“If you do nothing, nothing will happen.”
This quote is spoken by the character So Si-Min, portrayed by Shin Hye-sun (See You in My 19th Life), as part of a class on ethics. It’s one of several concepts that particular sequence covers as the character engages with their students on personal responsibility and the way their actions directly impact the world around them. Read one way, the phrase is innocent, a moral negation, as it can be understood that by not engaging in something, by maintaining a neutral energy, nothing at all will occur as a result. Read another way, by taking no action, cruelty and villainy will continue to take advantage of the weakness they think they see around them. This cuts straight to the heart of director Park Jin-pyo’s (Voice of a Murderer) latest project, the cinematic adaptation of Kim Jung-hyun’s webtoon Brave Citizen, having its North American premiere during Fantasia International Film Festival 2024. It’s a film with the usual do-gooder trappings and martial arts bad-assery that make any decent action comedy fun, but it’s the approach to the villainy where Brave Citizen finds its dramatic anchor which makes all the ridiculousness (not believable but) desirable and beautifully satisfying.
Shin Hye-sun as So Si-Min in BRAVE CITIZEN. Photo courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival/FINECUT.
Mooyoung High is an award-winning anti-harassment institution that prides itself on its zero-tolerance policy which ensures that all students will be able to learn in a safe and happy environment. At least, that’s the public identity of the school, whereas the truth is that the halls are ruled by one single student, Han Su-kang (Lee Jun-young), and his crew insulting, manipulating, and humiliating anyone they see fit. After witnessing the disgrace of student Jin-hyoung (Park Jung-woo), contract teacher So Si-Min interrupts before things go too far, but doing so puts Si-Min in Su-kang’s crosshairs. By and large, Si-Min should be a victim like any other, except Su-kang doesn’t know that she’s a former professional fighter and her patience for the injustice that courses through Mooyoung is running thin.
Lee Jun-young as Han Su-kang in BRAVE CITIZEN. Photo courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival/FINECUT.
The original webtoon appears to have started in October 2023 (accessible here) by Kim and is adapted for theaters by Park, Hyeon Choong-yeol (Libera Me), and Yeo Ji-na (Libera Me; Il Mare). Prior knowledge of the source material is unnecessary and, likely, even enhances the appreciation for the experience as one isn’t hampered by narrative shifts or character redesigns. Impressively, what starts as a film that may as well be a throwback to ‘90s school action dramas like Only the Strong (1993) finds its footing by not relying on the vigilantism angle for its primary mode of problem-solving Su-kang. Narratively, it’s easy to fight violence with violence, especially with a character whose malevolence and reputation runs deeper than initially understood, except the bulk of Brave Citizen doesn’t follow that path, opting to explore the primary characters and those around them more deeply. If the film were merely about Su-kang getting his comeuppance through like-minded application of fisticuffs, that could work to scratch that modern martial arts itch of audiences. Instead, the script creates a slow-burn situation in which the audience’s release from Su-kang’s terrible circle of influence comes in fits and starts, beautifully choreographed and executed each time, creating a circumstance where the pressure is put on Si-Min in a way that feels natural for the environment within the narrative, even as it somewhat pushes the bounds of reality.
What this looks like is a grounded, though cinematically-presented, version of school bullying in which the administration is impotent to deal with Su-kang due to political and legal concerns and students being forced to taking classes with a known violent offender who gets off on the cruelty. Su-kang is an absolute piece of garage and Lee makes it entirely believable, offering a performance that may just trigger audience members into remembering their own abusers and the repeated degradations they faced because everyone knew and no one did anything. It’s truly unnerving to watch Lee work, bringing to life a figure whose energy not only makes the characters feel helpless within the frame, but manages to make it extend into the audience. As his opponent, Shin as Si-Min is as much an audience surrogate as she is complete fantasy fulfillment. The first part is that she’s our central character and the one we primarily follow, our leader on the path through a slowly growing roster of characters whose mystery of how they all fit together is revealed slowly and intuitively, thereby giving the film a sense of natural interconnection that’s more often forced in tales this like this. Regarding the second, the fantasy fulfillment refers specifically to the desire to fight fire with fire, to have the skills the beat down an abuser and to prevent further exploitation. In that regard, the script ensures to spend time making that element of herself intrinsic to who Si-Min is as a person, thereby making the quote at the start of the film a concept she herself is struggling to comply with. She is a fighter, a grappler, and while she also has a kind heart, her training is so totally engrained into her identity that to deny that part of herself is akin to creating a schism from which turning a blind eye is impossible and self-destructive. Given how the narrative reveals itself to be as much about self-care as social responsibility, to deny the parts of herself that keep bubbling to the surface is only going to do Si-Min harm and Shin makes that element convincing at every stage of the script.
