Star of violent new action movie on Netflix is being called the 'Korean John Wick'

Netflix's new big budget action film may have received mixed reviews thus far, but one aspect of the movie that fans can seemingly agree upon is how similar it is to John Wick.

The action thriller was released on the 5th August to a worldwide audience, with plenty of viewers streaming it thanks to the newfound popularity of Korean dramas.

Joo Won takes on the leading role as a rugged, but reluctant hero in Carter, much like (in the opinion of many) a certain John Wick.

Featuring Keanu Reeves as the aforementioned Wick, the film series has gone on become a cult classic, ever since the release of the first title back in 2014.

Since then, three other John Wick films have been made, while two more are already in the works.

Given its successful formula, its hardly surprising that other films might take inspiration from the gritty action thriller.

What makes Carter unique, however, is the way it is shot and directed by the acclaimed Jung Byung-gil - who also spearheaded projects like The Villainess and Confession of Murder.

The fight cinematography is pretty amazing throughout the whole thing. Gives me Korean John wick vibes.

— 𝕄𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦 (@DaMoshu) August 8, 2022

You know the faux one-take action sequences in THE VILLAINESS? That director made a 139-minute film that is just one fake long take-action scene called CARTER that's on Netflix now: an absurd fever dream of violence and impossible camera work that you'll hate or be fascinated by. pic.twitter.com/qoB2KzqFPw

— Justin Decloux (@DeclouxJ) August 5, 2022

As The Verge described in a recent review, it is a 'captivating, sleekly edited Carter, where its action sequences are all woven together to give the film a one take effect'.

"There are stunning aerial views of rooftop fights and waterfall escapes, alongside spine-tingling chases through dimly lit cavernous rooms — with the increasingly familiar backdrop of tension between North and South Korea thrown in.

"What Carter sets out to accomplish in action, choreography, and set design, it pulls off with great aplomb," they add.

As you might imagine, some viewers were quick to notice the John Wick influence from the outset, and took to social media to point this out.

While the cinematography is clearly very eye-catching for viewers, the film as a whole has received mixed reviews.

Available to the public since the end of last week, so far Carter has a 5.1 rating on IMDB, from over 2.2k reviewers.

Its a similar story on Rotten Tomatoes, where the audience rating is just 51 percent, while reviewers deemed it worthy of a 36 percent rating.

For some Twitter users, the experimental camera work was actually to the movie's detriment.

this carter movie on Netflix: good fight scenes, poor vfx and camera movements. they spent most of their budget on cars and extra people to kill; this guy has fought like 120 people and there's still an hour left in the movie.

— Musa (@_MusaFidel) August 8, 2022

The film's plot, meanwhile, seems to incorporate events from the real world, such as a pandemic, as well as escalating tensions between the US and North Korea are both key to its overarching story.

"Two months into a deadly pandemic originating from the DMZ that has devastated the US and North Korea, 'Carter' awakens, with no recollections of his past," Carter's synopsis reads.

"In his head is a mysterious device, and in his mouth, a lethal bomb. A strange voice in his ears gives him orders. The bomb may go off at any time - unless he rescues the girl who is the sole antidote to the virus. But the CIA and a North Korean coup are hot on his heels."

While Carter may not end up being as successful as John Wick, the appetite for Korean drama from around the world isn't expected to be affected by this title's success or failure.