Summary
“Midnight” is a Kwon Oh-seung directed 2021 Korean film that can be considered in the crime thriller genre. The film follows a very unique plot where a deaf person is the main character in a race against a serial killer, adapting the film’s premise into a very unique angle to the genre. “Midnight” approaches the concept of storytelling from a different angle by placing a deaf person as the main character and using sound and silence as a means to drive the plot forward, which is done to great effect.
The film’s Kyung-mi is a character portrayed by Jin Ki-joo, who deaf and mute, is a call center employee by profession. Her mother is also hearing-impaired. Kyung-mi’s day to day life is quite uneventful, and her independent life is accompanied by the freedom to explore everyday life using her sharpened senses and mental faculties.
One evening Kyung-mi’s late work is followed by a walk in the relatively dark and quiet parts of town. There she runs into a serial killer by the name Do-sik who is played by Wi Ha-joon. Do-sik has a charming yet frightening demeanor. As fate would have it, Do-sik’s luck runs out when Kun-gi’s sharp awareness puts her in his focus.
This summary explores an extended and immersive battle for existence. Kyung-mi has to elude a merciless hunter and, unfortunately, has no access to hearing footsteps, voices, or any warning sounds. Every decision must be made in a split second and involves a calculation with no margin for error. While sounding like a disability, the inability to hear transforms into a unique way for the audience to engage with the story.
In an engaging yet tortuous turn of events, the mother daughter duo find themselves trying to escape a visually impaired predator. The complexity of his plans uses Kyung-mi’s mother as a pawn in his deadly game. Due to the endless lies, and personally manipulated situations, Kyung-mi and her mother find themselves escaping a diabolical man who’s tactically gifted and sharp. The whodunit tensions built in the plot are reinforced with the relationship of the characters that are paradoxically to attempt to escape each other.
Even without the chaos, the city is filled with silence and darkness. The time is the crux of the story and serves to elevate the stakes. Rather than a bustling metropolis filled with endless life, this time, the city serves as a prison. In spite of the frustration Kyung-mi might feel, she uses the frustration against Do-sik. The more he controls her life, the more motivated she is to fight against her newfound silence. Her shackles of silence might offer her victim status in Do-sik’s eyes, but she proves time and again that she is anything but.
Cast & Performances
Jin Ki-joo as Kyung-mi
Jin Ki-joo’s performance is the heart and soul of the film. She gives an emotionally intense performance without speech. Jin Ki-joo communicates a broad range of emotions from sheer terror to relentless determination through her eyes, posture, and presence. Her skillful performance as Kyung-mi makes her a rare example of a disabled thriller protagonist, and her portrayal is a fully developed character.
Wi Ha-joon as Do-sik
Wi Ha-joon, who gained international fame for his role in Squid Game, portrays Do-sik as a character with a deeply unsettling duality. He bounces back and forth from charming to sinister and plays a sociopath obsessed with control and manipulation. His performance gives the film a psychological edge, elevating him from typical villain to a terrifyingly believable predator.
Kim Hye-yoon as So-jung
With limited screen time, So-jung makes an impression as the first victim who connects Kyung-mi and Do-sik. Her character is crucial in the unfolding of the story, seamlessly transitioning Kyung-mi and Do-sik together.
Directed by: Kwon Oh-seung
Kwon Oh-seung maintains an even control of tension, pacing, and perspective in his first feature film. His creative handling of a deaf character reveals a thoughtful and socially sensitive approach.
Themes & Analysis
- Silence as a Weapon and Vulnerability
Midnight stands out for its employment of sound to build tension. Audiences are often immersed into Kyung-mi’s world of silence, amplifying her vulnerabilities as a deaf individual in an environment tailored towards those with the ability to hear. However, the film does balance this by illustrating how her condition permits her to move and observe things often overlooked.
- Disability Representation
Midnight counters the narrative of portraying characters with disabilities as burdens by presenting a strong, capable female lead. Instead, the film embraces her deafness, making it an integral part of who she is, as opposed to a mere gimmick. It does not erase her struggles, but it also does not define her by them. The representation stands out as much needed and empowering, particularly in the context of a thriller.
- Urban Isolation
The film focuses on notion of urban space as deserted and dangerous at night. Modern technology risks giving a person like Kyung-mi greater sense of security than she deserves. This critique of urban apathy, where security can blatantly elude redounds strongly.
- Violence Against Women and Power Relations
The film portrays women violence in a brutal fashion, although there’s a twist to the genre as it becomes a struggle to the death instead of giving in to it. Kyung-mi is not rendered passive and in fact her defiance is believable.
- The Social Roles of Deceit and Concealed Self
Do-sik adds to the suspense as a psychological villain by being able to foil the good samaritan. He is a dual character as a chameleon as a killer which mirrors society’s easy trust and misreading of dangers lurking in a friendly mask.
Cinematography and Direction
The tension and mood in the movie is in the use of close framing, and sleek, night-time, dim, shadowy, and shifting viewpoint lighting. Through Kyung-mi’s stare, she remains silent, which adds to the immersive horror.
The pace at which the story unfolds is brisk. It takes only a few hours for everything to happen. Director Kwon Oh-seung makes great use of unconfined spaces such as alleyways, staircases, and elevators to create a continuous flow of the story. This makes the setting feel full of impending dread, as well as the constant feeling of urgency.
As the intense action is at a high, the editing is sharp. During the chase scenes, the camera captures a lot of Kyung-mi’s confusion and desperation, which adds to the overall intensity of the moment. During the scenes where Kyung-mi is silent, the sheer contrast of the killer’s voice while he controls the other people adds to the framing of the story.
Critical Reception
Midnight gained a lot of critical acclaim, primarily in the circles of movies of the genre. The intense suspense, smart direction, and intense performances, especially from Jin Ki-joo and Wi Ha-joon, were the driving forces behind such praise. Additional critical praise came for the controversy behind the film’s handling of disability, as the film was noted for building genuine empathy, rather than tension.
The film gained traction at multiple international film festivals, which helped Kwon Oh-seung gain a reputation as a promising new voice in Korean cinema. It also added to the ongoing, global recognition of South Korea’s mastery of the suspense thriller film, following the success of The Chaser, I Saw the Devil, and Parasite.
Conclusion
“Midnight” stands as an emotionally gripping thriller featuring a very unique protagonist as well as a psychological angle that goes beyond surface level. The film is not just about a woman running away from a deadly predator; rather, it is about an individual’s struggle to a battle against a world that underappreciates them. The film Midnight has all the right elements: a compelling story and enduring suspense, a haunting antagonist to challenge the audience’s heroine, and a resolute protagonist triumphing against all odds.
Midnight is a gripping film that captivates viewers, regardless if they enjoy psychological thrillers, survival stories, or underdog accounts of remarkable triumphs. The film certainly leaves a mark that invites multiple viewings.
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