'Intruder' Song Ji-hyo X Kim Mu-yeol, Thriller Completed with Brilliant Acting... First Statement After COVID-19 Crisis [Comprehensive]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Iseul] Actors Song Ji-hyo and Kim Moo-yeol return with a thriller. The film creatively explores the themes of family and home, delivering considerable horror. As the first commercial film since the COVID-19 pandemic, it has attracted intense attention.

On the afternoon of the 27th, a press screening of the movie Intruder (director Son Won-pyung) was held at Yongsan CGV in Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Actors Song Ji-hyo, Kim Moo-yeol, and director Son Won-pyung attended the event.

Intruder is a mystery thriller about a family whose missing younger sister, Yoo-jin, returns home after 25 years, and the family members gradually change. The older brother, Seo-jin, who finds this strange, pursues his sister’s secret and faces a shocking truth.

Kim Moo-yeol plays Seo-jin, the older brother who has been waiting for his sister who disappeared 25 years ago to return, but after their reunion, he regards her as a stranger and keeps his distance. Song Ji-hyo plays Yoo-jin, the younger sister with a kind and gentle personality but who occasionally shows chilling and eerie expressions that send shivers down the audience’s spine.

On this day, Song Ji-hyo said, “There are many shortcomings. Kim Moo-yeol shone much more than I did. I saw many parts that I felt were lacking.” She added, “Since it felt like something I hadn’t done before, I tried my best and hope people watch it that way,” sharing her thoughts after watching the film.

Song Ji-hyo returns to the thriller genre after 17 years since Whispering Corridors 3. She said, “I have played many bright characters. I was attracted to Yoo-jin’s dark side, and the script’s theme was interesting. I only thought about doing well,” and added, “The director saw my dark and serious side, so I tried to highlight that aspect.”

Kim Moo-yeol, who takes on the role of a father for the first time since his debut, shared his thoughts on the acting transformation: “Finding a new face is always the path an actor must walk. It is always exciting and thrilling.”

Regarding memorable moments during filming, Kim Moo-yeol said, “Since the character suffers from neurosis, I went on a diet. The production team kindly set up a basketball hoop on the set. Like in school days, I ate quickly and played basketball.” Song Ji-hyo recalled, “There was a scene where Seo-jin and Yoo-jin talk inside a car, and at that time, Kim Moo-yeol’s finger was torn. During filming, he touched somewhere and there was a lot of blood, which really surprised me.”

Chungmuro’s theaters saw a halt in visitors due to the spread of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus infection). Theaters suffered through a lean period, recording the lowest audience numbers day after day. Recently, as the number of confirmed cases has gradually decreased, new releases are being confirmed one after another. Intruder became the first commercial film to be released amid the COVID-19 situation.

Regarding this, director Son Won-pyung said, “Theaters were closed for a long time due to COVID-19, and this is the first commercial film to be presented. As a producer and director, it is indeed burdensome and nerve-wracking,” but he added, “I hope this sets a good precedent for other films to be released in the future. Films will continue to be released, and audiences have not been able to come to theaters for a long time. Starting with Intruder, I hope it becomes an opportunity for people to feel once again how enjoyable movies are while following safety guidelines.”

Song Ji-hyo said, “The situation has improved a lot but then worsened again. Popular culture is very stagnant. When people are not feeling well, I hope Intruder becomes a good entertainment and something fun to watch,” and added, “Today, I watched a movie in a theater for the first time in a long while. I hope many people regain vitality through movies in a safe environment.”

Kim Moo-yeol shared, “It was moving to greet many people after a long time. The sight of seats spaced apart was impressive. Making movies is about wanting to communicate with the audience. Although social distancing creates physical distance, I hope empathy is formed through the stories we create.”

He continued, “Many people are fighting on the front lines of quarantine, and many citizens are fighting in their own places. We will also continue to fight in our own positions. If even one audience member comes to the theater, we will do our best to tell a good story. I hope good days come soon so I can share good stories with more people.”

Intruder opens on June 4.

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