The Point Men (2023 film)

The Point Men is a 2023 South Korean action thriller film directed by Yim Soon-rye, starring Hwang Jung-min and Hyun Bin. The film is based on the 2007 hostage crisis in Afghanistan, where 23 South Korean missionaries were kidnapped by the Taliban.

The plot revolves around a South Korean diplomat (Hwang Jung-min) who is dispatched to Afghanistan to negotiate the release of the hostages. He teams up with a National Intelligence Service (NIS) agent (Hyun Bin) specializing in the Middle East to navigate the complex political landscape and secure the safe return of the kidnapped individuals. The film depicts the dangerous and often morally ambiguous choices faced by the negotiators as they attempt to navigate the demands of the Taliban and the political pressures from both the Afghan and South Korean governments. It explores themes of diplomacy, sacrifice, and the human cost of international conflict.

The film was released in South Korea on January 18, 2023. It received mixed to positive reviews, with critics praising the performances of the lead actors and the suspenseful plot, while some criticized the pacing and lack of nuanced character development beyond the protagonists.