Fast-paced chase, brutal violence dominate glossy crime action film 'Special Delivery'
Actress Park So-dam in a scene from the film, "Special Delivery" / Courtesy of NEW
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Actress Park So-dam transforms herself into an action hero in writer-director Park Dae-min's swift and blood-soaked film, “Special Delivery,” about a special delivery driver, Eun-ha, who gets caught up in a gang war while trying to protect a child.
In many aspects, it recalls director Lee Jeong-beom's 2010 thriller film, “The Man from Nowhere,” featuring Won Bin.
Eun-ha (Park) is a North Korean defector who lives in Busan and works as a special delivery driver. She is not particularly fond of social interaction, but has a soft spot for cats.
One day, she receives a suspicious mission to transport Doo-shik (Yeon Woo-jin) and his young son Seo-won (Jung Hyeon-jun). Though indifferent to the Doo-shik's fate, Eun-ha finds herself moved to action when she realizes Seo-won is in danger.
When Eun-ha pursues her self-appointed mission to protect him, she becomes the target of a police officer named Kyung-sik (Song Sae-byeok), who is associated with the organized crime group.
The “Parasite” star reinvents herself as an action star in thrilling action and car chase scenes. She nailed the role as a veteran getaway driver who has gone through significant hardship over the past 10 years, according to director Park. Dressed in leather with her hair dyed turquoise, the 30-year-old actress has a guarded attitude that seems ready to explode.
“Eun-ha learned fighting techniques in order to survive while working as a special delivery driver. So I thought it would be more convincing to showcase vivid and kinetic action sequences rather than stylish fight scenes,” the director explained.
Actress Park So-dam in a scene from the film, "Special Delivery" / Courtesy of NEW
“She is a getaway driver for a dangerous crew of criminals, so she tries hard to avoid colliding with other cars. We tried to get smooth tracking footage of the car chase scenes and show how Park keeps control of the vehicle, despite the high speed,” he added.
Jung, who portrays Seo-won, endears throughout. The supporting cast also impresses, from Song's refined but vicious Kyung-pil and Kim Eui-sung's fractious but faithful junkyard owner.
Director Park squeezes tension out of every car chase or fight scene, making good use of the pounding music and lurid lighting. However, there are some unnecessarily ghastly moments that feature brutal violence.
Unfortunately, actress Park won't be participating in the promotional activities for “Special Delivery” because she is currently recovering from surgery, after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
The film has been sold to 47 countries across the globe and will hit five Asian countries. After hitting local theaters on Jan. 12, it will be released in Hong Kong, Singapore and Mongolia on Jan. 13 and 14, followed by Indonesia on Jan. 19 and Taiwan on Jan. 28.
It will be screened in the 2022 International Film Festival Rotterdam's Harbour program. The Harbour program is a new addition to the annual film festival ― which will be held from Jan. 26 to Feb. 6 ― focused on contemporary cinema.
“Special Delivery” will hit local theaters, Jan. 12.