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.
20 Reviews
Thriller.
SameirAli4 December 2021
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.
Ruined by characters making too many stupid and unrealistic choices
Eiriksterminator9 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This movie could have been good, but it's ruined for me by characters making too many stupid and unrealistic choices when it comes to their actions. Warning, spoilers ahead:
Now the killer calls the protagonist again, using a video call to show he's serious, and tells her that if she tells anyone else, he will kill her family. Our protagonist, now knowing he's for real, tries to follow his commands and challenges. But does she tell her two studio co-workers what is going on, so they can assist her, while of course making sure to tell them to be quiet and not let the killer know somehow? No, she tells them nothing, so they think she's acting crazy, and eventually become an impediment to her following the killer's commands, as they make mild efforts to get her to stop acting so weird. Then the producer of the show comes in, because he's listened to the radio, and is pissed off at the protagonist for acting like a lunatic and ruining the show. But does our protagonist tell him and the other two anything? Nope. So the producer, not knowing what is really going on, has enough, and ends up sabotaging the protagonist's efforts, leading to the killer killing her sister. Well done, protagonist.
One of the protagonist's daughters, who has a speech impediment of some kind, has managed to stay hidden from the killer, and calls the emergency services number for the police (like 911 in the US). How do the cops react? Since the girl doesn't say anything, they tell her to stop pulling pranks on the emergency call line, and hang up on her, and do nothing else...Seriously? Unless Korea is somehow different from the rest of the world, I know for a fact this is absolute nonsense. In real life, people not being able to say anything when calling the emergency line happens all the time, either because they're too injured to speak, or need to be quiet because there's a killer in the house, etc. Because of this, when receiving an emergency call that doesn't hang up, but has no one speaking on the other side, the cops will assume the worst, and send a response team over ASAP. If it turns out it was a hoax call, the caller will receive a hefty fine, but they will NEVER ignore an emergency call like that.
Since the cops hung up on her, the poor little girl then does the next logical thing, and calls her mom, the protagonist, and uses tapping on the phone to let her mom know she's safe and still hidden from the killer. The mom is relieved, and tells her to stay hidden and hang in there. But just a short while later, when she's on the phone with the killer, the protagonist/mom of course lets it slip that she has two daughters in the house instead of one (up until now, since the other daughter has managed to stay hidden from the killer, the protagonist and her sister have been able to fool the killer into thinking the other daughter is in the hospital for a neck injury), by saying "please don't hurt my daughterS" instead of "please don't hurt my daughter"... -_-
Later on in the movie, when the killer is holding the protagonist hostage as well, and is live broadcasting together with her, and everyone, reporters, cops, the studio the protagonist works for etc, all know what is going on, and the killer threatens to kill the protagonist's daughters if the studio doesn't cooperate, what happens? A higher up comes in and pulls the plug on the broadcast, saying "you think this your show!? Damn psychos..."....That's right, he knows perfectly well that the killer is threatening to kill his employee's daughters if they don't cooperate, but he pulls the plug anyway.....Like are you serious? If the daughters ended up dying, and this was real, I would be demanding this waste of space get the strictest possible punishment under the law, for directly and knowingly contributing to two kids being killed. Oh, and the two coworkers of the protagonist I mentioned earlier, who are her friends? Yeah, they do nothing to stop this guy either...*facepalm*...
All of this is just way too much, and it becomes impossible for me to suspend my disbelief with so many glaringly obvious problems with the way people act in this. It's bad writing, and it hits you in the face like a truck over and over.
- You're in a taxi with a friend, and all three of you spot a guy seemingly beating on a woman in the street. Your friend quite literally thinks it looks like he's going to KILL the woman at this rate, so she asks you if maybe you shouldn't call the cops? Your response? Naw, you say. No good will come from getting involved...Are you kidding me?
