[Interview] "No Reason and Unclear but Attractive"... Until Park Hae-soo Became a Resentment

[Lee Isul, Entertainment Reporter]

"I tried to get into Han's mindset. I saw him as a non-human entity. Although he is pushed to the extreme, I wanted to portray him as kind and dignified. It was difficult."

Actor Park Hae-soo overwhelms the audience with tremendous energy throughout the 134 minutes of Time to Hunt.

On the afternoon of the 24th, Park Hae-soo shared his thoughts about the film during an online video interview commemorating the release of the Netflix movie Time to Hunt (directed by Yoon Sung-hyun).

Time to Hunt is a chase thriller depicting the tense hunting time between four friends planning a dangerous operation for a new life and an unidentified pursuer chasing them. Park Hae-soo leaves a strong impression playing Han, the mysterious pursuer. Han suddenly appears before the friends dreaming of a new future and relentlessly pushes them without a moment's rest.

Previously, the release of Time to Hunt was postponed from February 26 due to the spread of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus infection), and the film chose to go to Netflix. However, the process was not smooth, leading to legal disputes between the production company Little Big Pictures and the overseas sales agency Contents Panda. After many twists and turns, an agreement was reached, and the film was released worldwide in over 190 countries through Netflix on the 23rd.

On this day, Park Hae-soo said, "It means a lot to be able to meet audiences from more countries. Many films are struggling to release in this situation, so I am grateful just to be able to meet viewers and audiences." He added, "I see it as positive in terms of release rather than regrettable."

He continued, "We are going through a period of change. All industries, including film and performing arts, are in a time of transition, so gradual changes will come."

Director Yoon Sung-hyun visited the theater to watch Park Hae-soo's play several years ago, marking the beginning of their connection. Park Hae-soo revealed that he was a fan of Yoon’s previous work Bleak Night (2011) and had no reason to refuse Time to Hunt.

"The delicate emotions in Bleak Night deeply resonated with me. But Time to Hunt runs straight ahead. It was really different and the complex aspects were interesting. Han’s unclear and unexplainable parts were attractive. It was fascinating that his existence alone could be a reason. Moreover, four actors I like (Lee Je-hoon, Ahn Jae-hong, Choi Woo-shik, Park Jung-min) were participating, so there was no reason not to do it. I also gained trust because the director came to watch my performance."

Park Hae-soo showed special affection for the four actors. He said, "They are seniors who started films before me. Watching Lee Je-hoon’s Bleak Night, Highway Star, and Architecture 101, I felt he was a really good actor. Watching Ahn Jae-hong’s Soccer King, I thought, 'Wow, can I meet him?' I saw Choi Woo-shik in short films and Train to Busan and felt he is an icon of this era. Park Jung-min is still my favorite and a respected actor. I think he immerses himself in any role. Although I am his senior, I respect and admire these actors."

Time to Hunt is a thriller of chasing and being chased. The dynamic between Jun-seok (played by Lee Je-hoon) and Han was especially important. Park Hae-soo chose Jun-seok as the role he would like to play among the four being chased. He expressed affection, saying, "Lee Je-hoon made the fear toward Han very palpable. The tension required the pursuer and the pursued to be parallel, and our chemistry was good."

"When I first saw Time to Hunt at the Berlin Film Festival, I felt a strong sense of guilt toward Jun-seok. I also felt the heart of Ki-hoon who leaves, and the genre’s variation within suspense was shocking. If I were to act in another role, I would want to play Jun-seok. His transformation through hope and guilt was impressive. Of course, I wanted to play Han the most."

The ruthless villain Han’s motives for wielding a gun are unclear. When he appears, light disappears and darkness thickens. How did Park Hae-soo find Han’s justification? He built Han’s character through numerous questions.

"It was difficult. I had to find a reason why the opponent deserved to die, and I found the answer: 'I want to live.' There are two premises. If the opponent dies, I live; if the opponent lives, I die. It was hard to internalize this, but once I realized it, I was excited and scared. I wrote many diaries and read books to find Han’s justification. Of course, Han should not be portrayed as justified in the film, nor should his justification be expressed."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.