[Slate] The Ugly Face of Our Society Revealed Through Noise Between Floors

Netflix Film "84 Square Meters"
Mental Exhaustion from Failing to Find the Source of Interfloor Noise
Anger and Disgust Reflect the Hidden Suffering of Young People
Homes Transform from Living Spaces to Material Assets

Noise between floors is a source of stress. For those with "opened ears," it can become a lifelong torment. Originally, this term described the phenomenon where language learners repeatedly listen to sentences to become accustomed to the sounds. However, when applied to noise between floors, the meaning changes completely. After being repeatedly exposed for as little as a few weeks or as long as several months, people can develop a hypersensitive auditory state in which even the smallest sounds become noticeable.

Movie '84 Square Meters' Still Cut

In the Netflix film "84 Square Meters," Woosung (Kang Haneul) suffers from this "opened ears" phenomenon. He rushes to buy a home before new lending regulations take effect, but his daily life turns into hell due to noise between floors. He knocks on his neighbors' doors to find the source of the noise, but the answer is always the same: "It's not our house." Instead, he becomes a suspect and feels psychologically intimidated.

Director Kim Taejoon delicately portrays the cocktail party effect as Woosung develops "opened ears." The cocktail party effect refers to the phenomenon where, even in a noisy crowd, one can clearly hear their own name or topics of personal interest. Victims of noise between floors initially try to ignore the disturbance by watching TV or listening to music with earphones. However, when the noise and vibrations persist, they find themselves unconsciously perking up at even the slightest footsteps. Their nerves become so sensitive that they can roughly determine whether the sound is coming from the upstairs bedroom or living room, and whether the person running is a child or an adult.

Woosung’s situation is even more severe. With each passing day, his nerves become more frayed, yet he cannot find the source of the noise. He develops symptoms of nervous exhaustion, including both hypersensitivity and obsessive-compulsive tendencies. He also exhibits signs of misophonia, reacting excessively to specific sounds. He becomes sensitive not only to noise but also to ordinary sounds such as clocks ticking or keyboard typing.

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The anger, fear, disgust, and impulsive actions that emerge are manifestations of the suffering experienced by today’s young people. Woosung maximizes his loans and sells off rural farmland to buy his apartment. To make up for it, he works a delivery job immediately after leaving his main office job. Exhausted, he returns home and does not even turn on the air conditioner. However, he struggles to repay his loans, and his physical strength is depleted. To make matters worse, the value of his home drops, leading to psychological distress.

The film warns that this vicious cycle can lead to desires for cryptocurrency and speculation. It depicts the reality where homes have become not living spaces, but material assets and means of wealth accumulation, and it thoroughly examines the irrational desire structures of the urban poor. In reality, more and more young people are taking high risks with investments, such as the so-called "Yeongkkeul-jok," who invest every last penny during periods of low interest rates. They all see this as the only way to change their social status in an era where upward mobility is nearly impossible. While this may appear to be an individual problem, it is actually caused by social structures that make class mobility difficult and by asset inequality. These are the results of failures in financial regulation, education, and employment policies, and there is neither a clear solution nor anyone to hold accountable.

Movie '84 Square Meters' Still Cut

Noise between floors is no different. Legal standards are ambiguous, and there are virtually no effective countermeasures. In "84 Square Meters," the source of the noise remains shrouded in mystery. In a situation where the reality cannot be identified, conflicts between neighbors escalate into mutual blame. As confusion increases and isolation deepens, the public nature of daily life, shared spaces, and the sense of community all collapse. Outwardly, society appears glamorous, but in reality, it reveals the ugly face of our society.