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Kim Ji-yong

Kim Ji-yong

Cinematographer · Born February 21, 1976 (50) · South Korea

Kim Ji-yong is a Korean cinematographer, known for frequent collaborations with director Kim Jee-woon, including A Bittersweet Life (2005), The Last Stand (2013), and The Age of Shadows (2016).

Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 21, 1976 (50)
From
South Korea
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
26 on MovieCove · 34 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 61% in 30 days

What are Kim Ji-yong's films like?

Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Action7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 85th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 91st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
25%
Self
22%
Morality
18%
Power
12%
Ideas
12%
Survival
6%
Society
5%
Family bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom3 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 19 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 2 · Serious 5 · Dark 12

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 4 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 6

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 6 · Intense 12

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 12 · Whiplash 4

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 12 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 13 · Full focus 5

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 3 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 10

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 10 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
17
Melancholic
9
Thrilling
5
Absurd
3
Contemplative
4
Other
14

How their films linger

Thought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet10
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous5

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Kim Ji-yong's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 19 of their 26 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Kim Ji-yong's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

34 credits, 26 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • The Table: Day and Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Cinematographer

  • Possible Love(2026)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Holy Night: Demon Hunters(2025)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Sympathizer(2024)

    Show 6 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows

  • Cobweb(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Connect(2022)

    Show 6 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • Decision to Leave(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Ground Zero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Director · Cinematographer · Writer

  • Live Your Strength (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Cinematographer

  • The Nightmare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Cinematographer

  • Ashfall(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Persona(2019)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all shows

  • Swing Kids(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Fortress(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Table (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Cinematographer

  • Okja(2017)

    "B" Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • A Day(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Age of Shadows(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Worst Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Camera Operator

  • The Advocate: A Missing Body(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Royal Tailor(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Genome Hazard(2013)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Miss Granny(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Hwayi: A Monster Boy(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Cold Eyes(2013)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Last Stand(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Doomsday Book(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Silenced(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Hindsight(2011)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Influence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Cinematographer

  • Marine Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Cinematographer

  • Hansel and Gretel(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Forbidden Quest(2006)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • A Bittersweet Life(2005)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 34 titles from 2005 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Ashfall (2019)

$61M worldwide

Highest rated

Silenced (2011)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Decision to Leave (2022)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing1 of 34: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting1 of 34: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleCinematography29 of 34: 28 only cinematography, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score74thOther crew5 of 34: 5 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

2000s4 · crew2010s20 · crew2020s10 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Kim Ji-yong's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 79th percentile, the median of all 23; across their 19 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 80th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Approval · how many liked their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Reach · how many have seen their films

84thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Midcredits score across 26 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 26 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Crowd Pleaser14
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · cinematographer

Holy Night: Demon Hunters (2025)

67th percentile spread · 35% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Silenced (2011)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 78/100 in their films, across 17 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 65. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Kim Ji-yong's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films and sex & nudity lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles72–96 · median 92 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles7–59 · median 12 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles36–86 · median 70 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles27–49 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles54–88 · median 75 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Kim Ji-yong work with?

People who share at least 2 of Kim Ji-yong's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mowg shares the most, 11.

Directors

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers