An assassin named Tae-goo is offered a chance to switch sides with his rival Bukseong gang, headed by Chairman Doh. Tae-goo rejects the offer that results in the murder of his sister and niece. In revenge, Tae-goo brutally kills Chairman Doh and his men and flees Jeju Island where he meets Jae-yeon, a terminally ill woman. Though, the henchman of the Bukseong gang, Executive Ma is mercilessly hunting Tae-goo to take revenge. Night in Paradise 2020
Deborah Young of The Hollywood Reporter stated that “Night in Paradise contains a lot of good plotting, several amusing characters and a decent array of exciting action scenes and bloodshed. But it is indulgently long, even within scenes, like the needlessly protracted opening explosion that sets the story in motion.” In another mixed review, Jonathan Romney of Screen Daily noted that “Addicts of Asian gangster action will relish, but the odd mix of hardcore viscerality and ruminative borderline-sentiment could limit the film’s appeal.”
James Mottram of the South China Morning Post listed Night in Paradise as one of the 10 best films screened at the 2020 Venice International Film Festival, saying that “there was nothing quite as thrilling as [the film]” and that its “extravagant set pieces and shoot-outs [will] sate any genre hound. Alberto Barbera, director of the Venice Festival, also gave a positive review: “Night in Paradise is one of the best gangster movies coming from South Korean cinema in recent years. Park Hoon-jung is a director that deserves full attention for his ability to combine the writing of original screenplays with the creation of complex characters that are never stereotypical, together with impressive and masterly directorial skills. His name will certainly be heard even more in the future.
The film premiered at the 77th Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2020, where it was screened in the “Out of Competition” category. In mid-October 2020, it was reported that Next Entertainment World might skip the theatrical release and debut the film on Netflix due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In mid-February 2021, it was announced that the film would be released on the streaming platform on April 9