For a movie that's supposed to be about sound-sensitive explosives, Decibel is also quiet, with almost no music or sound effects to speak of but lots of fairly uninspired dialog that doesn't do much except repeat information that the viewer already knows.

The film is littered with great set pieces which will have you on the edge of your seat.

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.

The film itself is enjoyable thanks to the performances and the willingness of the script to go to the hard places of human existence. That’s where it gets compelling and becomes worth exploring, alarms bells pinging at the originality and freshness.