Close Menu
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Sunderfolk Phone Players

    10 ‘Sunderfolk’ Tips To Help You And Your Party Thrive

    05/02/2025
    Bob in Thunderbolts But Why Tho

    ‘Thunderbolts*’ Visualizes Depression As Only A Superhero Movie Can

    05/02/2025
    Games to Play After Expedition 33

    5 Games to Play After Beating ‘Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’

    05/01/2025
    Lily James in Cinderella (2015)

    ‘Cinderella’ (2015) 10 Years Later: Disney’s Live-Action Jubilant Peak

    04/28/2025
    One of the spirits seen in Grave Encounters

    ‘Grave Encounters’ Is Still One Of The Best Found Footage Horror Films

    04/26/2025
  • GDC
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Switch 2
  • MCU
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » REVIEW: ‘Decibel’ Is An Action Stand Out

REVIEW: ‘Decibel’ Is An Action Stand Out

Kate SánchezBy Kate Sánchez07/14/20234 Mins ReadUpdated:01/31/2025
Decibel — But Why Tho
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Making action explosions unique isn’t easy, but Shaw Entertainment’s Decibel manages to do just that. Directed by In-ho Hwang and written by Hwang and Jin-hoon Lee, Decibel centers on sound-triggered explosions with an emotional twist that adds surprising depth to a simple premise.

In the film, Kim Rae-Won stars as Commander Kang Do-Young, a former navy commander honored by his country for saving 22 of his 44-person submarine crew after a harrowing explosion threatens them. After he receives recognition for his leadership in a time of peril, Commander Kang receives a phone call from an anonymous man who claims to have placed bombs in locations filled with as many people as possible, including a soccer stadium and a water park.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

But with people comes sound, and that’s the trigger. Each hidden “sound bomb” will detonate when nearby ambient sounds surpass 100 decibels, an easy feat for the locations chosen. As Commander Kang tries to desperately stop the terror attacks, the connections to his past stand harder to reconcile than finding the bombs themselves.

The first time I saw Lee Jong-Suk on screen was as the male lead in While You Were Sleeping, and from there, I engrossed myself in his filmography. In his first major role after enlistment, actor Lee is a force in Decibel. As an antagonist, he is intimidating in silence but even more so when he speaks. The tenor of his voice commands any scene when he raises it. That said, there is a loneliness and somber approach with which he brings Captain Jeong Tae-Seong to life.

Broken by the weight of his survivor’s guilt and filled with complexity, Jeong Tae-Seong steals the show. While you’re never rooting for him, you do at least understand what broke him and why his dance with Commander Kang has so much meaning. The reasoning behind the terror makes the film work, even when some plot elements become too convoluted.

Decibel — But Why Tho

The choice to weave the past into the present is the strongest element of Decibel. It allows the mystery to unravel slowly over time and makes each explosion end more and more important. Decibel manages to be interesting in both the past and the present. In the past, audiences see an increasingly emotional story that builds with each new decision. This is where we see Tae-Seong excel in how he connects to others and the fierceness he shows to protect his brother Tae-Ryoung, played by Cha Eun-Woo. The two have a chemistry that is heartbreaking by the final act but is acted with such authentic intensity that they stand out amongst the large ensemble.

And while the Joeong brothers are the strongest component of the flashbacks in the film, watching the complexity of Kang Do-Young develop in layers from the past to the present is critical in making the narrative succeed. Seeing where Commander Kang has come from and how it weighs on him is essential to understanding why he throws himself into saving people. Every choice he makes is an attempt to undo what he sees as a moment of shame.

While Tae-Seong is dealing with his own survivor’s guilt, so is Commander Kang, only, he also carries the guilt of being the reason for the loss of life. This difference in the two and how they react to the trauma is what makes a balanced protagonist and antagonist. They revolve around the same event, both shaped by it in vastly different ways. Ultimately, this balancing act and their cat-and-mouse dance is what makes the film more than just the action archetypes it employs.

