“Escape” (Original title: Talju) is a South Korean action thriller directed by Lee Jong-pil. It follows the struggles of a North Korean sergeant trying to escape the country to enter the South. Written by Kwon Sung-hui and Kim Woo-geun, the screenplay covers his adventurous ride after his initial attempts to defect. The cast of “Escape” includes Lee Je-hoon, Koo Kyo-hwan, Hong Xa Bin, Seo Hyeon-woo, Shin Hyun-ji, and Park Yoon-hee. The lead actor, Lee Je-hoon, is known for his work in K-dramas, such as “Chief Detective 1958,” “Taxi Driver,” and “Signal.”
Spoilers ahead
Escape (Talju, 2024) Korean Movie Summary & Plot Synopsis:
“Escape” (2024) is a Korean-language action thriller that follows a North Korean sergeant hoping to defect from his home country to start a new life in South Korea. Lee Je-hoon stars as protagonist Kyu-nam, whereas Koo Kyo-hwan plays the key antagonist.
What happens in the Korean movie – ‘Escape’ (2024)?
“Escape” (Talju) follows Kyu-nam (Lee Je-hoon), a sergeant in the Demilitarized Zone for the North Korean Civilian Police Unit. While working as a diligent soldier for the North, he wishes to flee to the South. At night, he secretly prepares himself for the defecting mission. He practices the skills needed to reach the other side without any suspicion. However, his young associate, Dong-hyuk (Hong Xa Bin), notices him during his drills at night. After a night of eating a dead boar’s meat, Dong-hyuk privately meets Kyu-nam to discuss his plan.
Dong-hyuk claims he also wants to go to South Korea to meet his mother and live with his family. However, Kyu-nam does not want to blow his cover. He also wonders whether Dong-hyuk lies about his purpose to make him spill his guts. So, Kyu-nam continues pretending to be a ruthless soldier loyal to the North. Then, another night, Dong-hyuk tries to move past their fenced zone. All the soldiers are forced to look for him. During this search, Kyu-nam locates Dong-hyuk. He realizes that Dong-hyuk is not lying about his mother. Moments later, other soldiers find them, and Kyu-nam pretends to be the one who caught him.
Regardless, the authorities consider Dong-hyuk and Kyu-nam equally to blame. They torture these two soldiers and keep them imprisoned. Soon, Kyu-nam gets out and gets hired by Major Lee Hyung-sang (Koo Kyo-hwan), an officer of North Korea’s intelligence department. Hyung-sang promotes Kyu-nam for apprehending deserter Dong-hyuk.
Does Kyu-nam manage to leave Hyung-sang’s department?
Kyu-nam begins working for sociopathic Hyung-sang, who trusts the North Korean officials, or at least he pretends to. Hyung-sang is a skilled piano player and once wanted to pursue this dream with his male lover. However, after enlisting in his current department, he let go of his ambitions for whatever the mighty powerful in the country expected of him. He now lives in the North, fulfilling all their orders with a near-stilted face and a plastered grin. Soon after his employment, Kyu-nam gets awarded for apprehending a deserter at a lavish event. Kyu-nam believes Hyung-sang will now free him from his service.
Instead, Hyung-sang orders Kyu-nam to stay in the military. Kyu-nam gets angry since Hyung-sang decides his fate against his will. Hyung-sang manically claims honourship of Kyu-nam’s future and refrains him from thinking of freedom. He makes Kyu-nam consider the positive aspects of this decision rather than expecting a freer world outside. Nonetheless, Kyu-nam is not ready to accept this fate. So, during another event, he breaks into an office to get a fake stamp on his ID card. Then, he steals a jeep and pretends to be driving a North Korean official outside.
Does Kyu-nam rescue Dong-hyuk from the prison?
