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★★½ (But I can’t stop thinking about it)
Have you seen The Treacherous ? Drop your IMDB hot take in the comments below.
If you scroll far enough down the rabbit hole of “under-the-radar historical thrillers” on IMDB, you’ll eventually stumble upon (2015). With a 6.3/10 rating and a poster that screams “expensive Korean period drama,” you might expect something along the lines of Masquerade or The Throne . You would be half right. The other half is a fever dream of flaying, obsession, and the most unhinged king ever put to screen. the treacherous 2015 imdb
Set during the reign of King Yeonsan — historically known as Korea’s most tyrannical ruler — the film follows a twisted love triangle. Im Sung-jae (Ju Ji-hoon) is a master swordsman and artist. King Yeonsan (Kim Kang-woo) is a paranoid, pleasure-addicted lunatic. When the King sees a portrait of Im’s wife, he must have her. But this isn't just a simple "take the girl" story. Im agrees to become the King’s right-hand man to get revenge, resulting in a spiral of beheadings, betrayals, and shocking violence.
Here’s my honest take after finally watching this film based on its IMDB summary. ★★½ (But I can’t stop thinking about it)
The Treacherous (2015): Lavish, Brutal, and Utterly Exhausting – An IMDB Deep Dive
By the end credits, I wasn't sure who I was supposed to root for. Usually, that’s a sign of complex writing. Here, it just felt like narrative exhaustion. With a 6
Don't watch this for the romance. The title isn't just about the King. Every single character betrays someone else by the 45-minute mark. The swordsman betrays his morals. The wife betrays her husband (depending on how you read the scenes). The concubines betray each other.