Metrics
Genre:
Drama, Thriller, Korean
Rating:
8.1 /10
Audience:
People who like suspense movies. People who like high quality film making. Blood, swearing, intimacy. Adults. Maybe older teens with friends.
Rewatch Time:
2h20, but has a good mix of enjoyable and serious parts. Definitely engaging. Once in a few years.
Winner:
Ki-Jung (Park Sodam)
Review
I swear this movie was marketed wrong. I would have seen it so much earlier if the posters didn't look like every other horror movie ever - which it really isn't. I'm not typically a dark, grimy realism movie kinda guy, but Bong Joonho definitely knew what he was doing (and has the bag to show for it). I can't guarantee that everyone will like it, but I can assure you that you won't be bored watching… one way or another. The plot, the sets, the dialogue, the characters all scream for your attention continuously, and the pacing keeps the suspense real until the very end. The cast is extremely versatile, from the expressive Mrs Park (Cho Yeojeong, who's just beautiful) and classist Mr. Park (Lee Sungyun), to Ki-Jung - who's just the funniest and most likeable - to the crafty Mr. Kim (Song Kangho), the loud Mrs. Kim (Jang Hyejin), and the relatable Ki-Woo (Choi Woosik). The supporting cast of Dahye (Jeong Jiso) and Dasong (Jeong Hyunjoong) as comedic sides and Moongwang (Lee Jeongeun) with Geunse (Park Myunghoon) as dramatic sides worked really well to keep the balance as well. The gritty tone somehow managed to persist through the comedic moments, and there was always a sense of mystery that kept me interested.
Spoiler Territory
I have to say: that one scene with Ki-Jung smoking over the toilet during the flood? Cinematic gold. What a gangster. Anyway, the movie held together the tension pretty well throughout, with the third act basically just ending like a Shakespearean tragedy (with a little promise at the end). So yeah, that house was awesome. Shots were wonderful. Acting was great. The scene with them all drinking in the living room is also one of my favourites (Ki-Jung is hilarious). There's an authentic family feeling to the characters, even with all the crazy things they go through. Ki-Jung's death didn't really hit as hard as I would've hoped, but the morse code thing and the smell motifs were both utilized to good effect.