70
A Taxi Driver can over-reach towards its final chase sequences, which enter the realm of fantasy, but they’re not enough to de-rail this fine film.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
70
The New York Times by Andy Webster
The film climaxes with a breathless escape from Gwangju, as Kim and Hinzpeter elude government vehicles with the aid of other cabdrivers. But most impressive is Mr. Song, who persuasively conveys a working stiff’s political awakening.
70
While the film clearly taps into the national zeitgeist, buoyed by a sweeping show of people’s power that ousted the president, international audiences should also appreciate the actors’ feisty turns.
80
Los Angeles Times by Michael Rechtshaffen
Grafting the buddy picture onto the framework of the classic political thriller, director Jang Hoon also manages to find time for lighter moments of human comedy, and those seemingly disparate elements are deftly navigated by Song and his fellow fully dimensional characters.
75
A Taxi Driver is a Korean epic, a tipping point in the history of South Korea. A little old-fashioned and a touch melodramatic, it’s still a compelling Korean “Year of Living Dangerously.”
80
The Hollywood Reporter by Sheri Linden
In unexpected and wonderfully satisfying ways, A Taxi Driver taps into the symbiotic relationship between foreign correspondents and locals, particularly in times of crisis.
50
RogerEbert.com by Simon Abrams
Song's performance makes me wish the rest of A Taxi Driver was as thoughtful.
Based on true events, A Taxi Driver is an emotional story of an ordinary man turned hero, a man caught between his simple needs and a greater cause. It is so heartwarming to follow Man-seob's character development throughout this film.