[HanCinema's News] "#ALIVE" Marks Latest Devolution in Yoo Ah-in's Career

Most major actors, as they get older, attempt to rebrand themselves as more mature in an effort to acquire parts with more gravitas. Yoo Ah-in, however, has proven a curious exception to this trend. He caught his first big break as the lead in the introspective high school film "Punch" and quickly earned leading roles in high profile epic historical dramas such as "Jang Ok-jung, Living in Love" and "The Throne".

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But with his prestige secured from such roles Yoo Ah-in instead decided to focus on unusual roles quite against this brand. In "Veteran" he played a slimy immature villain, while in "Default" he played a smart opportunistic one. "Default" was also an ensemble piece. Yoo Ah-in is no hog for the spotlight, holding similar roles in "Six Flying Dragons" and "Like for Likes". Yoo Ah-in even had an international breakout performance with "Burning", where he played a quiet social undesirable.

And now with "#ALIVE" Yoo Ah-in takes on yet another role that seems baffling for an actor of his reputation. He plays Joon-woo, a clumsy go of a man struggling to survive a zombie apocalypse on psychological terms as much as physical ones. The contrast is further heightened by his leading lady being Park Shin-hye, the glamorous star who plays a rather more competent character and has added a great deal of intrigue to the project in her own right by being off-brand for very different reasons.

According to Yoo Ah-in this is all part of his method. He described himself as being drawn to Joon-woo in part because the young man is so painstakingly flawed, which made him more approachable and allowed for a more naturalistic approach. But this is all the irony of the main connecting thread of his brand. While Yoo Ah-in himself is a major heartthrob, it's the flaws of the characters he plays that excite him the most. Even as they typically are, for very different reasons, often quite unattractive.

Written by William Schwartz