The Match Movie Review (2025)
The Match tells the real story of a Go master and his protégé who continue to play the game together today. Great actors and interesting effects help turn this intellectual game into something visually interesting.
Go is a game that I have heard about and seen images of, but have never played or watched a match. It is a board game similar to the likes of chess and checkers, but it uses black and white stones that are strategically placed on intersections of a grid. The goal is to control the most territory on the board.
The Match is a Korean film that focuses on the real-life relationship and competition between Cho Hun-hyun, a Go master and champion, and his protégé Lee Chang-ho. Cho Hun-hyun discovers Lee Chang-ho as a child, obsessed with winning Go and exhibiting incredible promise. Lee Chang-ho moves in with Cho Hun-hyun and his family so that he can tutor him, and winning becomes a full time job. But as both of these men are great Go players at the top of their game, they often compete against each other, both at home and professionally.
I expect to hear that this is a modern version of Searching For Bobby Fischer because, even though it is set during the 80s and 90s, The Match is incredibly similar in some ways. It is about a domineering teacher who sees promise in a young boy and becomes his tutor (chess in one, Go in the other). Both tutors develop a fondness for their pupils and both pupils excel. But there are lots of differences as well.
As this is a real story that took place in South Korea, both the film and the experiences are heavily affected by traditional Korean culture. There is no smiling in pictures, so neither man looks happy, although Cho Hun-hyun believes that the boy is. Showing your affection for someone – particularly from one man to another man – is more subtle, as in giving a meaningful gift rather than a hug. Bathing together is a community event, but in this case, the boy, the master, and his son wash each other’s backs, indicating a family unit.
Over the course of the film, you expect great affection to grow between the two men, but I didn’t witness a great deal of that because of who these men were expected to be. It was there in some capacity, but what I saw was the growing of respect – respect for each other’s abilities, respect for each other’s love of the game, and ultimately, respect for who each man is.
Both men grew personally during the course of this film, and in various ways. Neither has ever known how to lose well because he was always the best. Each was sure that his strategy for playing Go was correct, but because Cho Hun-hyun had set rules in his mind, any other way was inferior. Each man led his partner to have to accept and discover new things.
All of this being said, I wish that I cared more about the characters. I wanted the young man to learn and win and I wanted the teacher to find pride in more than just the game, but I can’t say that I had many moments of caring other than one specific scene that involves crying. My heart cracked at that moment.
Overall, this is an interesting ride, particularly because it is based on a true story of two men who still play Go together today. With some great visuals and excellent actors, this movie was fairly light and pretty good. Definitely an easy watch.
Runtime: 115 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: TV-14
Languages Spoken In The Film: Korean with English subtitles OR English dubbed
Should You Watch It? Yes, it’s enjoyable
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 3/5 Stars
Available: Free on Netflix or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
