[Review] Was That Accident a Coincidence or a Conspiracy... What the 'Seolgyeja' Wants to Say

Movie 'Designer' stills
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A city bus skids on a rainy road and crashes, a crane collapses, and a signboard falls like a bolt from the blue. Are these accidents truly coincidental, or are they orchestrated? Could they have been planned by someone with a purpose? The film The Designer starts from these questions.

Young-il (played by Kang Dong-won) is a designer who is hired to carry out contract killings disguised as accidents. He works with a team consisting of Jackie (Lee Mi-sook), Wolcheon (Lee Hyun-wook), and Jeomman (Tang Jun-sang) to plan these accidents. One day, the daughter of a powerful politician asks him to kill her father. The father is a prominent figure rumored to be the next Prosecutor General. Since public attention is focused on him, they concentrate on making the accident appear as natural as possible to avoid revealing their identities. After numerous simulations and preparations, they proceed with the operation, but the plan goes awry when Jackie suddenly disappears. Amid the unexpected situation, an accident occurs and a team member loses their life.

Through this, Young-il becomes convinced of the existence of another designer and a massive organization called the Cheongsoobu (Cleaners). In the past, Young-il suffered the loss of Jjakun (Lee Jong-suk), whom he cherished like family, in an accident. Since then, Young-il has believed in the existence of the Cleaners and has lived suspiciously of them. Having confirmed the reality of the Cleaners once again, Young-il begins to suspect his team members. He relentlessly pursues who the traitor is that has colluded with the Cleaners. Meanwhile, Young-il falls into confusion, questioning whether the Cleaners truly exist in the world and whether his memories of the past are accurate.

The Designer is a film without clear-cut good versus evil. This makes it fresh and appealing, but it is not a safe choice from a popular standpoint. The challenge is to make the audience empathize with the protagonist and his group who commit murder. To this end, the film seems to have carefully designed each character to be ambiguous and captivating. This is also where the film shines. Although the ending may feel somewhat repetitive, the process of unraveling the designed puzzle in reverse is compelling. It is refreshing to see a film that chooses a 'new path' instead of an easy one.

Movie 'Designer' stills
[Photo by NEW]

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Movie 'The Designer' stills
[Photo by NEW]

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Kang Dong-won's face, caught in chaos, is not new but welcome. He is more attractive when placed in mysterious situations. Without showing anger or bursting into laughter, he has the power to captivate the audience. Lee Hyun-wook does not portray a sexual minority character in a stereotypical way. He creates tension without wearing a wig or makeup. His sincere and delicate acting stands out. Kim Shin-rok, who plays a police investigator, and Lee Moo-saeng, who plays an insurance expert, also help immerse the audience with their solid performances. The excellent acting by these good actors gives the impression of watching a well-made play.

On the other hand, Lee Dong-hwi, who plays a cyber hacker, is somewhat over the top and does not blend well with the film. Although his role is not large, the artificial and stereotypical character disrupts immersion. The director seems to have used Lee Dong-hwi to depict the pervasive 'one-person media' in an era of distrust, but it feels like an artificially inserted role that could have been omitted without affecting the film.

The film is a remake of the Hong Kong movie Accident (2009). Director Lee Yo-seop, who directed Queen of Crime (2016), took the helm. Running time is 99 minutes. Rated 15 and over. Released on May 29.

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