As a big fan of Korean movies and dramas that involve investigation, crimes, police, and prosecution, I’m kind of picky about where I’ll spend my time, and I can say this Hit and Run Squad is worth it. The narrative could also be adapted to a mini-series because of the many layers that the characters have. This movie reminds me of the Hollywood franchise movie “Fast and Furious” because of the car-racing nature and star-studded cast.
Hit and Run Squad started when Lt. Eun Shi-yeon (Gong Hyo-jin) and their section failed to produce evidence that wealthy racer-businessman, Jung Jae-cheol (Cho Jung-seok) has been bribing the Police Commissioner. Not long after, she was transferred to the Incheon Traffic Patrol Team in charge of hit-and-run accidents, wherein she met Woo Sun-young (Jeon Hye-jin) and Seo Min-jae (Ryu Jun-yeol). During her first case there, she witnessed Min-jae’s strange and unprofessional way of investigating – trusting his guts and bypassing everything (which is oftentimes 100% accurate).
Shi-yeon being unstoppable and unpredictable, then dragged her close friend, Prosecutor Ki Tae-ho (Son Seok-ku) to spy on Jae-cheol in the party he hosted. Unfortunately, they got caught; that’s when Min-jae coincidentally entered the party and interrogated Jae-cheol about the hit-and-run incident that happened three months ago. He acted silly and foolishly to observe Jae-cheol’s actions and how he reacted to things. After going to the party, Min-jae confirmed the evidence from the crime scene and went straight home to his adoptive father Jung-jae’s (Lee Sung-min) car repair/workshop. Shi-yeon joined Min-jae and his found family as they had a usual feast in their neighborhood; Shi-yeon learned about Min-jae and his dark past of being a gangster and seller of illegal drugs.
Shi-yeon being unstoppable and unpredictable, then dragged her close friend, Prosecutor Ki Tae-ho (Son Seok-ku) to spy on Jae-cheol in the party he hosted. Unfortunately, they got caught; that’s when Min-jae coincidentally entered the party and interrogated Jae-cheol about the hit-and-run incident that happened three months ago. He acted silly and foolishly to observe Jae-cheol’s actions and how he reacted to things. After going to the party, Min-jae confirmed the evidence from the crime scene and went straight home to his adoptive father Jung-jae’s (Lee Sung-min) car repair/workshop. Shi-yeon joined Min-jae and his found family as they had a usual feast in their neighborhood; Shi-yeon learned about Min-jae and his dark past of being a gangster and seller of illegal drugs.
Min-jae and Shi-yeon teamed up together with the help of Tae-ho to distract Jae-cheol and get the dashcam footage from “Buster” or his car’s pet name, which contained evidence of their bribery. The intense chase resulted to a fatal crash between Jae-cheol’s race car and an ambulance driven by Min-jae’s father. Jung-jae’s death happened right before Min-jae’s eyes, making him feel outraged. An indifferent Jae-cheol leaves the scene right away without any sign of remorse. Time went by after the tragic accident, but a grieving Min-jae is still determined to go after Jae-cheol.
I’m a fan of Cho Jung-seok, but I would admit that Ryu Jun-yeol as Seo Min-jae got me teary-eyed. His character development from someone who changed his dark past to becoming a law enforcer was admirable, of course, through the help of his foster father. Min-jae could be as treacherous and vicious as villain Jae-cheol if he wanted to, but he’s better than that. Jae-cheol, on the other hand, wasn’t sane. The movie tried to paint him as someone who suffered so much trauma, which justifies his thirst for power. He worked his way up from being a chauffeur’s son to now the big boss of chaebol kids.
The clash of regional investigation chief Yoo Ji-hyun (Yum Jung-ah) and hit-and-run task force chief Woo Sun-young (Jeon Hye-jin) was also captivating. Even though they only had short exposure, their roles still significantly influenced the story and characters.
Aside from the infighting within the police organization and the intensity of the car racing, the movie lacked depth and coherence. The events flew by so fast just like how Jae-cheol would run his car engine miles per hour.
GRUMPY ALLEY
🏎️ Kim Go-eun’s cameo in the epilogue scene was eye-catching! Her appearance was to support her PD in Coin Locker Girl, Han Jun-hee.
🏎️ Key’s red hair was my favorite non-plot-related detail of it all.
🏎️ Cho Jung-seok is equally lovable as a heartthrob romantic male lead and as a maniacal psycho-racer! His chemistry with Gong Hyo-jin – be it as a couple or as enemies – will always be undeniable.
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