Hidden Face review by Bobby Blakey
Well Go USA has become the premiere distributor for Asian cinema with most of it being in the martial arts genre, but every so often they bring something completely different to the masses. The latest is Hidden Face starring Cho Yeo-jeong (Parasite), Song Seung-heon (A Better Tomorrow), and Park Ji-hyun (Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum) with Obsessed director Kim Dae-woo at the helm. Could this film bring that special something to the relationship or will it be trapped in its own reflection?
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Hidden Face follows Star cellist Su-yeon who disappears from her conductor-fiance Sung-jin’s life, leaving nothing but a Dear John video and an empty house. While a hurting Sung-jin attempts to fill her seat in the orchestra, Mi-ju appears as her replacement, but soon winds up taking her place in the bedroom as well in this twisted erotic thriller.
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Going into this film I had seen the trailer and was intrigued to where it was going, but also had it given away too much? To my surprise, while the film is the story it promotes how it gets there and where it is heading was done in a completely different way than I had expected in a great way. The film is a slow burn that while engaging limps along at times in the beginning. Once you get to the meat of it all and the revelations you understand why, and it makes it even more compelling.
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The film falls into the world of the erotic thriller and walks that thin line of understanding and confusion as it all comes into view. Moments you understand and feel sorry for some characters, and it feels like they deserve what they got and other times you see the darkness others have in them. Even at the moment of realization for everyone involved it’s not the reaction you might expect and in turn complicates it all further.
All the cast give great performances and pull you into their version of events. The story is structured so you know there is more going on as it spoon feeds you and time jumps to reveal it all. Once the audience knows the truth it takes another detour on how it should all be handled right up until the big twist ending that showcases how unhinged and manipulative these characters are. It leads you to further ask who is really in control and who wants to be controlled.
If you can see the movie without seeing the trailer, then do so and just go in fresh and let it all play out for you. As I said it is a slow burn but worth checking out but decide for yourself with Hidden Face available now on digital.