The Age of Shadows

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The Age of Shadows (Emissary) is a 2016 South Korean period action thriller directed by Kim Jee-woon. Set in the 1920s in Shanghai and Seoul during Japanese rule, it follows the Heroic Corps resistance fighters as they plan to smuggle explosives into Korea to strike Japanese officials.

The story centers on Kim Woo-jin, a resistance leader, and Lee Jung-chool, a Korean police officer who secretly works for the Japanese. Suspicion grows as a traitor among them is revealed and loyalties shift between the fighters and their enemies. The heroes travel between Korea and Shanghai, trying to bring the mission home and complete their risky plan. In the end, a train confrontation exposes the traitor, and a major operation in Seoul leads to a deadly clash with Japanese forces. Kim Woo-jin sacrifices secrecy to keep the mission alive, while Lee is captured but tries to protect the truth. The surviving members still manage to plant explosives at a party, killing several officials and signaling that the resistance will endure. Kim Woo-jin survives in prison, having helped ensure the mission’s success, and a final act of vengeance is carried out by one of the heroes.

The film was South Korea’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards and won Best Picture in the Action Features category at Fantastic Fest in 2016. With a budget of about $8.6 million, it grossed around $55 million worldwide and was praised for its stylish action and emotional impact.