Hwang’s unit members, including a rookie officer named Ha Yoon-joo (Han Hyo-joo), are deft at hiding their presence during their covert missions, and many suspenseful moments in the film involve how they keep their heads down while searching for their targets. They fortunately get one good lead at the start, but they are well aware that a brief glance or a casual word can ruin the whole operation at any moment, so they are always cautious in every step of their maneuvers.
Intensely focusing on their work process, the movie throws some interesting ethical perspectives into the plot. While fully understanding what should be done for their assigned work, Chief Hwang clearly sees the gray morality regarding what he and his people are capable of as shadowy public servants monitoring the city in the name of law and order. He admits that they may infringe upon the civil rights of the people they should protect and serve, but he and his people choose to stick to their missions while never looking back, for that is probably the only way they can deal with morally difficult situations such as when they happen to detect two people in dire danger during their stakeout.
The man they are chasing after never looks back in his work either. As soon as his latest work is done, he receives the payment along with another job to do from a seemingly old, humble shoemaker whose cold eyes betray a ruthless criminal boss inside his shabby appearance. They seldom discuss their nameless powerful clients, but they know well the purposes behind the jobs they are requested to do (in one case, a bunch of account books are stolen away from some big accounting firm before the police come with a seizure and search warrant), and they do not care as long as they get paid well.
As Chief Hwang and his unit get closer to their targets, the directors Kim Beyong-seo and Jo Eui-Seok keep building tension along their plot. They skillfully manipulate the level of suspense along with a little dose of humor, and they always make the movements on the screen clear to us even when their movie becomes quite busy with many characters simultaneously moving around one area. They also make a good use of the streets and alleys and buildings of Seoul, and that gives a nice realistic touch to the film while also providing the canvas for its slick visual approach to the story.
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