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| From left, actors Kim Sung-cheol, Heo Ga-yoon and Lee Si-eon in a scene from "Search Out" / Courtesy of D&Y |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
"Search Out" is a thriller surrounding the "dark heart of the internet," drawing attention to the new age of cyberbullying, trolling and criminal activities connected to online games.
Director Kwak Jung said the film was based on the deadly 2016 "Blue Whale Challenge" that incited participants to commit suicide. Allegedly 130 suicides in Russia were linked to the challenge but this has never been verified. The challenge was reportedly developed by a young Russian student who was arrested by the authorities in the same year.
Conducted primarily through social media platforms, the game lasts for a total of 50 days, presenting the "player" with daily tasks.
The daily tasks start off innocuously ― from listening to certain genres of music to watching horror films. But the tasks grow increasingly difficult as the days go on, and the final task is the person committing suicide.
If the player refuses to complete their task on time, the administrator threatens to release some extremely personal or highly-sensitive information online.
"I wanted to dig deep into how social media is misused as an instrument of crime, to raise awareness of social isolation among young adults and to discuss fundamental questions surrounding life and death," Kwak said.
The film's protagonist Joon-hyuk (Kim Sung-cheol) is a 20-something social media influencer and job seeker who lives in a gosiwon ― Korea's low-cost boarding house-style accommodation.
As a social media influencer, he grants wishes for those who are in need of help, such as promoting recruiting campaigns or assisting with apartment packing, and shares the photos online.
One day, Joon-hyuk's neighbor, whose wish he rejected in fear of revealing his identity, dies in an apparent suicide.
Through social media, he learns that she had been suffering from depression and was groomed online by a mysterious perpetrator.
With the help of his friend Sung-min (Lee Si-eon) and hacker Nu-ri (Heo Ga-yoon), Joon-hyuk tries to uncover the truth behind his neighbor's death and solve the mystery behind the deadly game.
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| Poster for "Search Out" / Courtesy of D&Y |
The film shows that people that fall victim to such crimes are not always those who appear to be the most vulnerable or susceptible to persuasion. It appears that anyone can be groomed if specifically targeted because the perpetrator has access to all their personal data.
This may help viewers to understand the victims of the notorious "Nth room" case in Korea, the online sexual abuse case in which young women and minors were allegedly forced into sexual slavery to produce videos that were shared through an encrypted messaging app.
Former 4Minute member Heo Ga-yoon will debut in one of the main roles in this film, appearing as a skilled hacker. As a lead actress, she is vividly compelling: showing off Nu-ri's daring personality as she leads her two male counterparts.
"Search Out" will hit local theaters, April 9.