- Your sister is babysitting your kids while you are at work at your radio station as a radio host. Someone calls you, and tells you they are holding your family hostage, and that if you don't play the songs they tell you to, they will hurt and/or kill your family. They also mention a playlist they have sent you with the songs in question, but you don't yet know what they are talking about, since the playlist in question was inside a package you unwittingly threw in the trash earlier, thinking it was from some stalker fan. You're not sure if it's a prank or for real yet (I would take it seriously and not risk it), so you then try to call your sister, but you are unable to reach her. What do you do at this point? At this stage, the normal thing to do would of course be to call the cops and tell them the facts: that someone called you claiming they are holding your family hostage, and are threatening to kill them, and that you tried calling your sister, who is currently babysitting your children, but you couldn't reach her. The cops will then most likely consider it a possible genuine threat, and send a response team, and, knowing the situation, and that your sister and kids are the only ones supposed to be in your apartment, will be on their guard and go in armed, and they will know what to expect, and what to react to if something is wrong. But what does or protagonist do? She instead calls the cops and simply tells them she is unable to reach her sister at her apartment, and if they can send someone over to check on her...No mention of the threatening phone call, no mention of who is and isn't supposed to be in her apartment...Like come ON...The cops are nice enough to send two officers over (they could definitely refuse with so little info. People missing phone calls isn't exactly unusual), but being relaxed and not knowing the situation, they are fooled by the killer opening the door, since he simply tells them he's the protagonist's brother, and when the officers come in to make a routine check, they of course turn their backs to him, unarmed, because they're not expecting anything, and aren't on their guard. So the killer catches them off guard and kills them from behind.
Now the killer calls the protagonist again, using a video call to show he's serious, and tells her that if she tells anyone else, he will kill her family. Our protagonist, now knowing he's for real, tries to follow his commands and challenges. But does she tell her two studio co-workers what is going on, so they can assist her, while of course making sure to tell them to be quiet and not let the killer know somehow? No, she tells them nothing, so they think she's acting crazy, and eventually become an impediment to her following the killer's commands, as they make mild efforts to get her to stop acting so weird. Then the producer of the show comes in, because he's listened to the radio, and is pissed off at the protagonist for acting like a lunatic and ruining the show. But does our protagonist tell him and the other two anything? Nope. So the producer, not knowing what is really going on, has enough, and ends up sabotaging the protagonist's efforts, leading to the killer killing her sister. Well done, protagonist.
One of the protagonist's daughters, who has a speech impediment of some kind, has managed to stay hidden from the killer, and calls the emergency services number for the police (like 911 in the US). How do the cops react? Since the girl doesn't say anything, they tell her to stop pulling pranks on the emergency call line, and hang up on her, and do nothing else...Seriously? Unless Korea is somehow different from the rest of the world, I know for a fact this is absolute nonsense. In real life, people not being able to say anything when calling the emergency line happens all the time, either because they're too injured to speak, or need to be quiet because there's a killer in the house, etc. Because of this, when receiving an emergency call that doesn't hang up, but has no one speaking on the other side, the cops will assume the worst, and send a response team over ASAP. If it turns out it was a hoax call, the caller will receive a hefty fine, but they will NEVER ignore an emergency call like that.
Since the cops hung up on her, the poor little girl then does the next logical thing, and calls her mom, the protagonist, and uses tapping on the phone to let her mom know she's safe and still hidden from the killer. The mom is relieved, and tells her to stay hidden and hang in there. But just a short while later, when she's on the phone with the killer, the protagonist/mom of course lets it slip that she has two daughters in the house instead of one (up until now, since the other daughter has managed to stay hidden from the killer, the protagonist and her sister have been able to fool the killer into thinking the other daughter is in the hospital for a neck injury), by saying "please don't hurt my daughterS" instead of "please don't hurt my daughter"... -_-
Later on in the movie, when the killer is holding the protagonist hostage as well, and is live broadcasting together with her, and everyone, reporters, cops, the studio the protagonist works for etc, all know what is going on, and the killer threatens to kill the protagonist's daughters if the studio doesn't cooperate, what happens? A higher up comes in and pulls the plug on the broadcast, saying "you think this your show!? Damn psychos..."....That's right, he knows perfectly well that the killer is threatening to kill his employee's daughters if they don't cooperate, but he pulls the plug anyway.....Like are you serious? If the daughters ended up dying, and this was real, I would be demanding this waste of space get the strictest possible punishment under the law, for directly and knowingly contributing to two kids being killed. Oh, and the two coworkers of the protagonist I mentioned earlier, who are her friends? Yeah, they do nothing to stop this guy either...*facepalm*...
All of this is just way too much, and it becomes impossible for me to suspend my disbelief with so many glaringly obvious problems with the way people act in this. It's bad writing, and it hits you in the face like a truck over and over.
watchable thriller...not as tense as everybodies making it out to be
bcheng936 June 2014
good decent flick but not quite an A option unless you are a huge fan of thrillers and Korean flicks, but still a solid B or B+ option. The Koreans never seem to turn out a really bad movie and this was no different.
do Koreans ever shoot in anything in normal colors and tones, it seems that every movie is shot in an over-saturated color tone and quite frankly i like to see a different style.( just like they don't make bad movies i guess )
the movie got favorable reviews from just about everybody that rated it and after watching it, i would agree that it is a good movie but not as tension filled for me...which was a letdown, compared to everybody else that saw it.
story is about a psychotic schizo who gets infatuated with a overnight radio personality and what happens after he decides to take action on his wild thoughts and the aftermath of his actions. the guy that plays the villain is pretty good, he is the same villain from "oldboy". all in all, the movie has really high production values, is very well paced for a thriller and the acting was good thru-out.
...what's with the Travis Bickle angle though, i don't know, i mean Travis is iconic and this movie doesn't come close to " taxi driver ", and as an afterthought i hope it was only an homage, hehe!
do Koreans ever shoot in anything in normal colors and tones, it seems that every movie is shot in an over-saturated color tone and quite frankly i like to see a different style.( just like they don't make bad movies i guess )
the movie got favorable reviews from just about everybody that rated it and after watching it, i would agree that it is a good movie but not as tension filled for me...which was a letdown, compared to everybody else that saw it.
story is about a psychotic schizo who gets infatuated with a overnight radio personality and what happens after he decides to take action on his wild thoughts and the aftermath of his actions. the guy that plays the villain is pretty good, he is the same villain from "oldboy". all in all, the movie has really high production values, is very well paced for a thriller and the acting was good thru-out.
...what's with the Travis Bickle angle though, i don't know, i mean Travis is iconic and this movie doesn't come close to " taxi driver ", and as an afterthought i hope it was only an homage, hehe!
More Korean cat and mouse games
Leofwine_draca1 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
One of many Korean serial killer movies that came out in the wake of the excellent THE CHASER. This one's not the greatest, but it still manages to hold the viewer's attention for the whole of the running time, so that counts for a lot. I struggled with the lead character in this one - I found her so cold and unyielding that it was impossible to empathise with her plight - but an early role for the excellent Ma Dong-seok is worth tuning in for, and the Koreans' enjoyment of cat and mouse games means that the suspense holds even when dragged out to the nth degree.
Quality edge of your seat thriller..
pasang-sharma6 February 2015
I am a huge fan of the thriller genre, so it goes without saying am overly particular and highly critical about reviewing and voting for these films.It takes quite a lot to impress me to say the least.
Now lets see, first, for people who say this movie is mediocre, did you once take your eye balls away from the screen,even when you knew who the culprit was already.Yea that's what i thought.I don't know what you people look for when you go to watch a film. You cant expect all the films to be an old boy or a memories of murder otherwise their would not have have been an old boy now,Would There!!!
To give away the whodunnit factor in the beginning itself, which could have been a disaster and still make the movie as thrilling and interesting as it were just speaks volumes of this film.
7/10 A must watch if you are a thriller enthusiast like me.
Now lets see, first, for people who say this movie is mediocre, did you once take your eye balls away from the screen,even when you knew who the culprit was already.Yea that's what i thought.I don't know what you people look for when you go to watch a film. You cant expect all the films to be an old boy or a memories of murder otherwise their would not have have been an old boy now,Would There!!!
To give away the whodunnit factor in the beginning itself, which could have been a disaster and still make the movie as thrilling and interesting as it were just speaks volumes of this film.
7/10 A must watch if you are a thriller enthusiast like me.
Expected more suspense, but the action was great!
paulclaassen14 February 2019
Although the film was not as suspenseful as it could and should have been, it offered more action than I was expecting. Pity, though, the film's score didn't drive the movie. The score was much too subtle for the fast-paced scenes and never really contributed to the suspense.
