Time to Hunt

Time to Hunt 2020

Budget

$9.1M

Runtime

135 mins

Language

Korean

Korean

Directed by

Yoon Sung-hyun

Yoon Sung-hyun

Made by

Sidus

Sidus

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Time to Hunt Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Time to Hunt (2020). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.


In a dystopian South Korea, Jun-seokLee Je-hoon is released from prison after a botched heist with his friends, struggling as the Korean won has crashed and his haul has lost its value. Driven by desperation, he pitches one last score to his closest allies, Jang-hoAhn Jae-hong and Ki-hoonChoi Woo-shik: break into an illegal gambling house that stores stacks of US dollars. To pull it off, they recruit Sang-sooPark Jeong-min, an employee at the casino, and borrow firearms from Bong-sikCho Seong-ha, Jun-seok’s contact, setting the plan in motion.

The heist unfolds with a mix of resolve and chaos, but it ends in a surprisingly clean score: a large cash haul and the gambling house’s surveillance hard drives. Sang-soo chooses to stay on for a while to avoid arousing suspicion, while the remaining trio heads to Ki-hoon’s parents’ home. Behind the scenes, the hard drives reveal shady dealings between the casino owners and various criminals, hinting at a much larger web of corruption.

The casino owner responds by hiring Han, a police officer turned contract killer played by HanPark Hae-soo, to retrieve the drives. Han first visits Bong-sik, coerces him to call Jun-seok and reveal the trio’s location, and then kills Bong-sik. Sang-soo is killed off-screen by Han, who also seizes Sang-soo’s phone. Jun-seok wakes from a nightmare, stumbles into a bar, and starts receiving calls on Sang-soo’s phone. Realizing someone else has the line, he reunites with Jang-ho and Ki-hoon and urges them to flee.

As they flee the lot, Han shoots Jang-ho and their car crashes, but Han grants them a five-minute head start to prolong the hunt. They race to a hospital in another city to treat Jang-ho’s injuries, using the city’s surveillance system to stay ahead of their pursuer. Jun-seok spots Han approaching and the trio barely evades capture, escaping in a stolen car. The police briefly arrest Han but release him on orders from the police chief.

The trio heads toward the harbor and waits for dawn, while Ki-hoon checks on his parents. Jun-seok returns at dusk, notices an unfamiliar car near the entrance, and realizes Han has arrived. A tense chase ends with Jun-seok and Jang-ho scrambling to a nearby car, and Han’s gunfire puts Jang-ho down. As Jun-seok faces a likely death, a group of masked men arrives—their leader is Bong-sik’s brother Bong-sooCho Seong-ha—to confront Han and turn the tide.

With dawn breaking, Han is shot repeatedly and falls into the sea, leaving Jun-seok to reckon with his next move. By dawn, Jun-seok has sailed to Kenting, Taiwan, where his contacts report that Han survived. Although Ki-hoon’s fate remains implied, Jun-seok rejects the idea of escaping indefinitely and chooses to arm himself for one final return to South Korea to confront Han once and for all.

Time to Hunt Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Time to Hunt (2020) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.


Prison release and grim plan

Jun-seok is released from prison after a botched heist, and the enormous crash of the won leaves their loot effectively worthless. With nothing left, he pitches one last job to his best friends in the hope of escaping their miserable lives. The mood is tense but determined as they consider the risky path ahead.

After release from prison South Korea

Assembling the crew and target

They decide to hit an illegal gambling house to seize cash and valuable hard drives. The trio recruits Sang-soo for help and obtains firearms from Bong-sik, their contact. Plans are laid out with growing urgency as the clock ticks toward the heist.

Pre-heist planning South Korea

The heist hits the gambling house

The group carries out the operation with precision, grabbing a large sum of cash and the gambling house's surveillance hard drives. The job goes through despite the messy setup and rising tension. They escape with both money and incriminating data in hand.

