Directed by Jang Hang-ju, the South Korean mystery thriller film ‘FORGOTTEN’ (original title – Gi-eok-ui bam) follows the bonding between two brothers that starts to break after one gets kidnapped – and returns with no memory of the past 19 days.
FORGOTTEN is probably one of the finest movies I have watched recently. Such a great story that starts with a confusing tone but ends giving you mixed feelings that is emotional and tragic.
The film has everything from family bonding, kidnapping, murder to suicide but everything falls in place as the plotline develops with an engaging and suspenseful storyline. It has a dark psychological plotline, and with constant twists, the film keeps the elements of suspense wrapped up for long.
What’s in the story of FORGOTTEN?
In the storyline, we are introduced with siblings Jin-seok and his elder brother Yoo-seok, who are moving into a new apartment with their parents.
Things seem a bit strange to Jin-seok when they arrive at the new house. They also come to know that the previous house owner had specifically told not to enter a room until further notice. Also, Jin-seok starts hearing noises emanating from the room. This sets the tone for some kind of supernatural activity, as we have seen in many other Korean movies.
Besides, we learn that Jin-seok is under regular medication to avoid anxiety or some form of mental imbalance. Later one rainy night, Jin witnesses Yoo-seok getting kidnapped by few men that pushes him and his family into difficult times. The suspense kicks up, as cops get no clue of the whereabouts of Yoo-seok, also there is no ransom demand from anyone. Then suddenly, Yoo-seok returns home on his own, but with no memory of the past 19 days.
Younger brother Jin-seok keeps on getting nightmares and one such night he sees his brother moving out of the house. Jin follows his brother only to find out that his older brother is a criminal who tortures him with some sinister motives. In the next moment, Jin wakes up near the study table in his bedroom, as he sees his brother sleeping on the bed. He confronts his brother on what he experienced moments back, but Yoo-seok tries to convince him that it’s just a nightmare.
Engaging with plot twists, genre-switching narrative
FORGOTTEN becomes even more complex and engaging as we see the story keeps on prompting us to think about different possibilities. Amid plot twists, switching from one genre to another with enough substance also makes this very interesting. The whole idea to differentiate bad guys from good keeps floating as the narration reveals more details about the story.
While it sounds strange that a murder case goes unsolved for many years, we can still see the smooth visual storytelling and direction with so many surprise elements. The filmmaker also tries to let us think about both good and bad and pushes us to think of any situation leaving our prejudices behind.
Amid suspense, FORGOTTEN has few great moments towards the end with emotional elements. The film is not just horror or suspense, rather a great family drama with varied emotions. It is a film that is amazingly acted and directed, and it’s a fascinating story that asks us to keep our attention until the end.
Watch the movie trailer for FORGOTTEN
Cast: Kim Moo-yul, Kang Ha-neul, Na Young-hee, Moon Sung-keun, Myung-Ryul Nam, Lee Eun-woo, Jung Chan-bi, Go Choi, Bae Seong-il and Lee Soon-won.
Director: Jang Hang-jun
Release Date/Year: November 29, 2017 (South Korea)
Where to watch "Forgotten" (2017)
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