Almost a year after its release, the Korean thriller Midnight (Mideunaiteu or Midnight) has arrived on international streaming services. And, as is often the case, the film has easily taken a small bite out of most of its competitors. If only because, in the hands of director and screenwriter Kwon Oh-sung, the thriller constantly transforms itself but retains its basic plot.
A young girl, Kyung-mi, works in a call center and helps hearing-impaired customers who cannot communicate with a normal call center. Life goes on as usual. But one day, Kyung-mi meets a brutal and cunning serial killer. The attempt to help the maniac's unfortunate victim turns into a series of terrifying and shocking events. And Kyung-mi and her mother find themselves in mortal danger...
At first I thought Midnight was a particular (Korean) variation on the theme of Mike Flanagan's horror film Hush. Judge for yourself the twist: a young deaf girl begins to be stalked by a professional serial killer who decides to prey on the "helpless victim". But it turns out that director and screenwriter Kwon Oh-sung has made a completely original film, which, while drawing inspiration from everything around him, remains true to his own worldview and story concept from start to finish.
Despite being a general room character, Midnight develops quite quickly. But not in the sense that an animated thriller suddenly becomes a full-blown blockbuster. Kwon Oh-sung doesn't just push the usual boundaries of the genre, but mixes the thriller with horror, action and straightforward, unpretentious melodrama. And like magic, it manages to keep the viewer's attention until the end.
Like most contemporary Korean films distributed in the West, Midnight juggles multiple genres with equal success, but despite its distinct and eclectic nature, it remains a coherent and consistent story. And even if, at times, the filmmakers seem to veer off in the wrong direction, they invariably return to the main storyline. Probably because they clearly understand the kind of film they are making. And it's great that the directors take the time to develop the characters, even though there are more and more characters in the plot as they go along.
Midnight also likes surprises. And while the seemingly helpless characters who stand up to their attackers have been around for a long time, the cunning maniacs who like to improvise have not. It's telling that the main villain of a horror film (or thriller, the question is open) doesn't look like an ordinary thug relying on brute force, but a cunning bastard who manipulates both his victims and those around him. The episodes in which the serial killer manages to outwit the Korean police and ordinary people with elementary tricks are remarkable.
Thus, the rather strange and even pathetic ending seems appropriate. The final twist of Midnight fits perfectly into the logic of the plot and works very well within the concept of the play. Kwon Oh-sung approaches the themes of revenge and retribution from a rather unexpected angle.
"Midnight" is a versatile thriller that has every potential to fascinate even those who categorically reject Asian cinema. Director Kwon Oh-sun seems to have taken every possible Hollywood cliché and template to construct a distinctive, engaging and sometimes terrifying film. If you are looking for genre cinema, but dynamic and unconventional, pay attention.
