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| From left, actors Park Ho-san and Kim Soo-jin, director Song Yeon-hwa, and actor Ye Soo-jung pose during a press conference for MBC's new thriller series, "Hunted," Monday. Courtesy of MBC |
By Lee Gyu-lee
Director Song Yeon-hwa, who co-directed MBC's hit series, "The Red Sleeve," earlier this year, is leading the network's new thriller series, "Hunted."
"The script for the series was very compelling. (The story) seemed predictable but it would have twists from unexpected parts. So I really wanted to work on this piece," the director said during a press conference for the series, Monday.
The four-part short series, which kicked off on Monday, revolves around a middle-aged man, Young-soo (Park Ho-san), who lives in a close-knit town in a rural area with his wife and son. One day, he goes hunting in the mountains with his friends to stop boars from damaging local people's farms.
While hunting, he shoots a moving object thinking it was a boar but then hears a human voice. After coming home without knowing what he shot, he finds out that his son has gone missing along with his classmate.
The director said she was drawn to the genre of the series, a psychological thriller.
"I've been a fan of the psychological thriller genre. And when I came across 'Hunted,' it felt refreshing how the series untangles the feeling of anxiety, which everyone has experienced, through different characters," she said.
Song shared that she took a similar approach in capturing the characters in the cinematic backdrop as she did for "The Red Sleeve," but the new drama is different in that it will have a whole different vibe.
"Since it's the thriller genre, the most important part was to keep the tension (throughout the story). I wanted the ordinary, run-of-the-mill scenery to feel bizarre and bleak," she said. "This is similar to how I portrayed the characters of 'The Red Sleeve' in the scenery. But with 'Hunted,' the viewers will be able to grasp a dark feeling, along with the beauty of nature."
She added that the storyline, focusing on the relationships of the townspeople and their families, will get people to resonate with the series.
"Ordinary relationships are at the center of this series. Relationships between married couples, and children and parents trigger a case and conflict. I think the viewers will agree with the sentiment of the series' core story," she said.
"Hunted" airs every Monday on MBC at 10:30 p.m.
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