The Meeting of 'The Glory' Stars and the 'Cold Handsome' Actor, A Combination Unpredictable by Poster Alone When I first encountered the poster for the movie Sister, the first thing that caught my eye was undoubtedly the names of the actors. Cha Joo-young, who left a strong impression as "Stewardess Hye-jeong" in The Glory; Jung Ji-so, who proved her acting skills playing the younger version of Song Hye-kyo in the same work; and Lee Soo-hyuk, who possesses unique visuals and a deep voice. The combination of these three actors with strong personalities, who are rarely seen together in one place, was enough to stimulate curiosity by itself. The cool and dreamy atmosphere exuded by the poster seemed to imply that this movie was not a simple drama but a thriller genre hiding a secret. However, it was impossible to predict what kind of story would unfold just from the expressions of the actors in the poster, making me head to the theater with both anticipation and questions.
A Disaster Caused by Missing Marketing, The Strange Fear of an Empty Auditorium Despite the flashy casting lineup, not many people knew about the release of this movie. It could be said to be the sorrow of a small-scale movie amidst blockbusters, but in the case of Sister, marketing was almost non-existent. Perhaps due to the lack of promotion to the extent that most reactions were "Was this movie released?", there were only two people in the theater I visited, including myself. The silence before the movie started and the desolate feeling given by the empty seats ironically combined with the isolated atmosphere of the chamber thriller about to begin, creating a strange sense of fear. It was a situation where a box office failure was predicted, but thanks to that coziness(?), an environment was created where I could focus more on the movie.
Kidnapping Without Explanation, A Sprint Starting in the Pouring Rain The movie boldly skips friendly explanations or character introductions and drags the audience straight into the center of the incident. On a dark night with heavy rain pouring down, 'Hye-ran', played by Jung Ji-so, and 'Tae-su', played by Lee Soo-hyuk, wait for someone in a car. What their gaze reaches is 'So-jin' (played by Cha Joo-young), who is walking precariously relying on a single umbrella. Without much conversation or hesitation, they snatch So-jin as if fishing and load her onto a truck. The speed of this introduction is considerable. The crime scene unfolding before we even have time to ask "Why?" and the noise created by the sound of rain effectively work to increase immersion in the early stages. The desolate landscape presumed to be a redevelopment area and the gloomy atmosphere of the abandoned building seem to foreshadow the tragedy that will unfold.
Transformation of an Abandoned Building, The Birth of a Perfectly Controlled 'Stage' The place where the kidnapped So-jin opens her eyes is inside an abandoned building thoroughly cut off from the outside world. However, this is not a simple confinement location. Tae-su and Hye-ran cover all the windows and walls to block out light, and install broadcasting equipment and lights inside, remodeling the space like a theater stage or a filming studio. A single bed placed forlornly, and So-jin on top of it, gagged and blindfolded with her hands and ankles bound. This bizarre mise-en-scène suggests that the kidnappers' purpose is not simple extortion or resolving a grudge. This setting, which seems intended to be shown to someone or recorded, maximizes the pressure given by the closed space, making the audience watch them with bated breath.
Three Actors, One Space... An Experiment in Theatrical Composition The biggest characteristic of the movie Sister is that the story progresses only within this abandoned building without moving locations throughout the running time. The characters are also only the three people: So-jin, Tae-su, and Hye-ran. This takes on a composition closer to a play or a "Chamber Movie" rather than a film. In fact, seeing the mention of the original work at the beginning of the movie suggests that it is a work adapted based on a solid play or novel. The setting of limited space and characters is like a double-edged sword. While it has the advantage of being able to dig deep into the psychology of the characters without distracting the audience's attention, it also harbors the risk of causing visual boredom if mishandled.
Weak Narrative, Missing the 'Cinematic Fun' For a movie with a theatrical composition to succeed, the "power of the narrative" is essential above all else. Since there are no flashy CG or changes in location, the movie must control the audience with the taste of the dialogue and dense storytelling. However, unfortunately, Sister reveals a clear limitation at this point. Trying to unravel all narratives within the limited space of a house, it fails to maintain tension. Without saving the beauty of various angles or editing that only movies can show, it is consistent with a somewhat flat development. Rather than a tense psychological warfare that immerses the audience, repetitive situations and conversations drag on, making one ask the fundamental question, "What is the reason to watch this in a cinema?"
Struggling Actors Who Transcended the Work Nevertheless, the power that makes you watch this movie to the end lies entirely with the actors. Usually, it is said that "a good work makes a good actor," but in the case of this movie, the expression "the actor fills the gaps of the work" seems more appropriate. Lee Soo-hyuk perfectly digested the kidnapper Tae-su with unknown intentions with his unique cool and mysterious charm, and Jung Ji-so chillingly expressed the madness hidden behind an innocent face. Above all, Cha Joo-young, who played the victim So-jin, excellently acted the amplitude of emotions going back and forth between fear, anger, and resignation with only her eyes and expressions without dialogue while bound. The passionate acting of the three actors who breathed life into the characters even amidst weak probability deserves applause.
'Flaw in the Jade' Breaking Reality, The Too-Clean Victim However, despite the actors' good performances, the absence of detail that hinders immersion remains a regret. Days pass in the movie's time, and So-jin and Hye-ran experience extreme situations trapped in a closed space. In particular, So-jin is in a position where she is tied up helplessly for days and cannot even drink a sip of water properly. Common sense dictates that her face should become haggard, her hair messy, her lips chapped, and her skin rough. However, Cha Joo-young's appearance on the screen maintains flawless skin and perfect makeup, no different from the first day of the kidnapping. It might have been a choice to protect the 'visuals of the actress', but in the thriller genre, this lack of reality acts as a fatal element that blocks the audience's empathy. The face that was too "plump and fresh" at a moment when it should be dirty and ruined became a noise that continued to bother my eyes.
Not a Simple Kidnapping Drama, The 'Link' Between the Three Revealed As the movie passes the middle part, it reveals that this is not a simple "random kidnapping." There exists a persistent tie entangled by a past event between the three people—So-jin, Tae-su, and Hye-ran—who seemed to have no point of contact. As the structure of victim and perpetrator becomes ambiguous, and they vomit out resentment and secrets towards each other, the movie reveals its true colors as a psychological thriller. The process of revealing one by one why Tae-su and Hye-ran kidnapped So-jin, and what truth So-jin was hiding, offsets the boredom of the beginning to some extent. Although there is regret that it would have been better if these elements of reversal were placed a little more densely and earlier, the intrigue provided by the relationship between the three clearly exists.
Short Running Time of 87 Minutes, A Snack Movie in the Era of 'Short Form' In conclusion, the movie Sister is a work that leaves regrets in many ways, but the short running time of 87 minutes might be its greatest virtue. Thanks to the fast-paced development without superfluity, it reaches the ending before boredom reaches its peak. If you expect a deep narrative or overwhelming scale, you will be disappointed, but if you want to see the actors' different acting transformations or are looking for a "Snack Thriller" to enjoy lightly in a short time, it might not be a bad choice. It feels like watching a short one-act play or an experimental theater piece. Although it failed at the box office, it is clearly a work that placed a unique punctuation mark on the filmographies of attractive actors Cha Joo-young, Lee Soo-hyuk, and Jung Ji-so.
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