The landscape of Netflix was forever changed in September 2019 by a single decision. In an effort to strengthen its international offerings, the red and black streaming service decided to pick up director, producer, and screenwriter Hwang Dong-hyuk’s dystopian story about a secret and deadly contest. Squid Game was the name and the nine-episode first season made its premiere two years later to an outstanding ovation from both audiences and critics alike.

The story of a downtrodden man who thrusts himself into a deadly version of a children’s game (and conspiracy) quickly garnered immense public response and all sorts of official awards, including Primetime Emmys and Golden Globes. Even with Netflix having a reputation for canceling the fondest of shows, it was pretty clear this thriller wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Just as the first did, a recently released second season has come to captivate audiences — but don’t let it fool you too much. Believe it or not, the creator behind Squid Game has been a celebrated name in South Korean filmmaking since 2000.

While the first five years were spent primarily in and around the making of short films, Dong-hyuk started his real rise in 2007 with a drama called My Father, which was about a soldier who found out that his father was a prisoner on death row. He wrote and directed numerous different meshes of the genre after that, such as crime dramas, historical dramas, and even comedy dramas. It wasn’t until 2020 that he found himself as the producer on a film that mixed the well-renowned heist elements of Ocean’s Franchise with the frenetic action and adventure of Indiana Jones.

This kind of synopsis is already far and away from anything Squid Game throws at the viewer — well, except for the fact that it was filmed in South Korea. Starring Lee Je-hoon and Shin Hye-sun in standout roles, Collectors is purely a film about a heist. A major heist that takes place right in the middle of Seoul (the capital of the country), that is. If you weren’t aware beforehand that Collectors was somehow connected to Squid Game, you probably would never find out by viewing the movie — it just goes to show you the range of Dong-hyuk as a filmmaker.

Stealing Antiques Under Seoul in ‘Collectors’

Aside from the obvious difference in tone, Je-hoon’s charismatic character of Kang Dong-goo slides the viewer right into their seat. An illegal antique stealer and dealer by the name of Sang-gil has hired him to fetch an ancient sword called the Excalibur of Joseon that is buried in the Seolleung Royal Tomb. Even though he is already a master at swiping priceless artifacts from historical landmarks, he has to enlist the help of Dr. Jones, a tomb expert (played by Jo Woo-jin) and a man who goes by the nickname of Shovel Leg (played by Im Won-hee) for his excellent digging.

Even if this is your first time encountering any of these three actors on-screen or watching a Korean film in general, they instantly make the film light and fun. The trio’s dynamic never feels forced and actually lulls the viewer into a great deal of security. They are unstoppable – even with obstacles, backstabbing gangsters and annoying cops getting in their way.

Collectors actually tries to up the ante laid out by the Ocean’s films by having the main character involve himself in a couple of heists before the main plot unfolds. Even though these sequences don’t elevate the main story, viewers get to see more antagonistic elements unfold from Sang-gil (played by Song Young-chan). This goes hand-in-hand with the real connection between him and Dong-goo. The scene at the very beginning of the movie might be mysterious and vague at first, but the plot twist brings it all together, and it is a truly satisfying cinematic moment. Think Indiana Jones mixed with South Korean drama.

Possible Sequel for ‘Collectors’?

Speaking of dramatics, though, Collectors gets an extra dose of tension with Shin Hye-sun’s Yoon Se-hee. She is Sang-gil’s executive assistant and the curator who initiates the meetings between the rich art collector and Dong-goo. All throughout the film (and even in his worst moments), Se-hee puts Sang-gil’s plans into motion, essentially bringing the entire day to him. Viewers are then left in a tizzy when she seemingly plays into Dong-goo’s hand as well, meeting him privately from time to time. You just never know where she is going to end up. After the conclusion, her reputation is still safe, so her character is even possible for a sequel. Just like Squid Game’s reliance on end-of-episode teases, Collectors does the same thing — the film ends the same way!

Dong-hyuk’s 13th outing stayed at the very top of the Korean box office for three weeks. That’s a feat in itself. Collectors was even nominated for several film ceremonies upon release, like the Korean Film Festival in Australia and the London Korean Film Festival. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to attain any awards. Even so, the movie is still a memorable production in the heist genre. If you can find the film online (it’s almost as rare as The Excalibur of Joseon!), Collectors is certainly worth a watch.