Out of the many underrated gems to come out of the 2010s, one criminally left out of the discussion far too much is the film Red. Starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, and plenty other recognizable faces for multiple generations of moviegoers, Red was a stunningly over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek action comedy about a retired CIA black ops agent. Full of jaw-dropping yet silly action sequences, a standout performance by Malkovich in both the original and sequel film, and a disarmingly funny romance between Willis’ character, Frank Moses, and Sarah Ross, played by Mary-Louise Parker.
Sadly, there are seldom many contemporary movies to truly capture this same quirky retired spy comedy energy. The Hitman’s Bodyguard and its sequel certainly went in the right direction, and films like Nobody and Bullet Train certainly bring retired operatives and deadly assassins to the mix, but perhaps the most interesting encapsulation of Red’s energy wasn’t for the big screen. In the case of 2026’s Fifties Professionals, South Korea’s action comedy which debuted on Rakuten Viki on May 22, 2026, it surprisingly hits many of the right notes, while also starring an incredible, highly-established cast of its own.
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Fifties Professionals has all the right notes to match the energy of Red’s DC Comics adaptation: much like the “Retired, Extremely Dangerous” designation for Frank, this series primarily focuses on a trio of aging badasses from different walks of life. Shin Ha-kyun (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) plays Jeong Ho-myung, a former National Intelligence Service agent; Oh Jung-se (It’s Okay to Not Be Okay) plays displaced North Korean agent Bong Jae-soon or “Bulgae”; and Heo Sung-tae (Squid Game) plays Kang Beom-ryong, a formerly brutal gang leader. After an incident drew them together 10 years ago, they’re drawn out of their humble new lives once more.
Fifties Professionals immediately conveys to viewers that it takes its action seriously, but, much like Red, the series itself is immaculately self-aware. Each of these characters are seemingly rendered docile after being stuck living a humble middle-aged existence on Yeongseon Island. Despite being chronologically past their prime, each of these characters can easily carry their weight, being wildly formidable in close combat. But they also each come with endearing challenges which make them fun to follow for each of the expected 12 episodes, running approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes long.
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Ho-myung, the NIS agent extraordinaire, continues to harbor his grudge for the events that took place 10 years ago on the “Black Pearl” mission. Yet, he also struggles with daily life, his secrecy being an enormous source of difficulties in upholding his new duties as a husband and father, all while his doctor confirms his testosterone levels are dropping. Jae-soon has completely lost his memory of the events of the “Black Pearl” mission, living with his adoptive nephew and struggling to hold down a job. Beom-ryong runs a convenience store with one lackey, while adorably trying, and consistently failing, to woo a local police officer who clearly has feelings for him.
Despite these struggles, elements from their old mission begin to resurface. From gangs making big moves on a drug operation, to a mysterious suicide driving Prosecutor Kang Young-ae (played by Kim Shin-rok) to move into the orbit of these seedier elements, soon, the main trio gets drawn together, and while some take longer to reawaken their old talents, it doesn’t take long for the action to ramp up. Don’t expect high-octane tactical gunfights or anything resembling the absurdity of that time Bruce Willis exited a car milliseconds after a collision, perfectly calmly with his weapon drawn. Fifties Professionals likes its action up-close instead, and with reverence for the classics.
Fifties Professionals Is Packed With References For Eagle-Eyed Fans
Despite many more serious action K-dramas in recent months, Fifties Professionals keeps its fun factor in high supply throughout the six episodes that have aired so far. Fans of Korean cinema will especially appreciate that Beom-ryong’s lackey, in a case of old habits dying hard while their boss is in prison, spies on Ho-myung at his family’s restaurant, conspicuously wearing shades and consistently ordering dumplings as a cover. Naturally, Ho-myung and his wife, O Ran, recognize him as Oldboy guy, a reference to the character Oh Dae-su’s obsessive sampling of dumplings to track down the restaurant that used to deliver to his improvised prison.
Beom-ryong, meanwhile, has a clear love for Hong Kong cinema, particularly the works of Chow Yun-fat, even attempting a date with officer Park Mi-kyung to see a rerelease of A Better Tomorrow, of which she is also a fan. In the first episode’s translation, yet puzzlingly not elsewhere, Ho-myung’s son gives him a mask for his favorite Kamen Rider, thereafter renamed “Masked Racer”, with Ho-myung even using it once in a memorable brawl while interrogating a high-ranking gangster. Not only does the series show reverence for hard-hitting action and thrillers, it picks some of the greatest of all time, but only momentarily between engaging character moments.
Much like Red, Fifties Professionals isn’t intending to take itself too seriously, but yet, each of these characters are fascinating to follow. There’s a love for the classics, but there’s thoughtful writing for each of the characters, from Ho-myung’s deliberate choice of working as a delivery driver, to the continuously dire conditions of Jae-soon and his nephew as he tries to regain his memories. With a surprising connection unexpectedly and inextricably tying the three together in an entirely different way by episode #5, Fifties Professionals is hours of engaging fun for fans seeking truly excellent Korean talent on-screen at once, and is a perfect action-comedy binge in its own right.
Fifties Professionals debuted on MBC TV and is streaming internationally on Rakuten Viki, with six episodes out now of its planned 12, airing twice weekly every Friday and Saturday.
- Release Date
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2026 – 2026-00-00
- Network
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MBC
- Directors
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Han Dong-hwa
- Writers
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장원섭
Cast
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Shin Ha-kyun
Jeong Ho-myeong
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Heo Sung-tae
Bong Je-soon
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Oh Jung-se
Kang Beom-ryong
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Kim Shin-rock
Kang Young-ae