Kim Hye-soo set to return as detective in 'The Day I Died'
Kim Hye-soo in a scene from the film “The Day I Died” / Courtesy of Warner Bros. Korea
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Kim Hye-soo will return to the silver screen in the upcoming mystery thriller “The Day I Died” as a police detective investigating the suspicious disappearance of a teenage girl.
The new film, the directorial debut of Park Ji-wan, is about police detective Hyun-soo (Kim) trying to find a missing teenage girl named Se-jin (Roh Jeong-eui) with the help of a witness who has aphasia (Lee Jung-eun).
Although the plot centers on a detective unraveling secrets behind the missing girl, the film is not a typical mystery thriller. Rather, it's a character-driven drama where protagonists take a deeper look at themselves and their situations.
Kim, who starred as a police detective in the 2016 tvN drama “Signal,” plays down her “strong woman” persona and subtly conveys the character's complex emotions in the upcoming film.
“Hyun-soo tries to gather a full account of what happened to the girl. In the process of tracking the girl down, characters develop solidarity,” Kim said during an online press event for the film, Thursday.
The veteran actor recalled that it felt like fate when she first saw the script. “Even before reading it, I found myself zooming in on the script for The Day I Died. I had piles of scripts on my desk, but my eyes were fixed on that one.”
Actors Kim Hye-soo, left, and Lee Jung-eun talk during an online press event for the film “The Day I Died” in Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of Warner Bros. Korea
Lee, best known for her role in the Oscar-winning film “Parasite,” said she joined the cast because of the script and her co-star Kim.
“People may think that I get scripts every day (after the success of Parasite), but that's not true. I loved the fact that the script talks about healing from pain and trauma besides being a detective story,” she said.
“Also, I enjoyed watching Kim starring as a detective in previous drama series (Signal). I thought it would be nice to star alongside her.”
On playing a voiceless character, Lee said it was a challenge, but she tried to depict all emotions and intentions through facial expressions and breathing techniques.
“My character doesn't speak, but she makes noises sometimes. Many believe that if you lose your voice, you will try to rely on non-verbal cues. But you'll realize that there are many ways humans can interact without sound,” Lee said.
Meanwhile, Kim said it is encouraging to see a growing presence of female narratives and female filmmakers in the industry.
“It's heartening to see that there are more films that showcase diverse female narratives and strong female characters compared with the past when there were mainly objectified portrayals of women,” she said.
“The Day I Died” will hit local theaters, Nov. 12.