The suspense is elevated due to our protagonist's daughter being mute, excellently portrayed by Lee Joon-Ha. There's a lot of character development as Seon-yeong Go (Soo Ae) transforms from a timid mother to a determined, vengeful fighter. And what an absolutely brilliant ending!
The suspense is elevated due to our protagonist's daughter being mute, excellently portrayed by Lee Joon-Ha. There's a lot of character development as Seon-yeong Go (Soo Ae) transforms from a timid mother to a determined, vengeful fighter. And what an absolutely brilliant ending!
A suspenseful thriller without having gruesome violence of its kind !!
Zaman98316 February 2012
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.
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.
Fans and stalker and serial killer
soeprijo199 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is a good thriller movie. I could gave it 8 or even 9/10 but some really annoying things happened throughout the movie. I know the meaning of those were to create tension, but still.....
First, ignorant people all over the place. The PD, the director, the bikers, and even friends of the protagonist itself. Shouldn't they know there was a serial killer on the loose, because it was all over the radios and tvs, broadcasted live! At 3am in the morning!
Second, out of place annoying screaming that gave up the hiding place of the protagonist. I know it's a stressful situation, life and death situation, but because of that, shouldn't you be more careful with your voice?
Third, incompetent cops. I don't know how the SOP of searching a house that was reported to have been entered by an unknown person. But, shouldn't you be more careful and not letting the person you supposed to investigate standing behind you all the time? No wonder you ended up death.
Decent 7/10.
First, ignorant people all over the place. The PD, the director, the bikers, and even friends of the protagonist itself. Shouldn't they know there was a serial killer on the loose, because it was all over the radios and tvs, broadcasted live! At 3am in the morning!
Second, out of place annoying screaming that gave up the hiding place of the protagonist. I know it's a stressful situation, life and death situation, but because of that, shouldn't you be more careful with your voice?
Third, incompetent cops. I don't know how the SOP of searching a house that was reported to have been entered by an unknown person. But, shouldn't you be more careful and not letting the person you supposed to investigate standing behind you all the time? No wonder you ended up death.
Decent 7/10.
Nothing too special about this movie.
suman-naral19 October 2019
Suspenseful Korean Thriller
Seth_Rogue_One17 November 2015
A nice surprise, a stellar suspenseful Korean thriller which to me felt a bit American in it's tone, parts reminded me of THE CALLER, PHONE BOOTH and PANIC ROOM...
But then I have been seriously slacking when it comes to Asian cinema and have only started getting in to it these past 2 years.
If I was to compare it with another Asian movie it would be THE TERROR LIVE (2013) aka DEU TAE-RO RA-I-BEU in it's native tongue, which also was very good, if you like that I'm sure you'll like this and vice versa.
Visually very nice and rich colors and more or less perfect angle-shots, and stellar acting all around.
Kept me glued to the screen for almost the whole duration despite being forced to keep the volume rather low, so yeah well worth seeing.
But then I have been seriously slacking when it comes to Asian cinema and have only started getting in to it these past 2 years.
If I was to compare it with another Asian movie it would be THE TERROR LIVE (2013) aka DEU TAE-RO RA-I-BEU in it's native tongue, which also was very good, if you like that I'm sure you'll like this and vice versa.
Visually very nice and rich colors and more or less perfect angle-shots, and stellar acting all around.
Kept me glued to the screen for almost the whole duration despite being forced to keep the volume rather low, so yeah well worth seeing.
Good thriller
PedroPires9015 May 2021
A good thriller. A crazy psycho, a good innocent girl (with some things from the past haunting her), very well acted by both, good plot.
It will not leave you like 😲, but it's definitely very well made and a strong addition to the genre.
It will not leave you like 😲, but it's definitely very well made and a strong addition to the genre.
A bit too long...
paul_haakonsen9 January 2016
As much as I enjoy Asian movies and as much as I wanted to fully get into this 2010 South Korean thriller, I have to admit that what brought the overall enjoyment down was the length of the movie. It was about 20 minutes too long, because it felt like the movie was prolonged by too much filling by director Sang Man Kim.
The story is about a famous night time radio DJ who finds herself at the mercy of a stranger who is holding her family hostage in own home. And if she doesn't follow his instructions to the letter he will kill her family.
