Seoul: The upcoming film "Murder Report" centers on a psychiatrist-cum-serial killer who requests a scoop-hungry reporter does an exclusive interview with him. Any other details about the plot would spoil the narrative, according to the male lead Jung Sung-il, who portrays the killer, Young-hun.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Jung Sung-il, renowned for his role in Netflix's hit series "The Glory," emphasized the captivating nature of the story. "He is both a psychiatrist and a serial killer; everything else about the film is a spoiler," said Jung. He shared how he was instantly drawn to the script, reading it in one sitting and feeling compelled to accept the role immediately. "I had to grab the casting offer as soon as I finished reading it. I feared someone might take the role," he added.
His co-lead, Cho Yeo-jeong, famous for her role in "Parasite," echoed his enthusiasm. She portrays Seon-ju, the reporter who agrees to conduct a dangerous interview with Young-hun in a hotel room, fully aware of his identity as a serial killer. "The movie's setting was completely new to me," she said. "I was amazed to see a film can be made of a one-on-one interview, and the two-hour runtime is filled with such a thick air of intensity and suspense." She further described the story as genuinely terrifying and expressed her initial doubts about pulling off her role.
Director-writer Cho Young-joon revealed that the film was inspired by an ordinary scene he witnessed at a zoo, where a child was observing a tiger through a fence. The image sparked his imagination, prompting him to envision a scenario where the fence was behind the child, placing them in the same enclosed space as the tiger. "It was an ordinary scene, but removing the fence would create a completely different atmosphere. The fact that the two were in the same space immediately ratcheted up tension," he explained. His aim was to craft a narrative of immense tension arising from just two individuals in a confined space.
The director took special care in designing the hotel suite setting, treating it as a critical element of the film's narrative. "I wanted the room to feel like a creature that was choking the characters," he said, hoping the film would be experienced like a "bad but enticing dream that you want to dream again."
"Murder Report" is set for local release on September 5.