Quick Review #80: Kokuhaku (movie)

Title: Kokuhaku / 告白

Rating: 6 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who want to watch a short suspense thriller in an extreme condition and are fans of Yang Ik-june

Liked:

- Thanks to the fact that the movie was just 73 minutes long, the story moved on pretty speedily after the 30-minute mark and culminated in a rather unexpected ending. The thriller parts i.e. the psychological and physical aspects really kept me on the edge of my seat despite the story being set in one place and featured only the two male leads with a long dead female lead who appeared in flashbacks.

- Yang was definitely the scene stealer in this film with his portrayal of Ji-yong who was alternating between the "normal" and "extreme" states for most of the film. The fury, craziness and sorrow blended into his character was really brilliant.

Disliked: 

- You have to be a bit patient in the beginning because the first 30 minutes or so was comparatively bland and slow-moving compared to the rest of the movie. It can be really easy to give up on this movie if you can't bear with this part.

- While the twist in Ikuta's character Asai was interesting to see, it did feel as if the change was too little and too late. As such, there was not really much Ikuta could do for most of the film to stand out other than be pushed to the brink both physically and psychologically by his co-star.

- Likewise for Nao, she hardly got the chance to say anything as the dead female lead Sayuri which I felt was a pity and I would have wanted to see more of her acting.