Thread of Lies

I. Introduction

Thread of Lies (Elegant Lies) is a 2014 South Korean film based on the 2009 bestselling novel Elegant Lies by Kim Ryeo-ryeong. Directed by Lee Han, it starred Kim Hee-ae , Go Ah-sung, Kim Hyang-gi and Kim Yoo-jung. The process began August 28, 2013 and finished November 4, 2013. It was released in South Korea on March 13, 2014.

II. Synopsis

Hyun Sook is a single mother raising two teenage daughters while working at a grocery store. One day, her youngest child, 14-year-old Cheon Ji, suddenly commits suicide without even leaving a note. This comes as a shock to Hyun Sook and her older daughter Man Ji since Cheon Ji was a sweet child, who rarely complained and studied hard, while always trying to comfort her hardworking mother. Struggling to understand why Cheon Ji chose to kill herself, the two women wonder whether there was something they didn’t know about Cheon Ji’s life. As Hyun Sook and Man Ji unravel Cheon Ji’s quiet life, they come to realize that she had been the victim of brutal bullying at her middle school, led by Hwa Yeon, a troubled, manipulative teenager.

III. Cast

Pic	Name	Character
	Kim Hee-ae	Hyun-sook
	Go Ah-sung	Lee Man-ji
	Kim Hyang-gi	Lee Cheon-ji
	Kim Yoo-jung	Kim Hwa-yeon

IV. Teaser & Trailer

V. Reception

Thread of Lies was released in theaters on March 13, 2014. It took the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office, the first local film to do so in six weeks, by drawing 182,620 viewers on its opening weekend. According to the Korean Film Council, the film had approximately 680,000 admissions in its first week, earning ₩3.86 billion (or US$3.61 million). Through positive word of mouth, the small-budget film (₩2.1 billion, or US$1.96 million) grossed more than US$8 million by its second week with 1.2 million admissions, maintaining a strong showing at the box office and online reservation sites. After 32 days in cinemas, the film grossed ₩11.6 billion (US$11.2 million) from 1,619,188 admissions.

It has received the scores of 6.8 on IMDB &, 7.9 on Mydramalist.

VI. The Hollywood News

Luke Ryan Baldock of The Hollywood News called it the best film of the year so far, with the best exploration of bullying ever seen on-screen, as well as being an uplifting tale of life after death and the importance of understanding. He also praised the script as brave for tackling such complex issues in a fair, balanced, and non-judgmental way, and the acting as miraculous across the board, with the young cast taking centre stage and representing the full gamut of emotions.

VII. Variety

Describing it as a superbly constructed drama, Richard Kuipers of Variety wrote, - Rarely, if ever, has the topic of teenage bullying been examined in such forensic detail and delivered with such devastating emotional impact, and that helmer Lee Han maintains perfect tonal control and elicits fine performances from a predominantly female cast.

VI. Awards & Nominations