No Tears for the Dead

No Tears for the Dead

Year: 2014

Runtime: 117 mins

Language: Korean

Director: Lee Jeong-beom

ActionThrillerDrama

Haunted by a tragic mistake, a hitman accidentally takes the life of a young girl and desperately seeks to leave his violent profession behind. However, to cover up the incident and eliminate potential threats, he is compelled to accept one final, devastating assignment: to kill the girl’s mother. This forces him to confront the consequences of his actions and grapple with his desire for redemption.

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Timeline & Setting – No Tears for the Dead (2014)

Explore the full timeline and setting of No Tears for the Dead (2014). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Early 2020s

The events unfold in contemporary times, with modern technology shaping the criminal underworld—laptops, smartphones, and surveillance play pivotal roles. The narrative moves briskly between international locations, reflecting a present-day crime thriller pace. The grounded, real-world setting emphasizes immediacy and stakes rather than historical distance.

Location

America, Seoul

The story opens in a quiet American restaurant before shifting to the dense urban environment of Seoul. The American setting provides a tense, crime-filled atmosphere that bridges to the international stakes of the plot. Seoul serves as a crowded, neon-lit backdrop where power and corruption collide in close-quarters confrontations.

🇺🇸 America 🇰🇷 Seoul

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 09:52

Main Characters – No Tears for the Dead (2014)

Meet the key characters of No Tears for the Dead (2014), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Gon (Jang Dong-gun)

A razor-focused, emotionally scarred hitman who moves with cold precision. His trauma after the girl’s death drives his drinking and fiercely protective instincts toward others, revealing a conflicted warrior who longs for closure. He relentlessly pursues truth and justice for the girl and her mother, even as violence follows him.

🗡️ Assassin 🎯 Precision 🧊 Stoic 💔 Trauma

Mo-gyeong (Kim Min-hee)

A risk manager whose routine life is shattered by her daughter's murder and the investigation into a corrupt network. She endures mounting pressure from crime and law enforcement as she fights to protect her family and expose the truth. Her resolve is tempered by grief, making her a moral center amid escalating danger.

👩‍💼 Risk Manager 💔 Mother 🏥 Hospital 🕵️‍♀️ Investigation

Alvaro (Alexander Wraith)

A Colombian teammate of Gon who becomes entangled in the Triad power struggle. He brings a volatile mix of bravado and loyalty, contributing to the film’s brutal, high-stakes confrontations. His arc highlights the thin line between camaraderie and betrayal in a ruthless underworld.

🗡️ Assassin 💥 Loyalty 🧭 Risk 🕶️ Intense

Juan (Anthony Dilio)

A fellow operative whose ambition pushes him to push the mission forward through force. He embodies the harsher, more reckless side of underworld camaraderie and the consequences of betrayal. His actions escalate the tension and danger surrounding Gon and Mo-gyeong.

💣 Mercenary 🔥 Intense 🎯 Targeting

Dai Ban (Dana Lee)

The Chinese-American Triad boss who orchestrates the criminal network. He exerts a calm, dangerous influence, pushing the team to tie up loose ends and maintain control over the money flow. His presence embodies the cold efficiency of organized crime driving the plot.

💼 Boss 🕳️ Criminal Network 🔥 Power

Asing (Rich Ting)

A street assassin hired by Dai-Ban to eliminate Mo-gyeong, making him a direct threat to Gon’s goal. He embodies precision and menace, returning to confront Gon in a brutal confrontation. His appearance heightens the urgency and danger surrounding Mo-gyeong’s effort to uncover the truth.

🗡️ Assassin 💨 Speed 💀 Threat

John Lee (Jun Kim)

Mo-gyeong’s supervisor whose ties to organized crime drive the investigation and raise the stakes. He represents how corrupted structures can subvert legitimate institutions. His role reveals how financial and criminal networks intertwine within the city’s power dynamics.

💳 Money Laundering 🎭 Corruption 🏛️ Power

Ha Yoon-guk (Park Byung-eun)

A key figure in the early phase of the operation, whose deal sets the events in motion. He navigates dangerous alliances and threats as Gon and his allies close in. His actions catalyze the move from the initial confrontation to the broader Seoul pursuit.

💼 Boss 🗺️ Crime Network 🔥 Power

Chaoz

Dai-Ban’s operative sent to clear a path by eliminating obstacles and securing Mo-gyeong’s location. He engages in swift, brutal actions that heighten the film’s pace and danger. His presence marks a crucial escalation in the hunt to control the situation.

🗡️ Assassin 🔎 Tracker 🔥 Violence

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 09:52

Major Themes – No Tears for the Dead (2014)

Explore the central themes of No Tears for the Dead (2014), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🗡️ Revenge

A professional killer's pursuit of retribution drives the plot, turning personal trauma into a violent mission. Gon's response to the child's death bleeds into every decision, affecting allies and enemies alike. The film questions whether vengeance truly ends or merely reshapes the lives of those left behind. Every confrontation circles back to the memory of that night and its cost.

🧠 Moral Dilemma

Loyalty, duty, and justice pull at the characters as they navigate a web of criminal networks and corrupt institutions. Mo-gyeong's struggle to protect her daughter and uncover evidence pits her against powerful forces. Gon faces choices that test his strict code against the possibility of saving others. The story probes whether ends justify means when lives hang in the balance.

💔 Memory

Traumatic memories haunt the protagonists, shaping how they act and what they value. Flashbacks reveal past abandonments and the weight of motherhood, influencing present decisions. The narrative uses memory to explain why characters resist or embrace violence. Loss becomes a lens through which the audience understands motive and consequence.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 09:52

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No Tears for the Dead Summary

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No Tears for the Dead Timeline

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