Innocence () is a 2020 South Korean legal drama film written and directed by Park Sang-hyun. The film stars Shin Hye-sun, Bae Jong-ok, and Huh Joon-ho. It follows a lawyer who defends her mother on trial for murder.
Innocence was theatrically released on June 10, 2020. The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of the cast.
Plot Jung-in, an ace lawyer at a law firm, hears the news of her father Tae-su's death late, but does not go to the funeral. A few days later, Jung-in hears shocking news on TV. At her father's funeral held at her hometown, she heard that pesticides were detected in the makgeolli that mourners drank, that village elder Mr. Ji died, and that Mayor Choo and three others were in critical condition. In addition, she is shocked to learn that the person arrested as a suspect is her mother, Chae Hwa-ja.
Cast Shin Hye-sun as Ahn Jung-in Bae Jong-ok as Chae Hwa-ja, Jung-in and Jung-soo's mother Huh Joon-ho as Mayor Choo Hong Kyung as Ahn Jung-soo, Jung-in's younger brother Tae Hang-ho as Yang Wang-yong Ko Chang-seok as Seedsman Park Chul-min as Hwang Bang-younh Kim Su-hyeon as law firm vice president Cha Soon-bae as Na Il-jung Jung In-gyeom as Public prosecutor Shin Han Yi-jin as Choi Seok-goo Shin Cheol-jin as Ji Young-deok
Special appearances Kim Young-jae as Director Park Kim Suk-hoon as Lim Choon-woo Park Sung-geun as law firm representative Bae Hae-sun as Mayor Choo's wife Park Jin-young as High Court judge
Production Casting On November 8, 2018, actresses Shin Hye-sun and Bae Jong-ok were confirmed to star in the courtroom film Innocence. Han Yi-jin was confirmed to have joined the cast on December 11, followed by Tae Hang-ho on December 12.
The film marks Shin Hye-sun's first major role in a film. She revealed that one of the reasons why she chose this film is because her father advised her to. She added that "such female-led legal dramas are not common these days, and [her] fans wanted [her] to play the role of a lawyer someday due to [her] clear diction." Shin used Elizabeth Sloane (the main character of the 2016 American film Miss Sloane, played by Jessica Chastain) as a source of inspiration while preparing for her role.
Bae Jong-ok chose to play Jung-in's mother "out of thirst for an acting transformation" as her character looks 30 years older than her. She also accepted to play in the film because she "wondered how complicated and twisted relationships between neighbors can get if their respective families have a history between them."
According to director Park Sang-hyun, the role of the mayor could only be played by Huh Joon-ho as the character "is rumored to have perfectly pulled off a double-faced man full of greed and corruption."
Filming Principal photography began on December 3, 2018 and filming was completed on February 28, 2019.
Release The film was originally set to be released on March 5, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, promotional events were cancelled and the distributor decided to postpone the release to May 27. After a new cluster emerged in central Seoul in mid-May, the release was pushed back to June. On May 22, it was announced that the film would hit theaters on June 11. On June 4, it was announced that the film would be released one day earlier, on June 10.
Reception Box office The film topped the South Korean box office during its opening weekend, with an estimated 203,000 moviegoers. It surpassed 500,000 ticket sales the following week.
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Recipient Result 2020 29th Buil Film Awards Best New Actor Hong Kyung 2021 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards Best Supporting Actress Bae Jong-ok Best New Actor Hong Kyung Best New Actress Shin Hye-sun 57th Baeksang Arts Awards Best Supporting Actor Huh Joon-ho Best Supporting Actress Bae Jong-ok Best New Actor Hong Kyung Best New Actress Shin Hye-sun 26th Chunsa Film Art Awards Best Supporting Actress Bae Jong-ok Best New Actor Hong Kyung
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