"Midnight FM" (aka "Simya-ui FM") was saved and made watchable by the acting talents in the movie, despite having a limiting script to work with. The two lead talents Soo Ae (playing Go Seon-Yeung) and Ji-Tae Yu (playing Han Dong-Soo) were well-cast and really carried the movie phenomenally.
In my opinion, the storyline was too generic and never really had the audience in its grip, because there were nothing too thrill or excite the audience in the entire movie. It was as if the movie was put on a one-way-path following a mainstream how-to-make-a-thriller manual.
There are lots of good thrillers coming from the South Korean cinema, however "Midnight FM" could muster to raise itself only to mediocrity. A shame really, because it had potential to be so much more.
The story is about a famous night time radio DJ who finds herself at the mercy of a stranger who is holding her family hostage in own home. And if she doesn't follow his instructions to the letter he will kill her family.
"Midnight FM" (aka "Simya-ui FM") was saved and made watchable by the acting talents in the movie, despite having a limiting script to work with. The two lead talents Soo Ae (playing Go Seon-Yeung) and Ji-Tae Yu (playing Han Dong-Soo) were well-cast and really carried the movie phenomenally.
In my opinion, the storyline was too generic and never really had the audience in its grip, because there were nothing too thrill or excite the audience in the entire movie. It was as if the movie was put on a one-way-path following a mainstream how-to-make-a-thriller manual.
There are lots of good thrillers coming from the South Korean cinema, however "Midnight FM" could muster to raise itself only to mediocrity. A shame really, because it had potential to be so much more.
Breathtaking.
davidtraversa-11 October 2012
I had a fascinating experience watching this South Korean movie spoken in Korean (Hangugeo, Chosönmal) a language I don't even know how to say Yes or No with, even if my life would depend on it. I saw the whole movie without subtitles (more than two hours). It was a thriller, extremely well done, that kept me most of the time on the edge of my seat, panting with anxiety and fear for what I was suspecting was going to happen next (It didn't, something different did).
After the movie was over I went back and saw it with subtitles. And you know what? I enjoyed it much more when I couldn't understand A WORD of the storyline! The actors were so good, the story was told so clearly thanks to a superb camera work and editing that verbal explanations were unnecessary to enjoy the film.
Of course when I saw it the second time with subtitles I learned some things that dressed up the story a bit, but it wasn't anything that couldn't be understood without. That --I think-- proves that silent pictures were so successful because the image alone could tell you the story.
Now, the movie as a movie: Excellent, I found it superb, one of the best thrillers I have ever seen. Absolutely enjoyable from beginning to end without a single moment where you could start feeling bored, so well structured and produced is this film.
My recommendation: A 10.
After the movie was over I went back and saw it with subtitles. And you know what? I enjoyed it much more when I couldn't understand A WORD of the storyline! The actors were so good, the story was told so clearly thanks to a superb camera work and editing that verbal explanations were unnecessary to enjoy the film.
Of course when I saw it the second time with subtitles I learned some things that dressed up the story a bit, but it wasn't anything that couldn't be understood without. That --I think-- proves that silent pictures were so successful because the image alone could tell you the story.
Now, the movie as a movie: Excellent, I found it superb, one of the best thrillers I have ever seen. Absolutely enjoyable from beginning to end without a single moment where you could start feeling bored, so well structured and produced is this film.
My recommendation: A 10.
A Nutshell Review: Midnight FM
DICK STEEL28 May 2011
The momentum for Korean Thrillers is picking up slowly but surely, with recent films like The Chaser and Man From Nowhere getting critical acclaim and scoring at their home box office with their very edgy treatment and storytelling, putting the audience at the edge of their seats with aplomb. The next such film to hit the screens here is Midnight FM, and director Kim Sang-Man had proved that this film belongs to the same echelons as the films mentioned, where a celebrity DJ has to deal with a violent, psychotic stalker.
Soo-Ae of Once in a Summer fame plays Ko Sun-Young, a highly popular DJ whose shift in the graveyard hours is coming to an end soon. On her final day, she finds herself being blackmailed by an unknown person who had gained an upper hand at being inside her home and holding her loved one hostage, before demonstrating that he's a huge deranged fan of hers, posing questions based on her show's past to play a sick game where every wrong answer would mean that something violent and gruesome got to be inflicted on the hostages.
