The Night Owl (2022)
The Night Owl (2022), directed by An Tae-jin, starring Ryu Jun-yeol and Yoo Hai-jin.
score
The crown prince is dead. The only witness is a blind man.
Synopsis
Korea, 1645 - Joseon Dynasty: a partially blind and gifted acupuncturist, Gyeong-su, is invited to work alongside the royal physician in the palace of King Injo, just before the crown prince Sohyeon returns after having been held captive by the Qing Dynasty. Prince Sohyeon and his father begin to differ in opinion on the future direction of their dynasty, leading King Injo to suffer from severe anxiety and paranoia. One night, Gyeong-su witnesses prince Sohyeon's death. Disbelieved as a witness on account of his blindness, Gyeong-su must struggle to reveal the truth while not falling prey to the power-hungry conspirators of the palace.
- 김태경Cinematography
- An Tae-jinDirector, Writer
- 김선민Editing
- Lee Gang-jinProducer
About the film
The Night Owl (Korean: 올빼미; RR: Olppaemi; lit. Owl) is a 2022 South Korean historical thriller film directed by Ahn Tae-jin in his feature directional debut, and starring Ryu Jun-yeol and Yoo Hae-jin. Set during the reign of King Injo in the Joseon era, it is based on the mystery surrounding the death of Crown Prince Sohyeon, who returned from the Qing Dynasty. It was released on November 23, 2022.
Read the full article (2k characters)
The Night Owl (Korean: 올빼미; RR: Olppaemi; lit. Owl) is a 2022 South Korean historical thriller film directed by Ahn Tae-jin in his feature directional debut, and starring Ryu Jun-yeol and Yoo Hae-jin. Set during the reign of King Injo in the Joseon era, it is based on the mystery surrounding the death of Crown Prince Sohyeon, who returned from the Qing Dynasty. It was released on November 23, 2022.
Plot
Kyung-soo is blind due to hemeralopia, leaving him effectively sightless during the day, though his vision returns at night. Despite this, he is an exceptionally skilled acupuncturist. He enters the palace after being recognized for his talent by Lee Hyung-ik. Around that time, Crown Prince Sohyeon returns to Joseon after eight years as a hostage of the Qing Dynasty. King Injo, while happy for his son, is overcome with unknown anxiety for a while.
One night, Kyung-soo's nighttime vision allows him to witness the crown prince's mysterious death. As he tries to tell the truth, bigger secrets and conspiracies are revealed, putting his life at risk. After the death of his son, Injo's anxiety turns into madness and begins to run rampant. Kyung-soo, who witnessed the death of the crown prince, attempts to reveal the truth behind the crown prince's death.
Cast
Ryu Jun-yeol as Kyung-soo
Yoo Hae-jin as King Injo
Choi Moo-sung as Lee Hyung-ik
Jo Sung-ha as Young Eui-jeong
Park Myung-hoon as Man-sik
Kim Sung-cheol as Crown Prince Sohyeon
Ahn Eun-jin as Jo So-yong
Jo Yun-seo as Crown Princess Minhoe
Lee Joo-won as Yi Seok-cheol, the eldest son of Crown Prince Sohyeon
Kim Do-won as Chun Kyung-jae, Kyung-soo's younger brother.
Reception
Box office
As of 16 January 2023, it is the fifth highest-grossing Korean film of 2022, with a gross of US$26,395,809, and 3,317,510 admissions. On December 23, 2022, The Night Owl surpassed 3 million cumulative audiences on this afternoon. An additional 900,000 people were mobilized in two weeks after exceeding the break-even point of 2.1 million on the 8th, which led the box office for three consecutive weeks.
The film was in competition at FFCP 2023, the festival dedicated to Korean film in Paris.
Accolades
References
External links
The Night Owl at IMDb
The Night Owl at HanCinema
The Night Owl at the Korean Movie Database (in Korean)
Text from The Night Owl (2022 film) on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night_Owl_(2022_film)
Trivia
- It premiered on November 23, 2022, a Wednesday.
- It runs 1h58 — a typical feature length.
- Its original title is "올빼미".
- This film's quiz has 11 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.
Production
- StudiosCJeS Studios, Damdam Film
- CountriesSouth Korea
- LanguagesKorean
- StatusReleased
Videos
Photos
Cast
-
Ryu Jun-yeol
Cheon Gyeong-su -
Yoo Hai-jin
King Injo -
Choi Mu-sung
Lee Hyeong-ik -
Cho Seong-ha
Lord Choi -
Park Myung-hoon
Man-sik -
Kim Sung-cheol
Crown Prince Sohyeon -
Ahn Eun-jin
Consort Jo -
Jo Yoon-seo
Crown Princess Kang -
Lee Joo-won
Seok-cheol -
Kim Yae-eun
Court Lady Seo -
Jung Suk-won
Captain of the guard -
Ryu Sung-hyun
Senior physician -
Kim Seung-tae
Vassal 1 -
Shin Mun-sung
Third Royal Secretary -
Ahn Seong-bong
Envoy of Qing Dynasty - Moon Seung-bae Vassal 2
-
Kim In-kwon
General -
Kim Chae-won
Court Lady Choi -
Kim Do-won
Gyeong-jae -
Yang Hee-myoung
Physician 1
Quiz about this movie
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Tags
Crew
- 김태경 Cinematography
- An Tae-jin Director
- 김선민 Editing
- Lee Gang-jin Producer
- 황상준 Original music
- An Tae-jin Writer
- Hyun Gyu-ri Writer
Questions about this film
What is The Night Owl about?
The Night Owl: Korea, 1645 - Joseon Dynasty: a partially blind and gifted acupuncturist, Gyeong-su, is invited to work alongside the royal physician in the palace of King Injo, just before the crown prince Sohyeon returns after having been held captive by the Qing Dynasty. Prince Sohyeon and his father begin to differ in opinion on …
Who directed The Night Owl?
The Night Owl was directed by An Tae-jin in 2022.
Who stars in The Night Owl?
The cast of The Night Owl includes Ryu Jun-yeol, Yoo Hai-jin, Choi Mu-sung, Cho Seong-ha and Park Myung-hoon.
How long is The Night Owl?
The Night Owl runs for 118 minutes, or 1h58.
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Page updated on 09/12/2026.
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