Son returns to big screen with thriller 'The Phone'

By Baek Byung-yeul

Veteran actor Son Hyun-joo returns to the big screen in the upcoming thriller “The Phone."

Starting his acting career in 1991, Son has appeared in many dramas and has gained popularity appearing in smash-hit TV dramas such as “First Love” (1996), “To Be with You” (2002) and “My Rosy Life” (2005).

Though he has mostly portrayed characters of faith on the small screen, playing passionate and devoted men, Son has filled his big screen career as a front man in thrillers including “Hide and Seek,” (2013) and “The Chronicles of Evil” (2015).

Speaking about why he decided to act in another thriller, Son explained that he tries to put importance on quality scripts rather than the genre of the film.

“I made another thriller again. When choosing a script, I place greater importance on whether the script is attractive or not and whether it can create tension in movie scenes. In that sense, ‘The Phone’ has those key elements,” Son told reporters during a press conference introducing his upcoming film at a theater in southern Seoul, Monday.

In “The Phone,” Son is featured as a lawyer, Dong-ho, who struggles to rewind the past to save his wife who was murdered a year ago. Actress Uhm Ji-won is featured as his wife while actor Bae Sung-woo takes the role of a mysterious man who killed Dong-ho’s wife.

Son said his new thriller will provide a different taste compared with previous films.

“‘Hide and Seek’ portrays happenings that occurred inside an apartment and ‘The Chronicles of Evil’ mostly deals with the psychological make-up of a detective,” he said.“But in ‘The Phone,’ I am sure the audience will sense the difference from my previous films as it portrays a man who is a father and a husband struggling to keep his family safe.”

As the title indicates, the mobile phone is a critical cinematic tool in the film as the protagonist can transcend time and space through his cell phone. Director Kim Bong-joo said this differentiates the movie from other thriller films.

“There are many films using the mobile phone as a cinematic tool. But in this film, we have created a distinguishable point as its plot is to connect people who live in different spaces and times through the mobile phone,” Kim said.

“The Phone” will screen nationwide from Oct. 22.