2013 thriller, Hide and Seek is a twisting tale of revenge, deception and murder. You will be enthralled from start to finish.
Wealthy businessman and father, Sung-soo learns that his estranged, adopted brother, Sung-chul has gone missing. Upon visiting his apartment, where he lived in squalor, Sung-soo discovers a series of codes outside each apartment. Sung-soo and his family visit a single mother and her young daughter next door who seem welcoming until the name ‘Sung-chul’ is uttered. The woman throws them out of the apartment, screaming at them to ‘tell him to stop staring at my daughter’. It is brought to light that Sung-chul has been branded a ‘pervert’ and spent some time in prison on sexual assault charges. The marks outside the apartments relate to the number of occupants, male or female. Although the plot by this point has been brimming with suspense, nothing prepares you for what’s due to happen next. The mysterious person in the black helmet who is believed to be Sung-chul starts to hunt down Sung-soo and his family.
The plot begins with a woman being chased by somebody dressed in all black and wearing a motorcycle helmet. While this seems a little over-dramatised and silly, the mysterious character is actually rather terrifying and is an unnerving presence throughout. As the story develops, we learn the mysterious motorcyclist-type character has been squatting inside the apartment, completely unbeknownst to its occupant. This is where the story hits a pinnacle moment. The only flaw I could find with this film is its lack of boundary-breaking characters. While the protagonist, Sung-soo has, his own personal issue with an obsessive compulsive
disorder of cleanliness, the rest of his family appear as nothing more than spoiled and self-centered.
If you’re looking for a masterpiece within an already established genre. Hide and Seek is the thriller for you. Korean cinema prides itself on its thriller and horror genre but Hide and Seek is more mystery/thriller than horror.
Watch if you loved Monster and Blood and Ties.
Director: Jung Huh
Cast: Mi-seon Jeon, Jung-hee Moon, Hyeon-ju Son
Check out the trailer!
