I know that there is a lot of controversy when it comes to North Korean stories being told by South Koreans, but as someone who isn't Korean at all I can't comment on it. With every twist and turn I was able to stay surprised (as long as I was able to hold up my suspension of belief). Like any movie that involves guns there are scenes where people don't shoot when they could've brought someone down, but once you get to the end you sort of understand why. I didn't look at the casting beyond the two leads so I was very surprised with how many well know actors there were. With such a great cast of course the acting was good and I have no complaints. I really enjoyed the soundtrack especially the inclusion of zionT's song. I had not heard it before watching but it was a very impactful addition. I can see myself watching this again once it goes to streaming, but I highly recommend seeing it in theaters if you have the chance. I would recommend seeing this.

When it comes to the *potentially* queer subplot, I don't care what the director says. "The Bastard I Loved" says it all. My thoughts were summed up really well by an article on the IndieWire by David Opie and I recommend giving that a read if you are interested.