Dae-Ho is a pathetic, downtrodden clerk stuck at a dead end bank job where he is the victim of never-ending harassment—not simply verbal reprimands but actual headlocks and choking—from his boss. In an effort to stand up for himself and reclaim a childhood passion for professional wrestling, he begins a training regiment under a wrestling coach to become a recreation of the legendary cheating wrestler known as the Foul King for his debut in the ring.
Taking its cue from the underdog themed pic, Foul King goes a step further to create a Korean combination of Being John Malkovich and Office Space with a wrestling twist, delivering an empathetic story filled with laugh-out-loud moments. Song Kang-ho, in his first big starring role, does a fine job with his deadpan performance as a pitiful loser, sick of life, hoping for something better. But Dae-ho doesn’t decide to take up ballroom dancing or a musical instrument; he opts for a far more ridiculous hobby.
Kim Ji-woon writes and directs his sophomore feature well, proving his strengths for dark comedy once again. Foul King’s humor is subtle and dry for the most part, and it occasionally lapses into absurdity to great effect. The main source of comedy comes from the film’s second act, when Dae-ho’s wrestling training seeps into his real life, he is able to confidently stand up to his bullies and finally fight back.
But though the film does everything right, from an explosive finale to great comedy and a cute romance, there’s always the lingering sense that it is not quite enough. It’s definitely a testament to Kim Ji-woon’s success that we are left wanting more of what he presents, but it still leave may leave viewers unsatisfied. I wanted more from the teasing bit of romance between Dae-ho and his coach’s daughter. I wanted more of those moments where wrestling helped in his real life. I wanted more humor from his dead-end job. They were minor focuses of the film, but even in a film full of gorgeously stylish slow-motion wrestling moves, these were still the moments that really mattered.
Reviewed by Tarun
