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Finding something good to watch on Netflix and other streaming services can be a daunting task if you’re not sure what you want. You’re in for another seemingly endless scrolling session, looking for that perfect gem to match your mood for the night, dreading hitting play on something that catches your eye early on the off-chance that something better may lie ahead. It’s even more annoying to turn on your streaming apps in search of a particular title, only to discover none of your subscriptions have it. The latter is the scenario for “The Age of Shadows,” a 2016 spy thriller with a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, that’s not available to stream in the U.S. as of this writing.
The work of Kim Jee-woon (writer and director), known for “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” (2008) and “The Last Stand” (2013), “The Age of Shadows” is a period piece that focuses on key events in Korea’s history that may resonate strongly with the wider audience in Korea. It tells the story of a group of Korean resistance fighters opposing the Japanese occupation in the 1920s, and the moral dilemmas of those Koreans who collaborated with the new regime.
It’s a story that may not be familiar to Western viewers who have not explored the Japanese-Korean history around the Second World War era. But replace Korea and Japan with France and Germany, keep the period, and you’ll likely end up with a historical tale of war that’s more familiar to the Western viewer. Add the action sequences, for which Jee-woon is known, and “The Age of Shadows” becomes a film cinephiles may want to stream, especially those familiar with his work. For example, Jee-woon’s action-packed “The Last Stand” is a Hollywood movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Why isn’t The Age of Shadows on Netflix?
Kim Ji-woon ‘s historical spy thriller premiered out-of-competition at the Venice Film Festival. After that, “The Age of Shadows” became Korea’s candidate for the Oscars’ Best Foreign Language Film category, but it did not receive a nomination. The movie was released theatrically in North America in September 2016, though most of its box-office revenue came from Korea. “The Age of Shadows” made nearly $54.5 million in cinemas, about 99% of which was earned in Korea.
Given its perfect Rotten Tomatoes score (100% out of 49 reviews), “The Age of Shadows” seems like a good candidate for streaming services, especially Netflix, the home of several well-known K-dramas, and “Squid Game,” the Netflix original that became a worldwide sensation in recent years. On that note, one of the stars of “The Age of Shadows,” Lee Byung-hun, also plays in “Squid Game.” However, Netflix doesn’t stream “The Age of Shadows” at the time of this writing. The film isn’t available from Netflix rivals either.
Despite the increasing popularity of Korean movies and TV shows in Western markets, not all the projects coming out of Korea will be available for streaming. It’s unclear why “The Age of Shadows” is an exception. Licensing deals are likely the reason why streamers have not picked up Jee-woon’s spy thriller, despite the strong reviews. Other reasons may include the film’s topic, which may appeal more to the Korean audience than Western moviegoers. Perfect Rotten Tomatoes rating aside, some viewers have criticized the pacing of the movie that makes it more difficult to watch. (The film’s Popcornmeter is at 73%, in line with its 7.1/10 rating on IMDb). Then again, at 2 hours and 20 minutes long, “The Age of Shadows” may best be consumed at home, in multiple sittings.
Where can you watch The Age of Shadows right now?
U.S. moviegoers interested in seeing “The Age of Shadows” can buy the Blu-ray version of the movie for as low as $9.99 from Amazon, which may be what you pay each month for a streaming service that doesn’t have it. An alternative to buying the Blu-ray version is renting “The Age of Shadows” when traveling abroad (£3.49 on Apple TV in the U.K. and €3.99 on Amazon Video in France), or using a streaming service in Korea. VPN services may help more intrepid internet users get around geolocation restrictions, but even then they would need accounts with the local services to buy, rent, or stream the movie.
The alternative is streaming other Korean movies featuring the stars of “The Age of Shadows.” For example, Song Kang-ho, who plays the film’s titular character (Lee Jung-Chool), is also known for “Parasite,” which won Best Picture at the Oscars in 2020, and “Snowpiercer.” Gong Yoo starred in “Train to Busan” (2016) and “The Silent Sea” TV series. In addition to “Squid Game,” Lee Byung-hun also starred in two “G.I. Joe” movies, “Terminator Genisys” (2015), and “The Magnificent Seven” (2016). Finally, Kim Jee-woon’s “The Last Stand” and “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” are also streaming in the U.S.
