Part of the Korean Film Festival DC 2017.
An “assuredly executed drama with fiery performances” (Maggie Lee, Variety), Shin Dong-il’s engaging, passionate film illustrates the toll Korea’s hyper-competitive society can take on an ordinary family. When middle manager Beom-gu (Im Hyeon-gook) is summarily fired from his job after eighteen years, it throws his family into turmoil thanks to his increasingly violent rages. His wife Mi-young (Lee Hye-eun), now the sole breadwinner, starts cutting ethical corners in her job selling credit cards. Meanwhile, their daughter Ha-na (Chae Bin) frets over the results of her college entrance exam. Shin’s psychologically astute film is a well-crafted combination of social critique and tensely plotted drama that movingly makes the case for following one’s passions rather than succumbing to societal pressures. (Dir.: Shin Dong-il, Korea, 2016, 122 min., DCP, Korean with English subtitles)