The actor’s nuanced portrayal of a man torn between self-preservation and selflessness has long resonated with audiences.
While one is a terrifying villain, the other becomes the movie’s ultimate hero.
On the surface, Gong’s Seok-woo is an accomplished fund manager who neglects his daughter.
However, the life-threatening zombie apocalypse exposes his deep-seated vulnerability and conflicted human nature.
Ultimately, he metamorphoses into someone willing to risk everything to protect his allies and daughter.
With The Salesman inSquid Game, Gong showcases his ability to shift between contrasting roles.
Custom Image by Yailin Chacon
Directed by Yeon Sang-ho and starring Gong Yoo, Ma Dong-seok, Jung Yu-mi, Kim Su-an, Ahn So-hee, Choi Woo-shik, and Kim Eui-sung, the 2016 South Korean zombie movie Train To Busan revolves around a father’s quest to protect his daughter aboard a high-speed train filled with zombies. Its success launched a franchise composed of the animated prequel movie Seoul Station, the heist-themed sequel Peninsula, and the English-language adaptation The Last Train to New York.
Squid Game is a South Korean series released in 2021 about financially struggling individuals who are invited to participate in a series of children’s games. The competition offers a lucrative prize but comes with perilous consequences, as the players soon discover the lethal stakes involved in each round.
