The Duelist

The Duelist

Two hearts with one destiny.

Directed by Lee Myung-se

Produced by Michigan Venture Capital, Korea Pictures

2005111 min6.5 / 10

A period action-romance where duty and desire collide through stylized duels between a detective and an enigmatic swordsman.

Detective Nam-soon goes undercover with her partner Detective Ahn to investigate the counterfeit money. She discovers that one loyal henchman, Sad Eyes, a beautiful swordsman with a pale, blank face, is related to the truth. Nam-soon and Sad Eyes confront each other in a series of duels and become confused between love and obligation to duty.

Questions people ask

  • Is The Duelist violent? Yes. More violent than 88% of films.

  • Is The Duelist sad? Yes. More sad than 75% of films.

  • Is The Duelist scary? Somewhat. More frightening than 61% of films.

  • Does The Duelist end with hope? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

  • Is The Duelist easy watching? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

54/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Familiar shape, done well.

Rarity80

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise41

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love45

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like The Duelist

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as The Duelist

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like The Duelist, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like The Duelist, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like The Duelist, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

Share thisXBlueskyReddit