-Jin. Additionally, the film was honored at the 44th Blue Dragon Film Awards and the 59th Daejong Film Awards, particularly for its cinematography, editing, and screenplay.