. He appoints a seemingly loyal retainer, Im Sung-jae, to round up over 10,000 beautiful women from across the country for his own pleasure. Among these women is Dan-hee, a low-class butcher seeking vengeance, who enters the palace and becomes entangled in a dangerous game of lust and political manipulation Cast & Crew Ju Ji-hoon as Im Sung-jae Kim Kang-woo as King Yeonsan Lim Ji-yeon as Dan-hee Lee Yoo-young as Seol-jung-mae Chun Ho-jin as Im Sa-hong Production & Controversy Visual Extravagance:
The film's legacy extends beyond its on-screen impact, as it has inspired a new generation of filmmakers and historians to explore Korea's rich cultural heritage. "The Treacherous" serves as a testament to the power of Korean cinema to captivate audiences and inspire new perspectives on history, culture, and society.
Ultimately, "The Treacherous" is a challenging film that attempts to turn the historical epic on its head by focusing not on heroic warriors, but on the monsters who abuse power and the victims who pay the price. It is a lurid, beautiful, and often nauseating work that asks more questions than it answers, leaving the final judgment to the individual viewer.
Multiple reviewers express frustration that the explicit scenes overwhelm the film’s potential. One writes, “too much focus on sex scene and unnecessary nude scene can downgrade the quality of the movie. It had so much potential to be historical drama but stay being an erotic art film”. Another goes further, describing the film as “really high quality porn with really good acting”—a backhanded compliment that captures the film’s identity crisis. the treacherous 2015 imdb
In that sense, “The Treacherous 2015 IMDb” is more than just a search term. It is an entry point into a debate about what cinema should be allowed to show, how far art can go in depicting historical brutality, and whether a film’s technical merits can ever outweigh its moral provocations. The answers are not on IMDb—but the questions are.
: In his descent into madness, the king appoints his childhood friend and master court manipulator, Im Sung-jae ( Ju Ji-hoon ), along with Sung-jae's father, Im Sa-hong ( Chun Ho-jin ), as Chaehong-sa —officers tasked with recruiting women for the palace.
Julian is fifty, tanned, and smells of expensive cologne and desperation. He’s a “financier” with a Wikipedia page full of lawsuits and a mansion in Malibu. He loves Elegy . He offers Miles $3 million, cash. No strings. "The Treacherous" serves as a testament to the
The Treacherous (2015) is an audacious South Korean historical drama chronicling the reign of King Yeonsan-gun, noted for its intense, dark atmosphere and visually extravagant, yet explicit, depiction of a tyrannical court. The film focuses on themes of madness and corruption through the lens of a ruler who ordered thousands of women brought to the royal court, offering a challenging viewing experience focused on the darker aspects of the Joseon Dynasty.
According to the film's IMDb Parents Guide , the movie features a substantial amount of graphic content:
Filming begins. It’s a dream. Sasha is transcendent. The cinematographer, a grizzled veteran, calls it “lightning in a bottle.” But Julian starts visiting the set. He watches the dailies with a reptilian smile. He invites himself to dinner. He compliments Sasha’s “vulnerability.” He compliments Sasha’s “vulnerability.” Ju Ji-hoon
Ju Ji-hoon, Kim Kang-woo, Lim Ji-yeon, Lee Yoo-young, and Chun Ho-jin. Release Date: May 21, 2015. Production Values:
The film strips away the romanticised veneer often seen in period pieces, using a substantial production budget and an expansive cast to deliver an uncompromising look at historical trauma, power dynamics, and survival. The Historical Context: The Reign of King Yeonsan