Don't Buy the Seller

A South Korean thriller from last year. When a downtrodden renovation manager, Shin Hye-sun, has had enough w/her broken washer & decides to buy a new one, not from a store, but from a reseller, Im Seong-jae, things go from worse to murderous. It turns out Seong-jae is a serial killer w/a particular bent; he targets a victim, kills them & resells their stuff down to the apartment studs but when Hye-sun complains & tracks him down to lay out some real complaints, bringing in a detective, Kim Sung-kyun, to assist as the bodies mount & Seong-jae tries to blackmail Hye-sun into her being left alone. Other than the goofy translated title (don't know the exact translation from Korean) & some lapses in thriller logic, this film is ripe to be remade here in the States where purchases from social media sites have become a cottage industry unto itself. As to the originator, it moves at a clip & some of the set pieces (a car chase through the narrow alleyways of the city is a true edge of the seat draw) are so well done I can't wait to see Michael Bay's overblown retake.

This is a flick that delivers the basic requirements of its genre. Assuming due to its small but talented cast that it was shot with a low budget, I think it's done with mastery and taste. The lead actress Shin Hye Sun is a very talented one and I've been a fan for years. (You've seen Mr. Queen? That's the one. Versatile and never over the top.) The scenes are mostly well-shot, including the immediately engrossing intro which, I think, could have been a little longer. The tempo is nice and without rushing it or drawing it out, the premise is introduced in the natural course of the plot.

In other words: done with a small budget but doesn't feel cheap, well shot, tempo optimal for its kind, good acting.

I don't want to mislead, though: it is a forgettable movie mostly relying on plot tropes and though certain risks the criminal takes to go about doing his stuff might slightly challenge suspense of disbelief, that feeling will go away as soon as you pay attention to what is implied in the movie about the inefficiency and priorities of police force regardless of what desk takes on what task as long as it is a nobody -read your average citizen- that is to be protected.

That's secondary to the point that the movie makes, though. What's it that they drive home loud and clear? That the internet has basically become the Wild Wrst for us nobodies. *

It's a nice movie to pass the time. It's not one to make an impact. (More character development would be needed for that as well as veering a bit more into the drama side.) *: Well, most of us know what dangers await internet users in this era where we can do almost anything on the internet and yet can never be too sure of our safety, which we just entrust to a variety of things: security software, reputable institutions, police force etc... Even then, skills and/or knowledge we don't have overpower us. We entrust our safety really more with the idea, a fact most of the time, that we are not important enough to be a target online.

That's the exact victim profile certain types of criminals need, however, like when governments rob us relying on our numbers, for instance, or when companies know we are too small to fight back as individuals such that we have to suck it up most of the time if we find that we're wronged..

The crimes that nobodies commit against nobodies, too, operate on the same principle:you are a target when it becomes obvious that no one has your back. It's what a predator watches out for in their prospective prey.

So why do we make stupid mistakes when we know we can never be too careful? Well... When you find yourself having to constantly budget your finances, you kind of have to forget you're making a bet on your own wellbeing, to a certain extent... Any decision made by the protagonist that might look stupid hinges on that fact about her. It is up to you to accept that. I find it very realistic in that sense.

A young woman deals with a creepy boss as well as a scammer who turns into a vindictive cyber-stalker after she confronts him online. Unfortunately, this felt uncreative and rather generic, complete with a car chase that by all rights should have been the end of the film, but no, it dragged on longer. Throughout the film the woman puts herself in unnecessary danger, the police are always understaffed and one step behind, and the killer moves in linear ways. It's reasonably well made, but I think anyone could have written this. It may pass some time on a long airplane ride if you have nothing better to do though.

I didn't expect much from the premise of the movie, which is about online shopping, but was pleasantly surprised by the dramatic turn of events that happened.

The movie centers around a woman who is the victim of an online scam but when she tries to expose him she discovers that the scammer is a serial killer.

The cast's performance is pretty good with the main character Soo-hyun played by Hae Sun Shin, who is definitely brilliant when it comes to showing her range through different types of movie genres. I can feel the character's emotions really well through the screen, from anger, annoyance, despair to fear. The detective characters, played by Sungkyun and Tae-oh, did bring some flavours to the table as their presence may lighten the mood.

I find some of the action scenes pretty violent, but effective and memorable as it definitely had me on the edge of my seat especially towards the end.

From start to finish, the movie had me on the edge of my seat, skillfully keeping the identity of the culprit a mystery. Initially, the possibility of a team orchestrating events added complexity, only to be overturned later, leaving breadcrumbs that pointed to a lone individual. The film skillfully navigated the suspense, making it impossible to pinpoint a suspect. What sets this thriller apart is its intense portrayal of cyberbullying. Unlike other movies in the genre, the impact felt remarkably potent. The storyline weaves through a tapestry of clues, keeping the audience guessing until the very end. With seamless pacing and a narrative that evolves organically, the movie transcends typical cyberbullying portrayals, delivering a gripping and intense experience. A must-watch for those seeking a thrilling ride with a fresh take on a familiar theme.