Citizen of a Kind ~ Based on a True Story

“Citizen of a Kind” is a 2024 Korean movie streaming on Viki, categorized as Action, Crime and Mystery; based on the true story of a 2016 voice call scamming case.

SUMMARY: This true story is not what happens when most people get scammed. Usually if you are the victim of a scammer, you report the matter to the “authorities” who patiently listen, write up a report, take your identifying information, and …?? They either tell you they’ will get right on it OR they’ll tell you your case is one of thousands and they are already backlogged. In other words, they’ll get to it IF they can, but you’re not a priority. Most people who get scammed don’t actually go one-on-one and face off with the scammer.

♦ I’m a Middle-Aged Single Mother. You Want a Piece of Me?

In “Citizen of a Kind”, Deok-Hee is a middle-aged single mother who is duped by a voice phishing scammer and robbed of 32 million won ($32,000 USD). The shock was great.  She first went to the bank and asked to speak to the bank employee who contacted her.  A woman identified herself as the bank employee with that name and asked how she could help.  Deok-Heehe said the person she talked to was a man and she wanted to speak to him.  Of course, like any citizen, she reported the matter to the police, after she almost passed out at the bank.  But since they did not take action she decided to see if she could recover the money she lost on her own.

Will it be dangerous? Of course! But the scammers should not be fooled. An angry desperate middle-aged single mother who lost her home in a fire and had her children taken from her might turn out to be a formidable opponent. She could be scarier than a bear on cocaine! The voice phishers were based in China. She went to China! You know this she wasn’t playing!  But as hopeless as her situation was, she crossed paths with a young man in an even more desperate situation.  What happens when two determined desperate people unite to get justice?

Main Characters:

• Deok-Hee (played by Ra Mi-Ran, “The Good Bad Mother”)
• Jae-Min (played by Gong Myung, “Lovers of the Red Sky”)
• Bong-Rim (played by Yum Hye-Ran, “The Uncanny Counter 1 and 2”)
• Detective Park (played by Park Byung-Eun), “In Our Prime”, “The Bequeathed”, “Eve”)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 6.5 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 7.8 out of 10 stars
• Letterboxd: 3.3 out of 5 stars
• Amazon customers rated this film: 3.8 out of 5 stars
• Viki viewers rated this movie 9.6 out of 10 stars

My personal rating is the same as the Viki viewers.

The ratings for this film did not matter to me. Some don’t give it high marks while other reviewers say it’s an underrated gem. Rotten Tomatoes said they inverted the Kdrama trope. Instead of a damsel in distress, there was a young handsome weak guy and a strong determined woman who was on the warpath! OK! That’s cool. But my reason for adding this movie to my watch list was personal. I got scammed! The scammers were based in Nigeria. There was no way I was going to go to Nigeria! The US law enforcement authorities have procedures in place where you can report the crime. But good luck with getting any help. I didn’t even get a courtesy response that they would look into the matter. This movie was based on a true story so it made me feel a little bit better. Ah well! Live and learn.

• In 2023 in the USA, 68 million people were voice phishing (“vishing” victims. That’s up 23% from the years 2022. (Stats source.) Criminals have a success rate of 77%. (Stats source.)

LINKS OF INTEREST:

Korea Box Office: ‘Citizen of a Kind’ Wins on Slow Weekend | Variety

Movie Review – Citizen Of A Kind | MIB’s Instant Headache

‘Citizen of a Kind’ portrays real-people struggles while offering ray of hope | Korea JoonAng Daily

[Herald Interview] ‘Citizen of a Kind’ shows power of film based on true story | The Korea Herald

[Herald Interview] Ra Mi-ran expresses story of self-esteem, personal growth in “Citizen of a Kind” | The Korea Herald

The 16 Best New Korean Movies of 2024 | Cosmopolitan

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

815 Pictures. “Citizen of a Kind 시민 덕희 | Official Trailer (Eng Sub) | Opening 1/26.” YouTube Video. YouTube, January 23, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6keABqU6RQ4.‌

https://youtu.be/6keABqU6RQ4?si=sGGzqUJj3A3arrYQ