Forgotten (2017) Movie Review
Forgotten is a 2017 South Korean mystery thriller film. Written and directed by Jang Hang-Jun.
The film stars Kang Ha-Neul, Kim Mu-Yeol, Moon Sung-Keun and Na Young-hee.
PLOT SYNOPSIS
When his abducted brother returns, seemingly a different man with no memory of the past 19 days, Jin-Seok chases after the truth behind the mysterious kidnapping.
This film has a really great atmosphere. From the opening scene, there are already questions being raised about who these people are. One thing that hints at the mystery is how all the other characters act around Jin-Seok. You start getting clues that the situation is not as it really seems.
Jin-Seok suffers from recurring nightmares that he is about to be killed and you start to wonder whether these nightmares are real or not. There is also a foreshadowing to what is going on because the only sense of time you get is when Yu-Seok hangs up the calendar. The camera lingers on the date and year, which plays an important part in the plot.
Jin-Seok has an early encounter with someone from outside the family. One of the moving men asks Jin-Seok if Yu-Seok is really his older brother. This early encounter makes the audience question what’s happening.
When Yu-Seok is abducted, things start to become suspicious. The cops dismiss Jin-Seok’s claim about the numberplates that he saw, saying that it doesn't exist.
Kang Ha-Neul is excellent in this film. He portrays someone anxious but also someone cautious, especially after the revelations that he has throughout the film. From the moment he sees the house they are moving into, he already has his own suspicions. And when his brother acts weirdly his suspicions grow.
One recurring theme is that Jin-Seok has anxiety issues and has to take medication to help with this. There are a lot of times when his family reminds him to take his medication.
This is a really great mystery film that is intriguing from the start and also has some emotional moments. The film also has some really great editing that helps build suspense.