A Review of the Friend Trilogy: Friend (2001) (Part 1 of 3)

[cmoneyspinner]

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The three Korean dramas that make up the “Friend” Trilogy are: “Friend” (2001) – film, “Friend, Our Legend” (2009) – series, and “Friend: The Great Legacy” (2013) – sequel film. […]
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A Review of the Friend Trilogy: Friend (2001) (Part 1 of 3) | PopGeeks.com Forum | Indie Games, Movies, TV, Tabletop & Comics

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[dorothygarcia31]

This trilogy is heavy. Friend (2001) sets everything up perfectly – the friendship feels genuine at first, then slowly crumbles. I respect how it doesn't give easy answers. No one is fully good or bad, just people making bad decisions under pressure. Lee Joon-Seok's story breaks my heart the most because he never really wanted that life but couldn't escape it. The acting is top tier across the board. Watched it dubbed once by accident and switched back to subs immediately – the emotions get lost otherwise. Tubi has it free? Downloading now. Thanks for the detailed review, makes me want to marathon all three again.

 

[Apricot_Stone]

Okay but can we talk about how underrated Jung Woon-Taek is as Joong-Ho? Everyone focuses on the big two but the whole group dynamic makes the tragedy hurt more. You see them as kids laughing together then as adults barely recognizing each other. That's painful. The 1970s setting adds this extra layer of grit too – Korea was changing fast and not everyone could keep up. I prefer the film over the drama versions because it keeps things tight and emotional. No unnecessary episodes. Just pure story. Solid 9/10 from me. If you're into real Korean classics, this is required viewing.

 

[Carly]

Straight up, Friend is one of the best Korean films ever made. Period. The way it shows brotherhood turning into betrayal over years is done so naturally. No forced drama, just life happening. Han Dong-Soo's temper and Lee Joon-Seok's silence create perfect tension. The Busan vibe is strong – you can almost smell the sea and the streets. Violent scenes are tough but necessary. It earned its classic status. The later parts are good too but the original has that special raw energy nothing else matches. If you like crime dramas with heart, watch this yesterday.

 

[LiviaVaz06]

Watched Friend because of this post and wow, what a gut punch. The childhood scenes are warm and fun, then the adult part turns cold and dark so fast. It's depressing but in a good way – makes you think about your own old friends. The cycle of violence thing in the last film is scary because it's true. Loyalty sounds nice until it traps you. Good call putting it on the "old but gold" list. Korean movies from that era just hit different. Subbed version only though, dubs ruin the feeling. Solid review!

 

[cmoneyspinner]

This trilogy is heavy. Friend (2001) sets everything up perfectly – the friendship feels genuine at first, then slowly crumbles. I respect how it doesn't give easy answers. No one is fully good or bad, just people making bad decisions under pressure. Lee Joon-Seok's story breaks my heart the most because he never really wanted that life but couldn't escape it. The acting is top tier across the board. Watched it dubbed once by accident and switched back to subs immediately – the emotions get lost otherwise. Tubi has it free? Downloading now. Thanks for the detailed review, makes me want to marathon all three again.

This trilogy makes you feel depressed because a person accepts a path in life that … when you think about it … they don't need to accept. They did have an alternative. It may not have been easy for them to make that choice. But sometimes you need to ESCAPE one life so that you can LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE.

 

[cmoneyspinner]

Okay but can we talk about how underrated Jung Woon-Taek is as Joong-Ho? Everyone focuses on the big two but the whole group dynamic makes the tragedy hurt more. You see them as kids laughing together then as adults barely recognizing each other. That's painful. The 1970s setting adds this extra layer of grit too – Korea was changing fast and not everyone could keep up. I prefer the film over the drama versions because it keeps things tight and emotional. No unnecessary episodes. Just pure story. Solid 9/10 from me. If you're into real Korean classics, this is required viewing.

Everyone in the cast deserves APPLAUSE.