The Night Owl () is a 2022 South Korean historical thriller film directed by Ahn Tae-jin in his feature directional debut, and starring Ryu Jun-yeol and Yoo Hae-jin. Set during the reign of King Injo in the Joseon era, it is based on the mystery surrounding the death of Crown Prince Sohyeon, who returned from the Qing Dynasty. It was released on November 23, 2022.
Plot Kyung-soo is blind due to hemeralopia, leaving him effectively sightless during the day, though his vision returns at night. Despite this, he is an exceptionally skilled acupuncturist. He enters the palace after being recognized for his talent by Lee Hyung-ik. Around that time, Crown Prince Sohyeon returns to Joseon after eight years as a hostage of the Qing Dynasty. King Injo, while happy for his son, is overcome with unknown anxiety for a while.
One night, Kyung-soo's nighttime vision allows him to witness the crown prince's mysterious death. As he tries to tell the truth, bigger secrets and conspiracies are revealed, putting his life at risk. After the death of his son, Injo's anxiety turns into madness and begins to run rampant. Kyung-soo, who witnessed the death of the crown prince, attempts to reveal the truth behind the crown prince's death.
Cast Ryu Jun-yeol as Kyung-soo Yoo Hae-jin as King Injo Choi Moo-sung as Lee Hyung-ik Jo Sung-ha as Young Eui-jeong Park Myung-hoon as Man-sik Kim Sung-cheol as Crown Prince Sohyeon Ahn Eun-jin as Jo So-yong Jo Yun-seo as Crown Princess Minhoe 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.
Reception Box office , it is the fifth highest-grossing Korean film of 2022, with a gross of US$26,395,809, and 3,317,510 admissions. On December 23, 2022, The Night Owl surpassed 3 million cumulative audiences on this afternoon. An additional 900,000 people were mobilized in two weeks after exceeding the break-even point of 2.1 million on the 8th, which led the box office for three consecutive weeks.
The film was in competition at FFCP 2023, the festival dedicated to Korean film in Paris.
Accolades + Award ceremony Year Category Recipient(s) Result Baeksang Arts Awards 2023 Best Film The Night Owl Best Director Ahn Tae-jin Best New Director Best Actor Ryu Jun-yeol Best Supporting Actor Kim Sung-cheol Best Supporting Actress Ahn Eun-jin Best Screenplay Ahn Tae-jin and Hyun Kyu-ri Best Technical Award (Lighting) Hong Seung-cheol Director's Cut Awards 2023 Best New Director in film Ahn Tae-jin Best Director in film Best Screenplay Ahn Tae-jin and Hyun Kyu-ri Best Actor in film Ryu Jun-yeol Yoo Hae-jin Best New Actor in film Kim Sung-cheol Best New Actress in film Ahn Eun-jin Korean Association of Film Critics Awards Best Actor Ryu Jun-yeol Best New Director Ahn Tae-jin Cinematography Award Kim Tae-kyeong Buil Film Awards2023 Best Actor Ryu Jun-yeol Yoo Hae-jin Best New Director Ahn Tae-jin Best Screenplay Ahn Tae-jin and Hyun Kyu-ri Best New Actress Ahn Eun-jin Best Film The Night Owl Golden Cinema Film Festival 2023 Best Actor Ryu Jun-yeol Best Supporting Actor Choi Moo-sung Best Director Ahn Tae-jin Best Cinematography Kim Tae-kyeong Best lighting Hong Seung-chul Grand Bell Awards2023 Best Film The Night Owl Best Actor Ryu Jun-yeol Best New Actress Ahn Eun-jin Best New Actor Kim Sung-cheol Best New Director Ahn Tae-jin Best Screenplay Ahn Tae-jin and Hyun Kyu-ri Best Cinematography Kim Tae-kyeong Best Sound Park Yong-ki Best Costume Design Shim Hyun-seop Best Editing Kim Sun-min Blue Dragon Film Awards2023 Best Film The Night Owl Best Actor Ryu Jun-yeol Best New Actress Ahn Eun-jin Best New Director Ahn Tae-jin Best Screenplay Hyun Eun-mi, Ahn Tae-jin Best Cinematography and lighting Kim Tae-kyeong, Hong Seung-chul Best Technical award (Sound) Park Yong-ki Best Art Direction Lee Ha-jun Best Editing Kim Sun-min
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