But Decibel isn’t without its faults. The film may tread a well-worn path in action films, using increasing casualties and mysteries to imbue enough tension into a budding terrorist plot. And while a bomb set off by sound is intriguing, there are some gaps in logic necessary for making the trigger work. But those small plot holes mean nothing in the grand scheme of things, thanks to the emotion baked into every decision in the film. The complex emotional situations and the lead actors are why Decibel stands apart from an increasingly crowded action field.

Decibel is an action spectacle made infinitely better by its attention to building characters as large as its explosions. As the pair pushes the film, Kim Rae-Won and Lee Jong-suk are a fascinating and emotional duel to watch unfold.

Decibel is available now on VOD via Prime Video, Microsoft, YouTube, Google Play, and Vudu.

Decibel
  • 8/10
    Rating - 8/10
8/10

TL;DR

Decibel is an action spectacle made infinitely better by its attention to building characters as large as its explosions. As the pair push the film, Kim Rae-Won and Lee Jong-suk are a fascinating and emotional duel to watch unfold.

  • Watch Now With Our Amazon Affiliate Link

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleCall of Duty Inspired Las Almas Pro BFG Controller Available For Pre-Order From Victirx
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Full Circle’ Episodes 1-2
Kate Sánchez
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Kate Sánchez is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of But Why Tho? A Geek Community. There, she coordinates film, television, anime, and manga coverage. Kate is also a freelance journalist writing features on video games, anime, and film. Her focus as a critic is championing animation and international films and television series for inclusion in awards cycles. Find her on Bluesky @ohmymithrandir.bsky.social

Related Posts

Jeanne Goursaud as Sarah in Netflix Original Film The Exterritorial
7.0

REVIEW: ‘Exterritorial’ Is A Netflix Action Movie Worth Watching

05/03/2025
Seohyun, Ma Dong-seok, and David Lee in Holy Night Demon Hunters
6.0

REVIEW: ‘Holy Night Demon Hunters’ Holds Nothing Back

05/02/2025
Oscar in The Rose of Versailles (2025)
3.5

REVIEW: ‘The Rose of Versailles’ Fails To Harness Its Potential

05/01/2025
The cast of the Thunderbolts
5.5

REVIEW: ‘Thunderbolts*’ Fosters A Half-Hearted Identity

04/29/2025
Spreadsheet Champions
8.0

HOT DOCS 2025: ‘Spreadsheet Champions’ Excels In Heart

04/28/2025
Bullet Train Explosion
6.0

REVIEW: ‘Bullet Train Explosion’ Fails To Accelerate

04/24/2025
TRENDING POSTS
The Eternaut promotional image from Netflix
8.5
TV

REVIEW: ‘The Eternaut’ Is Another International Sci-Fi Hit

By Kate Sánchez05/03/2025

The Eternaut tackles genre staples through an Argentine lens and winds up being one of the best sci-fi series on Netflix.

Hen in 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 16
8.5
TV

RECAP: ‘9-1-1’ Season 8 Episode 16 — “The Last Alarm”

By Katey Stoetzel05/01/2025Updated:05/03/2025

9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 16 is an emotional ringer, perfectly setting the tone for what 9-1-1 can look like without Bobby Nash.

Jeanne Goursaud as Sarah in Netflix Original Film The Exterritorial
7.0
Film

REVIEW: ‘Exterritorial’ Is A Netflix Action Movie Worth Watching

By Kate Sánchez05/03/2025Updated:05/03/2025

Exterritorial scratches that mid-budget action itch that is finally starting to come into focus in the action landscape again.

Ellie and Dina in The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 4 on MAX
6.0
TV

REVIEW: ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Episode 4 — “Day One”

By Kate Sánchez05/05/2025

The issue is that The Last of Us season 2 Episode 4 feels like a video game, and not in a good way, and not one that sticks.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here