The Hypnotized (2004) Movie Review

Originally released back in 2004, “The Hypnotized” was the second outing from writer director Kim In Sik, who made his debut with the much praised “Road Movie”. Sadly, it also marks his last film to date, a real shame since it clearly showed him to be one of the more interesting and creative directors to have come from Korea in recent years. Whilst hypnotism has been a popular subject in Asian horror for some time, often being blamed for normal people turning into killers or lying at the root of the usual long haired ghost shenanigans, here Kim uses the theme to craft a far more nightmarish scenario, and one which drags the viewer into the same half-world confusion as to what is real as his poor deluded characters. The film has an ace up its sleeve in the shapely form of actress Kim Hye Su, recently in “Tazza: the High Rollers” and “Modern Boy”, who proves unforgettable in the lead role, not least since she spends most of the running time in various forms of undress.

As the film opens, she plays Jin Su, a suicidal young woman with personality disorders being treated by therapist Suk Kwon (played by Kim Tae Woo, also in “Woman is the Future of Man”) at a psychiatric hospital after being forcibly committed by her husband. After he leaves, mainly due to his own personal problems, he sets up his own clinic to deal with patients privately. A year later, he meets Jin Su in a supermarket and begins treating her again, using hypnosis to try and resolve her deep rooted problems. Despite the fact that she is quite possibly dangerous, he gradually falls in love with her, shaking up deep seated issues and fears from his own past.

Although the plot may sound straightforward enough in a film noir, femme fatale sort of way, “The Hypnotized” is easily one of the most complex and challenging films of recent years, and is quite impossible to categorise as horror, mystery or even drama. Via the use of hypnotism, Kim spends most of the running time merging reality and the world of what are dreams, visions, or possibly self-imposed delusions, dwelling upon themes of destructive love, obsession and revenge. As such, whilst there is a narrative, and even a Hitchcockian resolution of sorts, these themselves are wholly ambiguous and open to multiple interpretations. Kim’s main focus appears to be on creating a genuinely surreal atmosphere, and on submerging the viewer in the wild, fevered imaginings and twisted minds of the characters.

Visually, the film is absolutely stunning, with some truly bizarre and seemingly random scenes of gorgeous and disturbing imagery. Things do get gruesome in places, and the film is bloody and violent as well as sexually graphic, marking it as one for adult viewers only in every sense. Kim shows an excellent sense of colour and light, and uses this not only to create a sense of lingering unease, but also to force the viewer the see the film from the perspective of both Jin Su and Suk Kwon at once.

As a result, the film is one which requires a lot of work, and to be honest on the first viewing, the imagery and the very basics of the plot are the only things likely to be absorbed, leaving a great many questions unanswered. This is not to suggest that the film is vacuous in the least, and it is a tribute to Kim’s skill that he manages to make it abundantly clear that it is a puzzle which does have an answer, or at least an answer of sorts hidden somewhere within its fractured series of clues. Repeated viewings do indeed yield more suggestions as to exactly what is going on, though the film is likely to frustrate viewers who prefer to be spoon-fed answers and motivations via last act twists or other traditional devices. However, for those with an open, mind, it offers a compelling and intellectual experience that stands out as a genuine original likely to haunt long after the credits have rolled.

One thing that is for sure is that “The Hypnotized” is Kim Hye Su’s film. Looking gorgeous in every frame, no matter how much or how little she is wearing, she turns in a commanding performance that captivates the viewer every time she takes to the screen, making the doctor’s growing obsession with her easy to understand. Adding a real layer of suggestive psychological depth to what could simply have been an eye candy role, she shows beyond doubt that she is not only one of Korea’s bravest, but best actresses.

In-shik Kim (director) / In-shik Kim (screenplay)
CAST: Hye-su Kim … Ji-su
Tae-woo Kim … Seok-won
Chang Yun … Min-seok
Jeong-su Han
Sa-Pi Lee