In the landscape of South Korean cinema, the "Sageuk" (historical drama) genre is typically reserved for tales of honor, loyalty, and royal lineage. However, director Min Kyu-dong’s 2015 film The Treacherous subverts these tropes by focusing on one of the most vilified monarchs in Korean history: King Yeonsan (Joo Ji-hoon). The film chronicles the King’s descent into madness and the plot by his subjects to overthrow him.
On the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), the film holds a moderate rating (hovering around 6.0/10 at the time of writing). This score, however, acts as a mask for a deep polarization among viewers. A close reading of the IMDb data reveals a clash between those viewing the film as an artistic indictment of absolute power and those dismissing it as exploitative "soft-core" cinema.
The most helpful review on the The Treacherous 2015 IMDb page states: "Do not watch this for romance. Do not watch this for a hero. Watch this as a two-hour panic attack about absolute power. The camera never blinks, and neither should you." the treacherous 2015 imdb
As of the current data aggregation, The Treacherous holds a 6.4/10 on IMDb based on approximately 1,200 user ratings. At first glance, a 6.4 is modest. It suggests a flawed movie. However, in the world of niche historical thrillers—specifically those dealing with King Yeonsan of Joseon—a 6.4 is surprisingly resilient.
The demographic breakdown on the page shows a fascinating polarization: Male voters rate it higher (6.7) than female voters (5.8). This gap hints at the film’s primary controversy: its relentless sexual and violent content. The score also fluctuates wildly across geographic regions, a common trait for films unapologetically rooted in Korean historical trauma. In the landscape of South Korean cinema, the
Set in the early 16th century during the reign of Korea’s infamous tyrant King Yeonsan-gun, The Treacherous follows a low-born but gifted swordsman and secret agent, Gong-nok (Ju Ji-hoon). After his mother is brutally murdered as part of a political purge, Gong-nok is recruited by a powerful noble to infiltrate the royal court. His mission: to expose and eliminate corrupt officials—but more importantly, to destabilize the king by corrupting him with pleasure, greed, and paranoia. Gong-nok rises quickly as the king’s favored “playboy” assassin, but as he sinks deeper into a world of betrayal, mass executions, and erotic manipulation, he must decide whether revenge is worth losing his own soul.
Enjoy the film if you’re prepared for its darkness—its power lies in the way it forces viewers to confront cruelty and complicity within a beautifully executed, harrowing historical setting. The King and the Clown
The Trivia page for The Treacherous on IMDb is a treasure trove for history buffs. It notes that while King Yeonsan did commit purges during the First and Second Literati Purges (1498 and 1504), the film exaggerates his depravity for dramatic effect.
One fascinating IMDb trivia entry states: "The royal banquet where dancers are forced to perform while wearing 'slave' tattoos is entirely fictional, but based on written accounts of Yeonsan's humiliation of Confucian scholars." This mix of fact and vicious fiction is why historians hate the film, but horror fans love it.
When South Korean cinema is discussed, titles like Parasite, Oldboy, and Train to Busan dominate the conversation. However, lurking in the annals of 2015’s filmography is a bloody, sensual, and politically explosive period piece that has slowly gained a cult following: The Treacherous (간신, Gansin). For viewers who have stumbled upon its often-cited IMDb page, the film remains a source of shock, fascination, and confusion. So, what exactly does the IMDb page for The Treacherous (2015) tell us about this hidden gem? And why does this movie, more than most, demand a detailed look beyond its rating?