During the heist Illegal gambling house

Aftermath and relocation

Sang-soo chooses to stay on for a while to avoid arousing suspicion, while the remaining trio heads to Ki-hoon's parents' home. The sense of relief is short-lived as the stakes grow higher after the heist. The group tries to lay low for a moment.

Post-heist Ki-hoon's parents' home

Hard drives reveal incriminating footage

The hard drives contain footage showing shady dealings between the gambling house owners and various criminals. The trio realizes the size of what they’ve taken and the danger it now entails. The data changes the dynamic from robbery to a target on their backs.

Post-heist discovery Gambling house/storage facility

Han hired and murders begin

The gambling house owner hires Han to retrieve the drives. Han visits Bong-sik, coerces him to reveal the trio's location by calling Jun-seok, and kills Bong-sik. He also kills Sang-soo off-screen and takes his phone, tightening the net around the conspirators.

Pursuit begins Bong-sik's location and surrounding areas

Sang-soo's disappearance and bar calls

Jun-seok wakes from a nightmare and goes to a bar, where he receives several calls from Sang-soo's phone. He eventually realizes that someone else has Sang-soo's phone and that danger is closing in. The noise of the city masks the growing tension around them.

Evening Bar

Escape plan escalates: Jang-ho is shot

Jun-seok meets with Jang-ho and Ki-hoon, but as they attempt to flee from a parking lot, Han shoots Jang-ho and their car crashes. Han grants them a 5-minute headstart, intensifying the chase as they scramble to survive. The escape turns into a deadly pursuit.

Night Parking lot

Hospital chase and the policeman reveal

They drive to a hospital in another city to treat Jang-ho's injuries. Using the city's surveillance system, Han locates the hospital, and Jun-seok spots him approaching. They manage to evade him and escape in Han's car, only to realize that Han is a police officer.

Night Hospital (city) and surrounding streets

Deal attempts and police intervention

The trio tries to strike a deal with Han, but he refuses to cooperate. Han is arrested by the police, but they release him under orders from the police chief, complicating their already precarious situation. The line between ally and threat grows blurrier.

Following confrontation Police station

Harbor hideout and family warning

The trio arrives at the harbor, forced to stay until dawn while the net tightens around them. Ki-hoon returns to his parents' home, afraid that trouble might befall his family because of their actions. The tension builds as they wait for daylight.

Night to dawn Harbor; Ki-hoon's home

Dusk arrives: Han's presence at Ki-hoon's home

Jun-seok returns to Ki-hoon's home at dusk and sees an unfamiliar car at the entrance, realizing that Han has arrived. The pursuit closes in on their last safe refuge. The clock ticks toward a deadly confrontation.

Dusk Ki-hoon's home

Final gunfight and Han's demise

In a tense final shootout, Han shoots Jang-ho multiple times, and Jang-ho dies from his injuries. A group of masked men led by Bong-soo arrives and wounds Han, who falls into the sea. The group is left to confront the consequences of their choices.

Night to dawn Ki-hoon's home vicinity

Dawn departure and the revenge plan

At dawn, Jun-seok sails toward Kenting, Taiwan, and learns that Han has survived. Ki-hoon is implied to be dead on returning home. Deciding that running will never grant true freedom, Jun-seok resolves to return to South Korea to face Han once and for all.

Dawn Kenting, Taiwan

Time to Hunt Characters

Explore all characters from Time to Hunt (2020). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.


Bong-sik

A firearms supplier and Jun-seok's contact, Bong-sik connects the group to the criminal underworld needed for the heist. His role pulls the trio into dangerous entanglements and treacherous decisions, and he is killed by Han after being forced to reveal their location.

🕶️ Criminal contact 🗡️ Weapon supplier

Bong-soo

Bong-sik's brother and the leader of a group of masked men who intervene at dawn to target Han and avenge the earlier actions. He embodies a decisive, violent response that shifts the balance of power during the pursuit.

👤 Family tie 🥷 Vigilante

Jun-seok

A recently released prisoner who proposes one last heist to escape his bleak life. He takes on a leadership role, coordinating with Ki-hoon and Jang-ho and driving the group's risky plan.