In some ways this film seemed to have two separate phases, with the first phase taking place in very confined spaces, such as the DJ's booth and console, and that of Sun-Young's house where you have children and her teenage sister having to hide from a home invader. It's almost like David Fincher's Panic Room with a cat and mouse game of hide and seek gets played out in a swanky apartment, which makes for some nice touches of suspense and thrills, given the claustrophobic space in which to play a deadly quiz. It's like a ping pong game of desperately trying to gain and regain the upper hand from each side, knowing that with that comes bargaining power.
Then there's the utilization of space, as the narrative takes place outside of the confined spaces, shaking you out of your comfort zone just as you thought everything will shuttle back and forth between the locations, and becoming a full fledged action film complete with car chases to boot. A number of support characters got introduced here, from bland, ineffective cops to fellow co-workers now into the scheme of things to assist Sun-Young, although their presence do not distract you from the main players, offering only slight support to fulfill their one role function before disappearing into the background again. More obnoxious characters enter the scene such as various levels of bureaucracy at the radio station to come disrupt proceedings since Sun-Yong had veered really off course in her programme, which adds another layer of complexity for Sun-Young to battle against.
Soo-Ae cuts a confident figure on the top of her game as Sun-Young, before the threat turned her into quite the nervous wreck hell bent on rescuing her daughter at any expense. Like a chameleon, Soo-Ae handles both sides to her character with skill, making you root for her along the way even though she mercilessly rejects the advances and help of yet another stalker who decides to stake out at her office since it's after all, her final day there. As the antagonist, Yoo Ji-Tae is the man you'd love to hate, personifying pure evil in his dastardly plan that comes with layers and enough Plan Bs to keep him off the law enforcement radar and long arm of the law. His Han Dong-Su is the ultimate stalker complete with shrine and audio recordings at his hideout, and Ji-Tae's creepy portrayal makes the character someone not to be messed with for his penchant for violence. A nice little backstory to link up seemingly disparate events to debunk the myth of randomness was a nice touch, but could be done without.
With the bulk of the film taking place within two hours of Sun-Young's final shift at work, Midnight FM is by and large one of the better thrillers out there this year, being intense and edgy from the time the antagonist enters the picture to begin his deadly game. Kim Sang- Man crafted a film that is paced expertly, knowing when to speed things up with high octane action, and slowing things down yet keeping a pulse on the frenzied state of mind of its characters, making this film way above average thrillers and is well worth experiencing on the big screen. Highly recommended!
Soo-Ae of Once in a Summer fame plays Ko Sun-Young, a highly popular DJ whose shift in the graveyard hours is coming to an end soon. On her final day, she finds herself being blackmailed by an unknown person who had gained an upper hand at being inside her home and holding her loved one hostage, before demonstrating that he's a huge deranged fan of hers, posing questions based on her show's past to play a sick game where every wrong answer would mean that something violent and gruesome got to be inflicted on the hostages.
In some ways this film seemed to have two separate phases, with the first phase taking place in very confined spaces, such as the DJ's booth and console, and that of Sun-Young's house where you have children and her teenage sister having to hide from a home invader. It's almost like David Fincher's Panic Room with a cat and mouse game of hide and seek gets played out in a swanky apartment, which makes for some nice touches of suspense and thrills, given the claustrophobic space in which to play a deadly quiz. It's like a ping pong game of desperately trying to gain and regain the upper hand from each side, knowing that with that comes bargaining power.
Then there's the utilization of space, as the narrative takes place outside of the confined spaces, shaking you out of your comfort zone just as you thought everything will shuttle back and forth between the locations, and becoming a full fledged action film complete with car chases to boot. A number of support characters got introduced here, from bland, ineffective cops to fellow co-workers now into the scheme of things to assist Sun-Young, although their presence do not distract you from the main players, offering only slight support to fulfill their one role function before disappearing into the background again. More obnoxious characters enter the scene such as various levels of bureaucracy at the radio station to come disrupt proceedings since Sun-Yong had veered really off course in her programme, which adds another layer of complexity for Sun-Young to battle against.
