December 6 was the date for this year when The New York Times published its annual list of “The Best Actors of 2018”. For a change, an Asian made it to the list, namely Korean superstar Yoo Ah-in.
Yoo Ah-in, who is represented by UAA & Co Inc. of Spackman Media Group, is the only Asian actor on the list which is comprised of 12 actors and their noteworthy films of the year.
He was included in the list for his movie Burning, a Korean mystery drama film directed by Lee Chang-dong, which is based on Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami’s short story Barn Burning.
The other actors on the list were Glenn Close (The Wife), Ethan Hawke (First Reformed), Toni Collette (Hereditary), Lakeith Stanfield (Sorry to Bother You), Regina Hall (Support the Girls), Julia Roberts (Ben is Back), Yalitzia Aparicio (Roma), Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade), and Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz and Olivia Colman (The Favourite).
Being recognized by The New York Times is a great honour and it serves as a tribute to Yoo Ah-in’s status as an international superstar.
The publication described the actor’s performance in the movie as “riveting” like watching paint dry but not being sure when it starts drying and when it’s done. The dynamic character which Yoo Ah-in plays in the film goes through transformations which The New York Times called to be “grim and stunning”.
“Through Lee, he achieves a kind of sleight of hand, conjuring a state of bemusement that deepens into anomie. He’s almost anti-charismatic — almost. He’s still got that open, handsome face, so you’re drawn to him, which allows for a grand misperception. It’s entirely likely that the person we’re left with at the end of the movie was also there in the opening minutes,” added Wesley Morris from The New York Times.
The actor has also starred in Spackman Media Group’s financial thriller Default, which grossed a total of US$20 million in box office revenues and reached its break-even point only 12 days since its release. The film has the highest November opening in the history of Korean box office.