A poster for the upcoming thriller “The Plot” is shown in this image provided by the distributer Next Entertainment World on May 24, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 24 (Korea Bizwire) — “The Plot” is based on an intriguing premise: the seemingly mundane events of everyday life could actually mask intricate schemes, where what appeared inevitable might actually be an artfully orchestrated setup by a contract killer.
The story centers on a criminal group with members who call themselves “empty cans” for their lack of birth records and thus hold no legitimate standing in society. The team consists of the leader Young-il (Kang Dong-won), the veteran planner Jacky in her 60s (Lee Mi-sook), Wolcheon, a gay man adept at cross-dressing (Lee Hyun-wook), and the youngest member, Jeom-man (Tang Jun-sang). Together, they thoroughly design murders to appear as perfect accidental deaths.
Since losing his close teammate Jjacknoon (Lee Jong-suk) in a car accident a year ago, Young-il has been grappling with a psychological blow. Unwilling to accept the incident at face value, he suspects Jjacknoon was actually killed by a larger contract-killing group known as “Cleaner.”
As the group takes on a new, dangerous mission to get rid of a powerful prosecutor general nominee at the request of the nominee’s daughter (Jung Eun-chae), Young-il becomes more obsessed with his conspiracy theory involving “Cleaner” and starts to question everything happening around him.
The film opens with a gripping beginning, aided by intense background sounds that heighten the tension and intriguing individual narrative.
Director Lee Yo-sub has emphasized his focus on portraying tension derived from the suggestion of sinister conspiracies lurking behind everyday events, particularly through his use of sound. He has said he aimed to share the chaotic experience of losing faith and feeling stuck in a quagmire while searching for the truth.
As the story progresses, however, the movie appears to lose its grip on the narrative, failing to effectively weave together its story elements into a cohesive whole. This leaves audiences perplexed, seeking a clear message and feeling as though they are left to figure it out themselves.
The director seemingly intended for audiences to follow Young-il’s thought processes and emotional threads, but this proved challenging due to the murky complexity of the protagonist’s mind.
Actor Kang portrayed his seldom-seen dark and cold sides in the movie, but he appears to lack the charismatic power to fully captivate his audiences on his intricate mental journey.
“The Plot” marks the second feature movie directed by the filmmaker, following his debut thriller “The Queen of Crime” (2016), which revolves around a mother investigating the suspicious circumstances surrounding her son’s water bill bomb.
“The Plot” is set for release Wednesday.
(Yonhap)
