The Night Owl ~ A Blind Acupuncturist Witnesses a Murder

“The Night Owl” is a 2022 Korean drama movie, categorized as Historical Fiction, Costume and Period, and Thriller. It is loosely based on a factual record taken from the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty during the 1640s.

♦ The Blind Can “See”

“The Night Owl” begins by providing some information recorded in the historical records of Joseon.

• “After returning from being held hostage for 8 years in Qing, the crown prince fell ill suddenly, He bled from the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. He appeared to have died by drug poisoning.” ~ June 27, 1645 Annals of the Joseon Dynasty

Physicians are being recruited to work at the palace in the royal clinic. It is a prestigious position and a well-paying job. Kyeong-Soo needs this job badly because his daughter is ill. If he can get the job working at the palace, he will be able to buy a house and buy the medicinal herbs his daughter needs to get better.

The problem is Kyeong-Soo is blind. But is that really a problem? Evidently NOT! When various people were being tested for their medical skills they all gave the wrong diagnosis for a patient. Without seeing or even touching the patient Kyeong-Soo diagnosed the problem and also performed acupuncture for the cure. The recruiters were impressed.

Kyeong-Soo was officially hired as a physician at the royal clinic. One of the physicians treated him kindly and helped whenever he could. But others were rude and disrespectful and mocked him for his disability.

For someone who had a so-called disability, he was extremely capable. The best thing is … since he was blind he was allowed into the chambers of the women in the palace, and could treat them without them being worried about their modesty.

His blindness did not prevent him from “seeing” with the rest of his senses. There were many treacherous and sordid events taking place in the palace and he was acutely aware of what was happening. Working at the royal clinic might be prestigious but it was also perilous.

Kyeong-Soo “witnessed” the death of Crown Prince Sohyeon. Witnessed? Yes. It’s unexplainable, but for some strange reason, Kyeong-Soo can see … AT NIGHT. Just like an owl. Since he knows the truth behind the death of the crown prince, he sets about to try to reveal the truth to others. Hope he lives to tell.

Main Characters:

• Cheon Kyeong-Soo (played by Ryoo Joon-Yeol, “Alienoid 1 and 2”)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 6.7 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 8 out of 10 stars
• Viki viewers rated this movie 9.8 out of 10 stars
• Letterboxd: 3.5 out of 5 stars
• Amazon customers rated this film: 4.2 out of 5 stars

My personal rating is the same as the Viki viewers.

I am addicted to sageuk or historical Korean dramas and “The Night Owl” is an excellent period piece. This film tops my list as one of the best historical period Korean movies released in 2022. Others must agree because it won the award for Best Film at the 2023 Baeksang Arts Awards, and Ryoo Joon-Yeol took home the award for Best Actor.

If you like historical period Korean drama films or series, several reviews have been published here at PopGeeks. These are a few that discuss physicians and medical treatments during the Joseon Era.

• Jewel in the Palace
• Live Up to Your Name
• Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist

LINKS OF INTEREST:

• A blind acupuncturist holds the key to the greatest royal scandal in ‘The Owl’ | Korea JoongAng Daily
• ‘The Owl’ adds imagination to Crown Prince Sohyeon’s suspicious death | The Korea Herald
• Blind Acupuncturist Ryu Jun Yeol Becomes An Unlikely Witness of A Death In Period Thriller “The Night Owl” | Kavenyou.com
• ‘The Night Owl’ (2022) Ending, Explained: Does Evil King Injo Finally Pay For His Sins? | Film Fugitives

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

815 Pictures. “The Night Owl 올빼미 (2022) | Ft. Ryu Joon-Yeol, Yoo Hae-Jin | Official Trailer W/Eng Sub.” YouTube Video. YouTube, November 16, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0UcNOeKzt0.

https://youtu.be/m0UcNOeKzt0?si=4xTMkylFvI2JZDBG