Soo-Ae cuts a confident figure on the top of her game as Sun-Young, before the threat turned her into quite the nervous wreck hell bent on rescuing her daughter at any expense. Like a chameleon, Soo-Ae handles both sides to her character with skill, making you root for her along the way even though she mercilessly rejects the advances and help of yet another stalker who decides to stake out at her office since it's after all, her final day there. As the antagonist, Yoo Ji-Tae is the man you'd love to hate, personifying pure evil in his dastardly plan that comes with layers and enough Plan Bs to keep him off the law enforcement radar and long arm of the law. His Han Dong-Su is the ultimate stalker complete with shrine and audio recordings at his hideout, and Ji-Tae's creepy portrayal makes the character someone not to be messed with for his penchant for violence. A nice little backstory to link up seemingly disparate events to debunk the myth of randomness was a nice touch, but could be done without.
With the bulk of the film taking place within two hours of Sun-Young's final shift at work, Midnight FM is by and large one of the better thrillers out there this year, being intense and edgy from the time the antagonist enters the picture to begin his deadly game. Kim Sang- Man crafted a film that is paced expertly, knowing when to speed things up with high octane action, and slowing things down yet keeping a pulse on the frenzied state of mind of its characters, making this film way above average thrillers and is well worth experiencing on the big screen. Highly recommended!
A well crafted Korean thriller that revolve around late night radio
KineticSeoul23 April 2011
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
8/10
This Could Be My Favorite South Korean Thriller Of The Past Few Years
ebossert20 April 2011
There have been a handful of South Korean thrillers that have earned a bit of hype over the past few years: "The Chaser" (2008) and "I Saw the Devil" (2010) being the two obvious choices, though "Mother" (2009) could also be considered if one classifies it as a dramatic thriller. I recently posted a user comment on "No Mercy" (2010), which I personally enjoyed more than the aforementioned films in terms of pure entertainment value. However, "Midnight F.M." (2010) has now ascended to my top spot.
Here's a reworded plot summary from AsianMediaWiki: Popular TV anchorwoman & late night radio host Sun-Young (Soo Ae: "Sunny" 2008, "Once in a Summer" 2006) prepares to work her final radio program, after which she will prepare to take her daughter to America the following morning. During the radio show Sun-Young receives a startling text message from a man named Dong-Su (Yoo Ji-Tae: "Oldboy" 2003, "One Fine Spring Day" 2001), who has broken into her apartment and taken hostages. Dong-Su then sends the text message to Sun-Young instructing her to follow his directions and not to tell anyone.
Oh man, this is non-stop suspense from start to finish, with efficiently constructed tension and very good performances by everyone. The conventional premise is outshined by its sheer execution and avoidance of any and all dull filler material. At first the protagonist is forced to retrieve specific information from her previous shows and duplicate those moments on the air, but the storyline branches out in a variety of ways and eventually introduces themes of vigilantism and media responsibility. Soo Ae gives an inspired, energetic performance. This thriller is extremely exciting and a lot of fun to watch, relying more on pure suspense instead of graphic violence. A must see for everyone.
Here's a reworded plot summary from AsianMediaWiki: Popular TV anchorwoman & late night radio host Sun-Young (Soo Ae: "Sunny" 2008, "Once in a Summer" 2006) prepares to work her final radio program, after which she will prepare to take her daughter to America the following morning. During the radio show Sun-Young receives a startling text message from a man named Dong-Su (Yoo Ji-Tae: "Oldboy" 2003, "One Fine Spring Day" 2001), who has broken into her apartment and taken hostages. Dong-Su then sends the text message to Sun-Young instructing her to follow his directions and not to tell anyone.
Oh man, this is non-stop suspense from start to finish, with efficiently constructed tension and very good performances by everyone. The conventional premise is outshined by its sheer execution and avoidance of any and all dull filler material. At first the protagonist is forced to retrieve specific information from her previous shows and duplicate those moments on the air, but the storyline branches out in a variety of ways and eventually introduces themes of vigilantism and media responsibility. Soo Ae gives an inspired, energetic performance. This thriller is extremely exciting and a lot of fun to watch, relying more on pure suspense instead of graphic violence. A must see for everyone.
