Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
Star cast elevates tension in 'A Normal Family'
From left, actors Claudia Kim, Kim Hee-ae, Jang Dong-gun and Sul Kyung-gu pose during a press conference for the upcoming film “A Normal Family” at a theater in Seoul, Wednesday. Newsis
By Baek Byung-yeul
What kind of ensemble will emerge when heavyweight actors Kim Hee-ae, Sul Kyung-gu, Jang Dong-gun, and Claudia Kim come together in a suspense film directed by Hur Jin-ho, a master of melodrama?
Hur is confident that viewers will witness unprecedented tension in his upcoming film, "A Normal Family," thanks to the powerful presence of these four star actors.
"I contemplated how to portray the evolution of each actor's beliefs in a way that feels both tense and natural," Hur said during a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday.
Adapted from Dutch writer Herman Koch's novel, "The Dinner," the film has already generated excitement simply through its star-studded cast. Sul and Jang appear as brothers, while Claudia Kim and Kim Hee-ae take on the roles of their respective partners.
The movie follows four individuals whose lives begin to crumble after witnessing security camera footage of their children's criminal activities.
"A Normal Family" has received acclaim after being invited to prestigious film festivals worldwide, including the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. The film will also be screened at the Busan International Film Festival next month.
"This is the fourth film adaptation of the original novel, which seems to be a story that many directors want to make. The novel's message contains points that I'm curious about regarding current Korean society and people. I put some elements that can differentiate it to fit the Korean context," Hur said.
Sul, who portrays Jae-wan, a lawyer faithful to material desires, revealed that all the actors were deeply immersed in their roles during filming.
"All four actors filmed repeatedly without losing tension," Sul said. "While it's not an action movie with blood and broken bones, the intensity of the film was such that the actors jokingly referred to it as 'verbal combat' due to the powerful dialogue exchanges."
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Jang portrays Jae-wan's younger brother, Jae-gyu, a principled pediatrician.
"Seeing the security camera footage of your child's crime scene is a situation I don't want to imagine. Since I actually have children, I ended up imagining it too concretely," Jang said.
Kim Hee-ae plays Yeon-kyung, Jae-gyu's wife, who expertly balances her responsibilities as a translator with child care and looking after her in-laws.
This is her third project with Sul, following the 2023 film "The Moon" and the 2023 Netflix drama "The Whirlwind." Regarding her co-stars, she said that everyone diligently portrayed their roles.
"They're the top stars and actors in Korea, and seeing them approach their roles so diligently made me do my best not to be the weak link in the puzzle," Kim said.
Claudia Kim, who made her Hollywood debut with the 2015 Marvel Studios film "Avengers: Age of Ultron," makes her Korean film debut playing Ji-su, Jae-wan's wife.
"Working with director Hur was my number one bucket list item. I've sincerely wished for this for a long time," the actor said.
"A Normal Family" will hit theaters next month.