Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- gritty
- tense
- brooding
- crime movie night
- korean cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the sequel an uneven Korean crime drama with effective action and strong performances but limited originality and a familiar story.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Choi Sung-hoon, the son of Lee Han Dong, is drawn toward Lee Jeong-suk as a substitute father figure and criminal mentor.
Lee Jeong-suk agrees to protect Sung-hoon in prison, but the relationship is complicated by the reason for Jeong-suk's sentence.
The prison relationship between Sung-hoon and Jeong-suk grows out of Jeong-suk's bond with Sung-hoon's father and is tested by hidden history.
The story takes place 17 years after the previous film and centers on the son of a figure from that earlier narrative.
Films like Friend: The Great Legacy, and why
A Dirty Carnival
shared korean crime drama, gang conflict, masculine loyalty, and intergenerational criminal legacy
Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time
shared organized crime drama, prison-hardened masculinity, betrayal, and violent action
New World
shared korean gangster melodrama, criminal hierarchy, loyalty, and tragic family bonds
Infernal Affairs
shared crime saga structure, mentor rivalry, gang warfare, and morally compromised protagonists
Movie Details
- Director
- Kwak Kyung-taek
- Release Date
- 2013-11-14
- Runtime
- 124 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (35)
Cast
- Yu Oh-seong
- Ju Jin-mo
- Kim Woo-bin
- Jang Young-nam
- Jung Ho-bin
- Ki Joo-bong
- Lee Cheol-min
- Lee Jun-hyeok
- Hwang Sung-joon
- Kang Han-na
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Kocowa
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Friend: The Great Legacy about?
- A troubled young offender finds a powerful father figure in prison, only to confront the criminal legacy and buried loyalties binding their families.
- What is Friend: The Great Legacy like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Friend: The Great Legacy as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Friend: The Great Legacy violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Friend: The Great Legacy as brutal.
- What did critics think of Friend: The Great Legacy?
- Critics generally found the sequel an uneven Korean crime drama with effective action and strong performances but limited originality and a familiar story.
- Which films are like Friend: The Great Legacy?
- Films with a similar feel include A Dirty Carnival, Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time, New World, and Infernal Affairs.
- How long is Friend: The Great Legacy?
- Friend: The Great Legacy runs 124 minutes.
- Where can I watch Friend: The Great Legacy?
- In United States, Friend: The Great Legacy streams on Kocowa.
