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| Actress Kim Hyun-joo / Courtesy of Netflix |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Actress Kim Hyun-joo, best known for her lead role in Netflix's "Hellbound," said the emergence of streaming services has allowed her to take on more diverse roles.
"Now that we have plenty of streaming platform options, actors are given a wider array of roles and filmmakers are experimenting with a variety of genres. For me, personally, I was able to push my boundaries to see what else I can do differently as an actor," she said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.
Kim's latest film "Jung_E" is set in the post-apocalyptic 22nd century and follows the story of Yoon Seo-hyun (Kang Soo-youn), a researcher at Kranoid Lab who clones the brain of her mother ― an elite soldier called Yoon Jung-yi (Kim) ― to create a combat AI warrior.
The film topped Netflix's non-English film chart in the first week of its release, according to data released by streaming analytics company FlixPatrol. It was on the list of Netflix's Top 10 films in 80 countries, including Germany, Spain, Turkey, Brazil and Singapore.
Despite its impressive record, the film has drawn criticism from some viewers who say the sci-fi film relies too much on "sinpa" ― a Korean term that refers to a cheesy, tearjerker plot.
"Some people may say, 'Well, I don't like this kind of movie.' I fully understand their point of view. It'd be best if I can star in a movie that everyone loves, but we all know that's nearly impossible," she said.
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| A scene from the film, "Jung_E" / Courtesy of Netflix |
Kim, who stars as an elite soldier/AI warrior in the film, shared her initial reaction to reading the script for the film.
"Director Yeon Sang-ho and I have been working together for years now. When I first heard about 'Jung_E' project, I thought it would be incredibly fun. There was already some trust in me about his creativity and production skills," she said.
At the heart of the film is a mother-daughter relationship, two characters who are trying to make sacrifices for one another. Kim said she believes this dynamic resonated with many viewers.
"To be honest, I don't prefer the sci-fi genre. But I like the ones that focus on the human drama such as 'Bird Box' (2018) and 'A Quiet Place' franchise," she said. "This movie allows us to explore mother-child relationship ― Jung-yi risked her life and fought in the war for the sake of her ailing daughter Seo-hyun; now Seo-hyun wants to free her mother from being a subject of experiment. I think what makes us human is the fact that death is inevitable. I think the idea of extending one's life span is human greed."
Kim said she plans to take a break after shooting "The Bequeathed," which is written by Yeon.
"I think I have worked nonstop for a while. I usually restore my energy from resting well. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do so recently," she said. "In the future, I would like to continue taking up varied roles in interesting projects."
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