One would be remiss not to mention the stuntwork and its presentation in the film. Translating comic action into the real world can be incredibly tricky as the bending of physics and spacetime doesn’t always work when jumping from page to screen. If one didn’t know that Brave Citizen started as a webtoon, they’d likely never know that it was an adaptation of drawn static images. Most of this is likely due to the stunt team lead by Heo Myeong-haeng (Crime City series) and Yoon Seong-min (Okja; Train to Busan; Crime City series) who not only brings the goods, but the pain, too. Whether it’s a major sequence in which Si-Min has donned her vigilante persona or a smaller sequence of bullying, each is structured so that the audience can follow the action, amplifying the impact of each punch, kick, throw, or potential danger. This matters as the audience needs to believe in Su-kang’s cruelty, so we need to see him doing something as low-energy as verbally berating someone or as high-energy as performing a flying knee-kick. The audience needs to understand that Su-kang isn’t just talk and the stuntwork in their construction and execution conveys this. Likewise, given the physical disparity between the actors, we need to believe that Si-Min is as capable as her accolades suggest, thus the presentation of the stunts serve to convey that her small stature does not give anyone permission to dismiss her or her capabilities. From camerawork that understands when intimate close-ups and wider shots best serve the emotional impact of the stunts to editing that never hides the feats, Brave Citizen ends up delivering some of the best action, certainly some of the most satisfying, in 2024.
Shin Hye-sun as So Si-Min in BRAVE CITIZEN. Photo courtesy of FINECUT.
For all the things that Brave Citizen nails (the helpless feeling that permeates victims of bullying, the deafening quiet of those who know and do nothing to stop it, the delicious gratification of comeuppance), when the script swings toward the expected, such as when the fights get a little too easy for Su-Kang, the satisfaction of the film dwindles a bit. After so many smart moments, so many intelligent details woven into the script to explain character choices and motivations told through a mix of linear and non-linear storytelling, as well as character interactions, to see something small like Si-Min losing to Su-kang in a straight fight feels odd and merely for the drama of it. You know the one-on-one fight is coming, you know that it’s going to be brutal (and, again, the stunts deliver), but there’s a strangeness to the balance between the fighters being somewhat equal, especially when we know so much about Si-Min as a trained athlete.
L-R: Lee Jun-young as Han Su-kang and Shin Hye-sun as So Si-Min in BRAVE CITIZEN. Photo courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival/FINECUT.
Though Brave Citizen officially released in 2023, with its North American premiere, there’s a solid chance of a wider release that will enable audiences to discover this comic adaptation and really dig into it. Considering the scene just before the credits start, it appears that there’s more story to tell in this world and, frankly, a follow-up could be a lot of fun now that the background’s been established. In terms of North American accessibility, Brave Citizen would likely be a great candidate for streamer Hi-YAH! or to be distributed on physical formats via Well Go USA, but, for now, we’ll have to enjoy it where we can, like festivals such as Fantasia. If you’re any kind of action fan, track down Brave Citizen — it delivers on the action it promises and brings a healthy dose of pathos to make the experience rewarding.
Screening during Fantasia International Film Festival 2024.
For more information, head to the official Fantasia International Film Festival 2024 Brave Citizen webpage.
Final Score: 4.5 out of 5.
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Categories: Films To Watch, In Theaters, Recommendation, Reviews
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