After crossing the main gate, Kyu-nam abandons the North Korean official in his jeep and keeps driving. Soon, some cops from the North catch him just before his jeep runs out of fuel. Kyu-nam pretends to be on a secret mission and convinces them of it. They take him to their base to fuel it. Inside a prison cell, he meets Dong-hyuk, and he lets him join the escape mission. However, before they can leave, Major Cha (Seo Hyun-woo), the head of the police department, realizes that Kyu-nam does not even know the kind of fuel needed for his jeep. So, he forces Kyu-nam to let him accompany their journey.
Meanwhile, Major Cha keeps doubting Kyu-nam’s identity and expects him to share the truth. Kyu-nam tries to find ways to leave Major Cha and his associate behind so they can enter the South. However, his cover gets blown after Major Cha gets him on a phone call with Hyun-sang. In the resulting chaos, Kyu-nam crashes their jeep, kills Major Cha’s associate, and escapes with Dong-hyuk. Later, Hyun-sang reaches there and mercilessly kills Major Cha. Then, they cross paths with a group of female rebels who ensure they are not committed to the North’s military.
Once that doubt is cleared, the women help them escape a military attack. By then, Hyun-sang realizes Kyu-nam’s plan to defect. Around this time, Kyu-nam and Dong-hyuk find themselves accidentally caught in another military base, which puts a momentary stop to their journey. Kyu-nam uses fire to attack them and then flees with Dong-hyuk. However, just when they try to cross a fence, Hyun-sang reaches there and shoots Dong-hyuk with his sniper rifle. He then tries to kill Kyu-nam.
Escape (Talju, 2024) Korean Movie Ending Explained:
Does Kyu-nam manage to escape North Korea?
Kyu-nam keeps trying to evade Hyun-sang’s gunfire as he marches toward South Korea. He shoots all the lights that can help Hyun-sang know his present location. Soon, he pretends to be dead by gun wound and lies in the grass. Shortly after, he starts running toward the South by following his previously designed map. Till the early morning, he runs for his life, hoping to seek freedom. He marches through horrible circumstances without losing the hope for a better life. When he reaches the border, Hyun-sang somehow catches up to him.
Right then, Kyu-nam accidentally steps foot on a landmine. So, he decides to kill Hyun-sang if the man does not set him free. Eventually, they realize the mine is inactive and start fighting without the gun. Soon, Kyu-nam defeats Hyun-sang but does not kill him. Kyu-nam shows mercy, probably to allow Hyun-sang another chance to lead a life as a pianist. Then, Kyu-nam reaches the telephone for defectors at the border to communicate with the South. Just when he starts speaking, Hyun-sang reaches nearby.
In the film’s hyper-dramatic climax, Hyun-sang shoots Kyu-nam just when he is about to cross the border and sees a literal light at the end of the tunnel. Luckily, the South Korean soldiers arrive in time to bring Kyu-nam to their country and save him. About a year later, Kyu-nam leads a new life, as he once wished to lead. He meets Dong-hyuk and gives her the necklace that Dong-hyuk had earlier given him to gift her. However, Kyu-nam cannot muster the courage to reveal that Dong-hyuk died.
The Final Word
“Escape” uses the classic prison-break thriller tropes and hinges on the idea of freedom against entrapment and lack of free will. In this story, Hyung-sang represents an indoctrinated person who desires the kind of control his superiors have over his life. After all, the forces in the North decided his future for him. So, he tries to accomplish the same with Kyu-nam to control his life. However, under political influence, he misses a chance to leave his homeland to lead life as he wants.
Read More: The 40 Best Korean Movies of the 21st Century
Escape (Talju, 2024) Korean Movie Trailer:
Escape (Talju, 2024) Korean Movie Links: IMDb, Wikipedia, Rotten Tomatoes
Escape (Talju, 2024) Korean Movie Cast: Lee Je-hoon, Koo Kyo-hwan, Hong Xa Bin, Seo Hyeon-woo, Shin Hyun-ji, Park Yoon-hee, Lee Sung-wook, Bae Chul-soo, Lee Ho Chul
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