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| ▲ This photo. provided by Showbox, shows a scene from the movie "Sinkhole." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This photo. provided by Showbox, shows a scene from the movie "Sinkhole." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This photo. provided by Showbox, shows actor Cha Seung-won (left) and Kim Sung-kyun (right). (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This photo. provided by Showbox, shows a scene from the movie "Sinkhole." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Aug. 3 (Yonhap) -- When your hard-earned house plunges deep into the ground, you're not left with a lot of choices. The disaster comedy film "Sinkhole" directed by Kim Ji-hoon, who also is the director of the 2012 thriller-action film "The Tower," portrays the struggle of people who try to climb up the ground after facing this ridiculous situation in the middle of the city.
"Sinkhole" starts off with Dong-won (Kim Sung-kyun), the head of his household who is also finally able to own a house after 11 years, inviting his co-workers to a housewarming party. Manager Kim Seung-hyeon (Lee Kwang-soo) and intern Eun-joo (Kim Hye-joon), who are drunk, decides to spend the night at Dong-won's house.
The next morning, before Seung-hyeon and Eun-joo have a chance to leave the house, the ground literally collapses. Man-soo (Cha Seung-won), who has been in a quarrel ever since Dong-won moved in, is also stuck in the same situation with his son Seung-tae (Nam Da-reum). The five people have only each other to rely on and work through this problem.
The upcoming disaster film is based on actual sinkhole catastrophe that is frequently mentioned in the news. However, in "Sinkhole," Dong-won's house located in Cheongwoon Villa, breaks down 500 meters below the ground, showcasing an unprecedented disaster. The severity of this sinkhole is on a whole different level from the slight depression in the ground portrayed in real life. As if a roller coaster is rushing downhill, the scene of the villa being sucked into the ground in an instant, will be visually shocking to the audience.
Broken windows, walls, and shattered objects surround the collapsed building, which resembles a real-life disaster site. To make the underground space look realistic, the production team created a large rock set and vividly captured the shaking of the building using a gimbal set while also creating an artificial earthquake.
In addition, the scene where water gradually fills the roof of the building due to heavy rain, instantly creates a tense atmosphere, which is a must for disaster films. Actor Cha Seung-won, who plays one of the main characters, described this elaborate production as "an obvious big-budget movie."
The actors who put on numerous survival performances have also struggled in real life while filming since they have to drown in mud swamps, spit out soil from their mouths, and barely hold onto a railing at high altitudes while being hit by a waterfall of cold water. In particular, Cha Seung-won and Kim Sung-kyun, who do not spare themselves to protect their respective sons in the movie, are simply devastated in the latter part of the movie. Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Hye-joon, and Nam Da-reum, who repeatedly fall, roll, and yell throughout the movie, are second to none.
Director Kim recently cited the movie's focal point to be the "comedy within disaster." In addition, the movie also contains sympathetic yet relatable reality such as the frustration felt among young people who realize buying a house is almost an unachievable dream, the regret of some people who become aware that buying an apartment instead of a villa was a better choice, or the sorrows of interns who are not respected from their workplace. "Sinkhole" also doesn't forget to bring out the warm emotional scenes after the group suffers from the disaster.
However, the attempts to induce laughter by portraying awkward situations or the repetitive unexpected situations do not fulfill their duty. Since the isolated space is limited, this movie may come across as a little boring for audiences who expect hard core tension like the disaster comedy "Exit" (2019), which succeeded in making viewers burst into laughter amid the nervous atmosphere when the main characters cross between buildings.
"Sinkhole" will be showcased for 114 minutes and hit local screens on Aug. 11.
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