Maen-hol

Not everything that makes it out from the depths of the South Korean cinema. This movie was definitely not a shining nugget. One might actually be tempted to say that it would have been better to let this particular movie rest in piece beneath the manhole and not disturb it any further.

First and foremost, it cannot be states enough how very, very boring the storyline is in this South Korean movie. It was just unfathomably slow paced and offered nothing of much interest at any point throughout the course of the movie. I found myself rapidly losing interest in the story a couple of times throughout the course of the movie, but I endured, simply because I thought it might pick up and become more interesting. But it didn't!

It should be said that "Manhole" (aka "Maen-hol") did have a very interesting cast ensemble that performed adequately. Just a horribly shame that they had absolutely nothing to work with in terms of script and storyline. The actors and actresses were cruelly deprived of anything worthwhile to work with on the screen, which restricted their performance on a grievous level.

If you enjoy the South Korean cinema even half as much as I do, then you would be doing yourself a favor by staying well clear of the snoozefest that is "Manhole", unless you are having problems falling asleep, then by all means indulge yourself...

"Manhole" is a fantasy-comedy drama about Bong Pil, a man who is hopelessly in love with his childhood friend Soo-jin. Just before her wedding, Bong Pil discovers a manhole that allows him to travel back in time to change the past and stop the wedding. What sounds like a fun and quirky time-travel adventure quickly turns into a confusing mess. The biggest issue with "Manhole" is its chaotic storytelling. The time-travel element, which should be the driving force of the plot, is poorly handled, leading to a narrative that is hard to follow. Each episode introduces new changes and twists that don't always make sense or fit well with the overall story. This makes it difficult for viewers to invest in the characters' journeys, as the stakes often feel unclear or irrelevant. Bong Pil, played by Kim Jae-joong, comes across as more of a hapless, bumbling character rather than someone we can root for. His motivations are understandable, but the way his character is written makes it hard to sympathize with him. The drama's attempts at humor also miss the mark, often relying on slapstick and absurd.

Not so gory, not so original in his diegetic development but certainly not so bad. The story's showing a man frustrated from the life and transformed into a scrupleless deathmaker, a serial killer who inspires also a sort of mercy. His reign is dirty and seems a black hole, only lighted by some little bulbs, another type of world projected to satisfy the insane behaviour of the protagonist (well playing by Jung Kyung-ho). Some jumpscares through the dark lead us towards the end of the tunnel...

Korean thrillers are known for their diversity and for their quality. Most of them that is. In this case, this is more like a standard exercise (no pun intended). Still better than the worst we've seen from the West. We know most of the time, where this is going (no pun intended), still it is dragging the viewer down by surprise at points (again sorry for the pun), which is a nice change of pace.

It has its moments and I reckon you can argue about the ending (or rather the last frame so to speak), but like it or not: it does its job. The tension is there and the story does evolve the right way. There's also weird characters and strong characters at the same time. It still doesn't completely connect, which make it a bit of a distant experience ... but I've seen worse

This is in no way up there with films like I Saw The Devil or The Chaser but it had a few moments of suspense. My problem was never really understanding why the killer was doing what he was. It showed a sweet connection between sisters and a father who tried, against all odds, to get to his daughter. I didn't understand the young boy either. This isn't gonna be at the top of the list when it comes to great movies but it wasn't an awful ride. I did want to see it all the way through to the end and although there is room left for a lot of speculation, I'm ok with that. Not the best but I've seen much worse.