<I>DIRTY MONEY </I>follows the rampage of two detectives who mistakenly cross a criminal organization. Myeong-deuk (Jung Woo) and Dong-hyeok (Kim Dae-myung) are capable cops who survive through petty corruption. They take bribes after investigations yet still have the ability to solve cases. When they accidentally obtain information about the criminal organization’s black money, they plan to meticulously steal it. However, their perfect plan crumbles due to an unexpected variable: the accidental death of an undercover detective. Myeong-deuk and Dong-hyeok take on the investigation themselves to cover up the incident, but unraveling the tangled situation proves challenging. This directorial debut by Kim Minsu, who wrote the screenplay for The Merciless (2017), successfully captures both curiosity and excitement through a series of interlinked situations. It’s notable how the film enhances overall immersion by appropriately utilizing character interactions and relationships, similar to The Merciless. (SONG Kyung-won)