Mokgyeokja
Directed by:
Kyoo-jang JoScreenplay:
Young-jong LeeComposer:
Yeong-jin MokCast:
Seong-min Lee, Sang-ho Kim, Kyeong Jin, Shi-yang Kwak, Jeong-hwa Bae, Seung-hwan Shin, Yoo-min Jeong, Je-wook Yeon, Young-hee Hwang, Ja-young Kim, Ji-hoo Park (more)Plots(1)
Han Sang-hoon is an ordinary insurance claims investigator who moves his family into an upper-middle-class neighborhood. After a soju-filled night of celebrating with his colleagues, he comes home to pleas of help nearby. Outside, a serial killer with a weapon in hand towers over his victim and takes note of the lone light in Sang-hoon’s living room. Overwrought with conflict, Sang-hoon reluctantly realizes he is the primary witness to a heinous crime. Meanwhile, the neighborhood is up in arms from the negative attention, more worried about reputation than justice. Sang-hoon wishes it would all go away, even the police, but what happens when the killer is tying up loose ends, including Sang-hoon and his family? Can Han Sang-hoon turn a blind eye then? Using the personal to take apart the social, director Jo Kyu-Jang’s taut thriller takes on how the “bystander effect” and society cloud our sense of justice, asking: how will an ordinary salaryman deal with guilt and paranoia? The Witness is less about solving a crime, and more about the consequences of saving face amidst it. (San Diego Asian Film Festival)
(more)Reviews (2)
South Korea delivers another thriller with a serial killer, but it's a pity that this time it avoids violence. The story revolves around the main character who sees a man murder a woman with a hammer from a balcony at night, and of course the killer notices and they go at each other's throats throughout the film. The plot is definitely fine, the serial killer doesn't even speak for the whole film we just watch his cold blooded expression and in certain scenes the film manages to build tension solidly (suspenseful chases). What’s disappointing, though, is that the main character is no hero, just an ordinary fearful citizen worried about his family and therefore not willing to cooperate with the police, let alone confront the killer. It's a pity that there was no imaginative twist that could have made the film stand out. Korea has offered better pieces, but in a pinch, even this is good. 60%.
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The subject matter is interesting and if you like thrillers, and you've seen the most famous ones, it might be time to watch this one. A film about a random witness to a murder and a killer who knows he had a witness, but doesn't yet know exactly who it is. Sounds like a decent drama, right? Just be prepared for the fact that the film has its flaws. The main character could have been better developed, and as a viewer I would have liked to know more of his feelings. As it is, his – I would say abrupt – actions didn't make much sense to me. I think more could have been extracted from his character and others as well. And then there was the ending itself, which was very out of place, and I would have liked a more extensive explanation. My verdict? It's a good and suspenseful film, but unfortunately a bit underdeveloped. 3 stars.
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