MIDNIGHT FM - A Dark, Tense And Non Stop Edge Of Your Seat Killer Thriller!
silicontourist6 January 2021
Here we are at 2021 and already I am working my way through a stack of Western films from England, Ireland, France, USA etc and Eastern films from Russia, Korea, China and Japan etc.
I am at 8 films watched this year so far (last years total was 618 altogether) with 3 of them being South Korean,1 from China and 1 from Japan. I mention this just to let you know I love Far Eastern films; and especially South Korea. Once again they have released a thoroughly entertaining film (I think that even the anti foreign film people would totally enjoy this psycho romp) and currently my favourite film for the year so far. You should take a look at the other 2 South Korean films I have watched this year...
ASHFALL - also known as, "Baekdusan" (original title) (2019) and
"C A L L" aka "The Call" (2020) both of which I have done reviews for.
Do NOT read reviews from the columnist critics! You will just find a lot of pompous, think they know it all arrogant and egotistical self opinionated squids! Watch it and love or hate it with no opinions of others. So what makes "MIDNIGHT FM (2020") so good that it stands out? If you have ever seen the Clint Eastwood 1971 film, "Play Misty For Me" you will know exactly what the subject matter is...STALKING! This film goes way beyond that and gets inside your head so much you really get behind Soo Ae (the radio host) and, want to beat the heck out of Joo Ji-Tae (the psycho stalker). The directing was superb, as was the lighting and editing etc. It moved at a very smooth pace....no gaps, waiting plot loss or wandering off. It well deserved the awards it received!
I just can't believe it took me 10 years (it was 2020 when I found it) to see such a worthwhile film.
Do NOT read reviews from the columnist critics! You will just find a lot of pompous, think they know it all arrogant and egotistical self opinionated squids! Watch it and love or hate it with no opinions of others. So what makes "MIDNIGHT FM (2020") so good that it stands out? If you have ever seen the Clint Eastwood 1971 film, "Play Misty For Me" you will know exactly what the subject matter is...STALKING! This film goes way beyond that and gets inside your head so much you really get behind Soo Ae (the radio host) and, want to beat the heck out of Joo Ji-Tae (the psycho stalker). The directing was superb, as was the lighting and editing etc. It moved at a very smooth pace....no gaps, waiting plot loss or wandering off. It well deserved the awards it received!
I just can't believe it took me 10 years (it was 2020 when I found it) to see such a worthwhile film.
Steady Ride Full Of Suspense
Foutainoflife10 December 2018
I love Korean thrillers!! They have really found a niche in dramatic performances that have a fairly steady level of suspense.
This is about a radio host who is delivering her last live broadcast before she is set to make a move to the US when she is hijacked by a serial killer. Her family is held hostage, with the threat of their demise should she not comply with the killer's wishes.
This starts out with, maybe not a solid, but fair character build and then it just takes off. The acting, scripting and camera work were all great. Not much to complain about. Absolutely worth the watch!!
This is about a radio host who is delivering her last live broadcast before she is set to make a move to the US when she is hijacked by a serial killer. Her family is held hostage, with the threat of their demise should she not comply with the killer's wishes.
This starts out with, maybe not a solid, but fair character build and then it just takes off. The acting, scripting and camera work were all great. Not much to complain about. Absolutely worth the watch!!
Midnight FM Review: Watch it at any cost!
Achyut_Prashast_Singh26 March 2018
Movie: Midnight FM (18): Action/Thriller - Korean
Positives:
Negatives:
Repeat value: Yes
MIDNIGHT FM is a mindblowing action thriller which must be seen at any cost!
Positives:
- The biggest strength of MIDNIGHT FM is its watertight, gripping and edge of the seat thrilling, suspenseful screenplay. Tension remains throughout the entire film.
- Soo Ae's performance is excellent, as is that of Yoo Ji-tae. But it's Ma Dong-seok who steals the show with his innocent and lovable act. The child artist also did a commendable job.
- The action sequences have been masterfully executed and are a definite treat to watch.
- The editing is excellent, and the film's grip never loosens.
- The climax is excellent.
Negatives:
- Nil.
Repeat value: Yes
MIDNIGHT FM is a mindblowing action thriller which must be seen at any cost!
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