Simya-ui FM

Okay, so I was in the mood for some good thriller movie from Asia and decided to check this movie out, plus it has Su-Ae in it who is a pretty and yet elegant actress. So I thought it wasn't going to be a big waste of time, in fact by watching the trailer I thought this movie was going to be similar to the movie "P2". Which is another thriller and has a smart female protagonist that uses her wits without going overboard to try and survive the nightmare from a crazy stalker. Anyways I thought it was going to be like that movie. And from the trailer it looked pretty intriguing although nothing much happens in the trailer, which is for the most part a good thing in this case. This movie has suspenseful scenes but unlike "P2" a lot of the parts takes place outside of the building the protagonist resides in. Su-Ae played her role in a very balanced way where it didn't come off like a annoying victim in a movie. Although there are annoying characters in this movie but it's intentional, and yet very annoying, luckily she isn't one of them. Yoo Ji-Tae also does a fine job playing the villain, he always seemed to play the psychotic character pretty well and it's the same for this movie as well. Although this movie is full of incompetent and annoying characters that constantly get in the way, I did like the stalker helping fight another stalker aspect of it. Overall this was a pretty good Korean thriller that is put together really well near the end.

8/10

I heard and read a lot of good reviews about this movie, so it grabs my attention. But after watching this movie, I realized, it is not as good as it was said or reviewed. Some plots don't make any sense. I excepted much from a Korean thriller, maybe it wasn't the right one. And at the end it ruined everything with it's irrelevant plots.

Plot Popular TV anchorwoman & late night DJ Ko Sun-young set to host her final radio program. During the show, she receives a startling text message instructing her to follow specific directions or endanger the lives of her family.

My thoughts: Midnight FM had me locked in from the start. The real-time format gives it a steady rhythm that rarely eases up once things kick off. I especially liked that it was set mostly inside a radio station. Having spent a good chunk of my life in similar studio settings, there was something oddly personal about watching the story unfold in that environment.

Soo Ae is great in the lead, juggling a wide range of emotions without ever going overboard. Yoo Ji-Tae brings a cold, focused energy to his role that reminded me why he stands out so much in films like Oldboy and Lady Vengeance. Ma Dong-seok even makes a brief appearance, which is always a welcome surprise.

What stood out most was how steady everything felt. The pacing stayed sharp throughout, gradually raising the stakes without ever going too far. It's not the kind of film trying to flip the genre on its head, but it plays to its strengths and lands exactly where it should.

Review written by artist jayakumar jrain.

Korean movies are constantly gaining popularity among the cinema lovers in recent times especially if you talk about brutal crime thrillers. Korean thrillers have their popularity for being weird, gruesome, violent but surprisingly natural at the same time. Midnight FM is another addition in that genre. I have watched many Korean thrillers in recent times which are filled with extreme violence and bloods, but Midnight FM seemed to be an exception. Ofcourse, bloods and killings are still there, but you will never feel disturbed or stomach cramp while watching this one, rather pure suspense will keep your neck high.

Apart from some other awesome Korean thrillers like The Chaser, I saw the Devil or The Yellow Sea, I can compare this one with the recent release Children(2011) for relying on pure suspense instead of extreme violence or blood. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, even though I didn't have much expectation. A must watch for all Korean thriller lovers.

A thriller just for the sake of it. You are going to like it, if you don't dig deeper into the logic. Yes, there are plenty of questions you might ask throughout the film, it may affect the viewing experience. Korean films are awesome in making thrillers, but this is not the perfect one.