Movie Digest
Hyeong-Goo is a detective who investigates the fire incident in a rural village. A married couple, Soo-Hyeok and Yi-Young, lived in the house where the fire occurred. Hyeong-Goo has a bad feeling about the suburb folks, as they are acting suspiciously. He awakens one day in the residence where the fire tragedy occurred. His life has radically transformed. The home he remembers burning down is still standing. Instead of a detective, the villagers refer to him as a teacher. His family, home, and work are all gone.
The Feel-Good Part
The movie managed to instill various appropriate moods for each scene throughout the film. It makes you engaged from the beginning till the end.
The Disappointing Factor
The ending of the film was very unclear. The plot did not explain well the concept of why and what was happening in the movie.
In-Depth Analysis
Jung Jin-Young, a well-known actor, directed this feature film for the first time. The director claims that this is a film without a genre, structurally distinct from the typical films we’ve seen, and a film that confuses. The movie starts with the couple and her cruel treatment owing to her mental condition. Their lives soon take a different turn. Then the detective comes in to investigate the deceptive town and its folks. The film begins as a good mystery film that makes you wonder. The film switches from one strange circumstance to another about halfway through. Finally, the picture devolves into a case of supernatural stolen identity and reality distortion, transforming it into something even wilder and less grounded. Later on, the film becomes a puzzle as events and characters recur from different perspectives. The film establishes different moods for separate acts. The film has a dreamlike, surreal air at the beginning, and even in its darker parts, it manages to feel light. The film’s middle act takes on a dark, smoky tone that gives the fire investigation a fitting air. The movie returns to that dreamlike quality, but the tone shifts to a more nihilistic nightmare scenario that you don’t comprehend but makes you feel uneasy.
Star Power
Jo Jin Woong played the role of the detective Hyeong-Goo. He did a great job embodying the character and expressing feelings in various scenes.
Overall Opinion
It is a good mystery film that makes you think of every scene and clue to solve. The ending is a little disappointing, but it sure will keep you entertained till the very end.
