Midnight

I. Introduction

Midnight is a 2021 South Korean thriller film, written and directed by Kwon Oh-seung, starring Jin Ki-joo, Wi Ha-joon & Kim Hye-yoon, depicts a life-threatening hide-and-seek scenario between a psychopathic killer and a deaf woman. The film was released simultaneously in theatres and via streaming media TVING on June 30, 2021. It's currently available on iQ.com on VIP section.

II. Synopsis

Kyeong Mi, a girl with hearing impairment lives with her mother. Working at the customer call center, one day she storms out of an unpleasant dinner with the client and drives home after she picks up her mother. Meanwhile, the murderer Do Shik spots Kyeong Mi's mother waiting for her daughter who went to park her car but changes his target when another girl So Jung passes him by talking on the phone. So Jung gets stabbed by Do Shik in the back alley and is found by Kyeong Mi, who ends up becoming Do Shik’s new prey.

III. Production & Release

It began filming on September, 2019 and finished at the end of 2019. It was originally scheduled for release sometime in the first half of 2020, but the Covid-19 outbreak caused its release date to be postponed.

Midnight has got the invitation from Fantasia International Film Festival and New York Asian Film Festival to screen the film. The three-week festivals was held from August 5 to 25 in Montreal, Canada and from August 6 to 22, 2021 in New York respectively. In 20th New York Asian Film Festival the film was screened in the Genre Masters section on August 7, at Lincoln Center and SVA Theatre. In 25th Fantasia International Film Festival the film was screened in the Canadian Premiere section on August 22, 2021.

IV. Cast

Pic	Name	Character
	Wi Ha-joon	Do-shik A serial killer, who attacks women and men at night
	Jin Ki-joo	Kyung-mi A deaf person who works as a sign language counselor at a call center
	Park Hoon	Jong-tak Brother of So Jung-eun, a former officer in the Marine Corps, currently working at a security company
	Kim Hye-yoon	So Jung-eun Jong-tak's younger sister
	Gil Hae-yeon	Kyung-mi's mother

V. Trailers

VI. Movie

VII. Reception

The film was released on June 30, 2021 on 693 screens. According to the integrated computer network for movie theater admissions by the Korea Film Council (KoFiC), the film was at third place on the Korean box office by collecting 25,566 audience on the opening day. It is at 17th place among all the Korean films released in the year 2021, with gross of US$813,906 and 106,012 admissions, as of September 18, 2021.

Asian Movie Pulse has reviewed it as followed - Midnight has its faults, particularly with the story that has its number of holes, but in general, emerges as a rather entertaining and quite original crime thriller that will satisfy all fans of the genre. Jeong-won, reviewing for Maeil Business's ending review was - The clear contrast between the stillness and the roar is also common. The more you watch Midnight with your breath, the more you can enjoy the film's gauguin. Seoul Economic Daily reporter Choi Soo-jin reviewing the film wrote that the fast-paced chase of deaf and mute, in everyday space is main attraction of the film. Praising the performance of Jin Ki-joo, Soo-jin also wrote - Jin Ki-joo's passion for acting, who plays Kyung-mi, who is deaf, also stands out. After the efforts of the two actors, an action scene full of hit was completed.

The film has gotten the scores of 9.7 on iQiyi, 8.2 on Mydramalist, & 6.6 on IMDB.

VIII. Awards