Year: 2012
Runtime: 76 mins
Language: Korean
Director: Baek Sang-Yeol
A bestselling writer, Jeong-ho, seeks inspiration for his new novel by engaging in a provocative role-playing scenario. His actions stir suspicion and intense jealousy in his wife, Ji-soo, a renowned university professor. Complicating matters is Hye-in, an alluring student who bears a striking resemblance to Jeong-ho’s first love, becoming a source of fascination and a muse for his writing. As the lines between reality and fiction blur, the couple's relationship spirals into an unstable and dangerous situation.
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Emma leads a double life, balancing seven years as Dave’s devoted wife with her role as the mother of Wyatt and Caroline, while secretly working as an assassin for Sovereign. Her frequent “business trips” strain the family’s routines and emotional connections, causing missed anniversaries and tense attempts to keep their bond intact even as she remains focused on her dangerous, hidden work.
Her world begins to crumble when a routine update from her handler, Raj, arrives with a tempting but perilous offer. A high-paying hit and a renewed pursuit from a former employer surface through a dark-web advertisement, reminding Emma that her past can reclaim her at any moment. In an effort to reconnect with Dave, the couple stage a hotel rendezvous as strangers, a vulnerable attempt to reignite spark and trust. Yet the plan unravels when Emma, still living under a false identity, encounters Bob Kitterman in the hotel corridor. He recognizes her, and his insinuations trace back to their shared, dangerous profession. He indicates his room number and departs, leaving Emma to second-guess every step she takes in this precarious double life.
The role-play and revelry give way to a stark confrontation. After hours of heavy drinking, the pair retreat to their room, where Dave quickly falls asleep. Emma quietly moves toward Bob’s room, where the tension escalates as Bob tries to extract a lucrative cut of future hits for himself. Emma refuses, reminding herself (and him) of the 30 percent she already remits to Raj, and she discloses that she had poisoned Bob’s scotch in the bar to keep him from exploiting her. The situation ends with Bob incapacitated, allowing Emma to slip back to Dave and continue the illusion of their normal life as they head home.
The fallout from the near-discovery forces Emma to confront the consequences of her life. She warns Raj that her cover is blown and must be repaired in Germany, while citing a sudden work emergency in Boise as the pretext for her departure to Europe. Dave’s world fractures when Emma fails to appear at the airport, leaving him waiting all day; NYPD homicide detectives question him, and Special Agent Carver from ITIC arrives to reveal a shocking truth: Emma has assumed the identity of a woman who died eight years earlier and is, in fact, an assassin.
As Dave processes the revelation, Emma’s true skills and history come into focus. Back home, he discovers Emma’s passports, firearms, and other paraphernalia, while Carver insists on a search—yet a warrant is required. Raj pays the price for Emma’s tenuous position as Sovereign’s pursuit tightens; she reappears in Berlin and reconnects with Raj, only to lose him to a dangerous confrontation as another gunfight erupts in their wake.
Emma reveals her real past and the stakes of her mission. She shares that her name once was Anna, and that her father worked in the secret service before founding Sovereign with Carver; after her father’s death, she was raised to become an assassin. When she first met Dave in Boston, she fell in love and decided she wanted out, to protect the life she hoped to build as a family. She resolves to tie up loose ends, then leave killing behind for a normal, safe life with their children. But Sovereign will not relinquish her easily, and four of its operatives close in, catching them off guard and tranquilizing the family.
The culmination unfolds in a tense forest compound. Emma awakens to the sound of her children nearby; Carver has flown the kids to safety, with help from Dave’s sister Molly, under the condition that Emma return to Sovereign and eliminate Dave. Emma and Dave are taken for a walk in the woods, and Emma whispers that she must shoot him—yet insists it won’t be fatal. A staged shot and Dave’s feigned death allow Emma to move forward, killing the woman who confirms the hit and then taking out the sniper. They return to the compound where Emma removes another threat, and Dave is sent to watch the kids.
In a final confrontation, Emma dismantles Carver’s defenses. She eliminates Carver’s last mercenary, and the two exchange fire in the woods until Carver is fatally wounded. Carver asks Emma to finish her off, but she chooses mercy and lets her bleed out, choosing to reunite with her family. With the family restored to safety, they set out together, choosing to face the future as a united unit rather than divided by fear and betrayal.
Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:48
Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.
Thrillers where a secret double life threatens to destroy a relationship.If you enjoyed the tense secrets and relationship crisis in Role Play, explore more movies like it. This collection features high-stakes thrillers where a hidden identity or dangerous profession puts a marriage on the brink, blending suspense with heavy emotional drama.
Stories in this thread typically follow a character with a hidden, high-risk identity (agent, criminal, etc.) whose lies begin to unravel within their intimate relationship. The plot hinges on the growing suspicion of the partner and the inevitable confrontation, forcing a choice between the double life and the family.
These movies are grouped together because they share a core narrative of marital deception set against a backdrop of imminent danger. They expertly blend the high tension of a thriller with the heavy emotional weight of a relationship drama, creating a uniquely suspenseful and emotionally charged viewing experience.
Action-packed stories of lethal professionals fighting to shield their loved ones.For viewers who liked the premise of Role Play, this list gathers similar action thrillers where a trained killer must confront their former life to save their family. These films combine intense action sequences with a powerful emotional drive centered on protection and redemption.
The narrative follows a protagonist who has left a life of violence to build a peaceful family, but is pulled back in when a threat from their past emerges. The story is a race against time, utilizing their unique skills not for assassination, but for defense, culminating in a final confrontation to secure their family's future.
These films are united by the compelling character arc of a lethal individual seeking redemption through the protection of their family. They deliver a specific mix of high-octane action, relentless pacing, and a heavy emotional core rooted in the themes of sacrifice and familial love.
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