Yeon Sang-ho redefines his craft in ‘The Ugly’

Actor Park Jeong-min performs the young version of Yeong-gyu, a visually impaired seal engraver, in “The Ugly.” Courtesy of Plus M Entertainment

Director Yeon Sang-ho, famous for his 2016 blockbuster zombie hit "Train to Busan,” has taken a new path with his latest work "The Ugly," a psychological thriller that shifts away from large-scale action.

The film, which recently had its international debut at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month, is a deeply personal project for Yeon, exploring the dark undercurrents of human nature and societal judgment.

Based on Yeon's 2018 graphic novel "Eolgul,” the Korean word for face, the film follows Lim Dong-hwan (Park Jeong-min), the son of a celebrated visually impaired seal engraver, Lim Yeong-gyu. Park plays younger version of Yeong-gyu, while actor Kwon Hae-hyo plays the older version.

The story unfolds as Dong-hwan discovers the skeletal remains of his mother Jung Yeong-hee (Shin Hyun-bin), who disappeared 40 years ago, forcing him to confront a web of family secrets.

Actor Kwon Hae-hyo performs older Yeong-gyu, a visually impaired seal engraver, in “The Ugly.” Courtesy of Plus M Entertainment

At a press conference held Wednesday via video call from Toronto, Yeon explained his motivation for the project.

"I was obsessing over my achievements and where I came from," he said. "That led me to questions about what was lost and what was exploited during Korea's rapid modernization in the 1970s. I started this story by creating the ironic character of Lim Yeong-gyu, who overcame his visual impairment, and his counterpoint Jung Yeong-hee."

Yeon emphasized his desire to create a new kind of film with a new soul, leading him to pursue an ultra-low budget of around 200 million won ($143,972). The production crew was comprised of about 20 members with a tight three-week shooting schedule.

Yeon hopes this low-budget approach can become a "new normal" for filmmaking, citing the power of legendary low-budget Asian films that inspired him. He added he wants a new way for making movies that don't depend only on big budgets.

The casting of Park in the dual role of both the son and the younger Yeong-gyu was a key element of the film, an idea suggested by the actor himself.

"I thought that if the son’s actor plays his father’s younger self while uncovering his past, it might convey a strange emotion to the audience," Park said. Yeon called this a "core idea" that naturally connects the film's generational story.

Actor Park Jeong-min performs Dong-hwan, Yeong-gyu’s son, one of his dual roles in “The Ugly.” Courtesy of Plus M Entertainment

Both Park and Kwon shared deeply personal connections to their roles as visually impaired characters. Kwon revealed that his late father-in-law had a similar impairment, allowing him to naturally embrace the difficult parts of the role. Park, whose own father is visually impaired, described the role as a "gift" that allowed him to reflect on his father’s life.

“The Ugly” doesn't depend on shocking plot twists. Instead, it focuses on why the characters make their decisions. It also focuses on showing how the main characters — Yeong-gyu and Yeong-hee, who are shunned for blindness and for being seen as ugly, respectively, are pushed away by a society that values physical beauty.

The film’s most striking artistic choice involves Shin’s character Yeong-hee, whose face is never shown. This intentional choice adds to the mystery and makes the audience imagine the character, which pulls them into the characters' judgments.

The director revealed that the unseen nature of Yeong-hee's face was the driving force behind Yeong-gyu's twisted inner turmoil. By not showing her face, the film invites the audience into Yeong-gyu's inner world, making her a symbol of the judgments and shame that society imposes.

From left are actors Park Jeong-min, Shin Hyun-bin, director Yeon Sang-ho, actors Lim Seong-jae, Han Ji-hyeon and Kwon Hae-hyo. Courtesy of Plus M Entertainment

Shin also described the experience as an opportunity for a more "open mindset" as an actor.

"I thought it would leave room for the audience to imagine," she said.

The director expressed his gratitude for the warm reception from the media and the audience at the premiere in Toronto.

"I was surprised that journalists and audiences understood the film's atmosphere," Yeon said, adding that he was surprised by Park’s popularity in Canada, calling him the "Justin Bieber of Toronto."

"The Ugly" is coming to local theaters on Thursday.