🕴️ Leader 🗝️ Escape plan

Ki-hoon

Jun-seok's ally who returns to his parents' home after the heist. He participates in the trio's plan, with the ending implying his death after returning home.

👦 Family ties 🏡 Home

Sang-soo

An employee of the illegal gambling house who joins the trio but later stays to avoid suspicion. He is killed by Han off-screen, contributing to the rising stakes of the pursuit.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Third party 🕵️‍♂️ Inside man

Han

A police officer-turned-contract killer who hunts the trio, using surveillance and relentless pursuit to close in on them. He embodies the brutal overlap between law enforcement and crime in the story.

🕵️‍♂️ Hunter 🗡️ Enforcer

Jang-ho

Jun-seok's ally who fights alongside the group; he is killed during the pursuit, demonstrating loyalty and courage in the face of overwhelming danger.

🤝 Friend 🥇 Courage

Time to Hunt Settings

Learn where and when Time to Hunt (2020) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.


Time period

Event-level time is contemporary, shaped by a near-present-day economy in decline after the currency crash. The atmosphere blends immediate danger with systemic corruption, where surveillance, illegal gambling, and desperate acts drive the actions of the characters.

Location

South Korea, Taiwan

The film is set in a dystopian South Korea where the won has collapsed, driving poverty and crime through the urban landscape. The story moves between seedy gambling houses, crowded streets, and a busy harbor area that underscores the volatility of the city. The pursuit travels to Kenting, Taiwan, highlighting the transnational reach of the criminals and the consequences of their actions.

🏙️ Dystopian Korea 🚨 Crime-ridden neighborhoods 🌊 Coastal harbor

Time to Hunt Themes

Discover the main themes in Time to Hunt (2020). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.


💥

Survival

In a city where money loses value and danger lurks at every corner, the characters must improvise, fight, and stay alive. The heist and its aftermath force them to weigh risk against reward in a world ruled by crime and surveillance. The story keeps the stakes high as every decision has life-or-death consequences.

🤝

Loyalty

A tight-knit trio bands together to pull off a dangerous plan, counting on trust to get them through the aftermath. Loyalties are tested as fear, greed, and survival pull the group in different directions. Moments of solidarity and betrayal reveal what true loyalty costs.

⚖️

Justice

The pursuit of justice unfolds amid a corrupt system where a former cop becomes a killer. The film questions whether real justice can exist when institutions are compromised, and whether vengeance can ever lead to true resolution. The final confrontations test who has the right to judge the characters’ fates.

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Time to Hunt Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Time to Hunt (2020). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.


In a near‑future South Korea where the economy has imploded and the streets pulse with a relentless sense of surveillance, everyday life feels more like a prison than a promise. The nation’s once‑stable currency lies in ruins, and the weight of an oppressive system bears down on anyone daring enough to imagine a different future. Neon‑lit alleys blend with the stark glare of abandoned factories, creating a landscape that is both gritty and oddly beautiful—a perfect backdrop for desperate dreams.

Against this bleak tableau, four friends cling to a shared yearning for freedom. Jun-seok, freshly out of prison, becomes the reluctant architect of a bold gamble, while Jang-ho offers unwavering loyalty, and Ki-hoon carries a restless idealism that pushes the group forward. The quieter, resourceful Sang-soo brings inside knowledge that completes their uneasy alliance. Together they craft a risky plan, hoping that a single daring move will catapult them far beyond the suffocating limits of their world and toward a distant, idyllic shore where a new life might finally be possible.

The film stays wired on tension, its tone a mix of relentless chase and quiet introspection. Every decision feels charged, each moment balanced on the edge of danger, underscoring how fragile hope can be when the stakes are life‑altering. As the quartet sets their plan in motion, the audience is left to wonder whether the promise of escape will survive the unpredictable forces that lurk in the shadows of a society on the brink.

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