Tazza: One Eyed Jack


Tazza: One Eyed Jack is a 2019 South Korean crime film directed by Kwon Oh-kwang based on Huh Young-man and Kim Se-yeong's manhwa of the same name. Starring Park Jeong-min, Ryoo Seung-bum, Choi Yu-hwa, Woo Hyun, Lee Kwang-soo, Yoon Je-moon, Lim Ji-yeon, and Kwon Hae-hyo, it serves as a sequel to Tazza: The High Rollers and Tazza: The Hidden Card.

Plot

Do Il-chul, a civil service exam student, is more interested in gambling than studying. At a poker hall, he meets a mysterious woman named Madonna, who dismisses his dreams of becoming a professional gambler. Il-chul insists he is a rising tazza, but she abruptly leaves. Later, he spots her in a car that damages his bicycle. Il-chul challenges the car owner to a high-stakes poker match for compensation but loses badly and falls deep into debt.
When Il-chul is cornered by loan sharks, a mysterious gambler named "One-Eyed Jack" steps in and pays off his debt, claiming he owed a favor to Il-chul's late father, Jjak-gwi. Desperate to become a true tazza, Il-chul convinces Jack to take him in, on the condition that he can win at roulette. After succeeding, Il-chul joins Jack's team of gamblers, including Young-mi, Kka-chi, and Mr. Kwon, to scam a wealthy man known as Mool.
Things go awry when Il-chul encounters Madonna again, now linked to Mool. She claims her husband is dead and she has invested everything with Mool. Il-chul warns her to withdraw her money, and they share a passionate night together, but it is a trap. Il-chul is beaten by Mool's men, and the entire crew is in danger. Kka-chi sacrifices himself to help Young-mi and Mr. Kwon escape.
Jack saves Il-chul and confesses he once betrayed Jjak-gwi, Il-chul's father. Jack later confronts Mool's hired card shark, Ma-gwi, and loses his life. Traumatized and alone, Il-chul becomes a drifting gambler until a maimed Kka-chi reappears and tells him of Jack's death. Il-chul vows revenge and challenges Ma-gwi to a final game. Madonna, now revealed to have been colluding with Ma-gwi and Mool, tries to strike a deal with Il-chul, only to find she has already been outmaneuvered.
During the match, Ma-gwi falls into Il-chul's trap and loses. Realizing too late that Madonna betrayed him, Ma-gwi is dragged to a fish farm. Madonna, fueled by revenge for her brother's murder, severs his arm and watches him drown. Though she gains nothing materially, she finds closure and walks away.
Il-chul splits the winnings as promised with Mool, but Mool attempts to kill him to keep the money. However, Il-chul had anticipated the betrayal and bribed Mool's driver, who turns on Mool and kills him. When Il-chul offers the driver more money, he declines, saying a true gambler knows when to walk away.
Il-chul shares his winnings with his old teammates and returns to studying. He passes the civil service exam and becomes a government employee. In the post-credits scene, he is pulled into another poker game by his colleagues, unable to quit gambling for good.

Cast

Production

Principal photography began on September 12, 2018, and wrapped on February 2, 2019.