The Night Owl

'The Night Owl', which means "Owl", is a 2022 South Korean film written and directed by Ahn Tae-jin and starring Ryu Jun-yeol and Yoo Hae-jin. It premiered on November 23, 2022.

It follows the story of Kyung-soo, a almost blind man but extraordinarily skilled in acupuncture , thanks to which he enters the palace to work. Around that time, Prince Sohyeon, who had been taken hostage by the Qing Dynasty, returns to Korea after eight years, and King Injo, although happy for his son's return, feels sad. overwhelmed by an unknown anxiety. One night, Kyung-soo, who can see dimly in the dark, witnesses Sohyeon's death, and just as he tries to tell the truth, an even bigger secret and conspiracy is revealed, putting him at risk. his life in danger. After the death of his son, Injo's anxiety worsens and he becomes insane. Kyung-soo gradually reveals the true faces of the people involved.

Ryu Jun-yeol plays Kyung-soo, while Yoo Hae-jin plays King Injo of Joseon. The cast also includes Choi Moo-sung as Lee Hyung-ik, a doctor; Jo Sung-ha as Young Eui-jeong; Park Myung-hoon as Man-sik, doctor, Kyung-soo's superior; Kim Sung-cheol as Crown Prince Sohyeon; Ahn Eun-jin as Jo So-yong, the king's concubine; Jo Yoon-seo as Crown Princess Kangbin; Kim Ye-eun as court lady Seo; Lee Joo-won as Yi Seok-cheol, the eldest son of Crown Prince Sohyeon; Kim Do-won as Chun Kyung-jae, Kyung-soo's younger brother; Jung Suk-won as Naegeumwi's boss; Shin Mun-sung as Woo Seung-ji; Ahn Seong-bong as Cheong Sa-sin; Kim In-kwon as head of the royal bodyguard; Choi Hye-young as court lady Choi.

The film was born from a suggestion that Baek Yeon-ja, director of the production house, made to director Ahn Tae-jin: "The protagonist who suffers from blindness enters the palace and witnesses a secret" . In the first version of the script he was a musician and not an acupuncturist, but it was changed to use a character who could be more in touch with the secrets of the royal family. The film's budget amounted to about nine billion won, relatively high for a mid-range production; This is basically because there are many night scenes in it, which make the film more expensive.

To create the decorations for the royal palace the production team turned to experts from the Institute of History and literary sources. Director Ahn tried to accentuate the feeling of closed space from which the protagonist is trying to escape. In contrast, Crown Prince Sohyeon's residence was designed as an unusual open structure, reflecting the open-mindedness of a virtuous person.