Korean cinema always seems to produce great films from all genres and Midnight is no exception, riveting and exciting this is a great twist on the serial killer story.
Hearing-impaired Kyung-mi (Ki-joo Jin) catches the attention of Do-Sik (Wi Ha-Jun), a mysterious serial killer that’s been stalking their neighbourhood. Do-Sik targets Kyung-mi, presuming her deafness will make her an easy target, sparking a twisted game where the killer hides in plain sight.
The twist here is that you see a lot of the story from the perspective of the victim who is deaf and we watch at times without any sound, as she would experience things and this really racks up the tension. It starts with a killing of a woman who just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and progresses to the abduction of another woman and the frantic search for her by her brother. Meanwhile, the killer is now stalking the hearing impaired lady who is slowly realising what is going on and does her best to try and escape him.
There is very little gore shown, which is a great choice as it is not needed, the suspense and terror can be seen clearly by the victims and by the way the killer cleverly manipulates others around him, especially the most inept police department. It is a thrilling ride which keeps you on the edge of your seat willing the killer to finally be caught and punished. The climax in a crowded city street keeps you riveted and the twist is brilliantly realised.
Wi Ha Jun who you may know from the Netflix series Squid Games is excellent as the cunning and vicious killer and Ki-joo Jin is also very good as the blind victim who will give as good as she gets when confronted.
While the serial killer plot has been done to death in recent years this gives a fresh spin on the story and is one of the most gripping and best horror/thrillers to come out of Korea for a long time.
The Blu Ray has been released by Eureka and has a solid 1080P transfer which gives the image a clean and fresh look while still bleak in the darker scenes. The audio has a great sound mix which really helps with the tension on the screen. Extras are a brand new audio commentary by film historian Kat Ellinger and a very interesting video essay on the history of Korean horror cinema by critic Travis Crawford. Finally, there is a collector’s booklet featuring new writing by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas [2000 copies].
A great film which is totally recommended.
FILM – 8 PICTURE – 8 AUDIO – 8.5 EXTRAS – 7.5
