Overview
A brilliant new recruit in a high-stakes police unit faces off against a cunning criminal mastermind.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- propulsive
- cool
- action movie night
- korean cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film to be a watchable and well-crafted blend of crime, action, and thriller elements, strengthened by cast chemistry despite implausible characterization.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ha Yoon-ju joins the Special Crimes Unit and uses observation, memory, and concentration to track James's armed organization.
James repeatedly anticipates and defeats the surveillance unit while Hwang Sang-jun and Ha Yoon-ju refine their methods to locate him.
The team's work depends on following movements through crowded contemporary city spaces and reconstructing suspects' routes from observed details.
Veteran unit leader Hwang Sang-jun is assigned to work with newcomer Ha Yoon-ju, whose exceptional memory complements his intuition.
Films like Cold Eyes, and why
The Chaser
Korean crime thriller with meticulous police investigation, escalating pursuit, and morally hard-edged criminals
The Man from Nowhere
Stylish Korean crime action built around strategic cat-and-mouse tension between investigators and an elusive criminal adversary
Enemy of the State
Surveillance-driven crime thriller emphasizing procedural observation, tactical pursuit, and tense urban action
Heat
Cerebral cat-and-mouse crime thriller pairing determined investigators with a calculating, difficult-to-catch antagonist
Movie Details
- Directors
- Kim Byung-seo, Cho Ui-seok
- Release Date
- 2013-07-03
- Runtime
- 119 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (388)
Cast
- Sul Kyung-gu
- Jung Woo-sung
- Han Hyo-joo
- Kim Byeong-ok
- Jin Kyung
- Junho
- Simon Yam
- Son Min-seok
- Kim Dae-jin
- Lee Tae-hyung
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Kocowa
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Cold Eyes about?
- A sharp Korean surveillance thriller pits an instinctive police veteran and an exceptionally observant recruit against a criminal mastermind who always seems one step ahead.
- What is Cold Eyes like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Cold Eyes as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Cold Eyes violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Cold Eyes as moderate.
- What did critics think of Cold Eyes?
- Critics broadly found the film to be a watchable and well-crafted blend of crime, action, and thriller elements, strengthened by cast chemistry despite implausible characterization.
- Which films are like Cold Eyes?
- Films with a similar feel include The Chaser, The Man from Nowhere, Enemy of the State, and Heat.
- How long is Cold Eyes?
- Cold Eyes runs 119 minutes.
- Where can I watch Cold Eyes?
- In United States, Cold Eyes streams on Kocowa.
