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The journey from book to screen was not very smooth for Derailed as each investor it was pitched to shared this tale about a group of teenage runaways for reasons that are not too hard to find when one remembers the era in question. Even though this tale was set in 2016 and Derailed had just recently been made in 2021, during this period Korea was still governed by Park Geun-hye’s rule. Much like her father’s, his rule also came hand in hand with heavy censorship of the movie industry and no one even came to realize that there was any form of censorship occurring. Under these conditions, it is very unlikely that there could be a self-driven contemporary set movie from Korea approved, and with Derailed being the first feature of its director, it also likely is to be the last one.
Yet fortunately for the production, the K-pop group Shinee’s members Choi Min-ho and Ma Dong-seok expressed interest in the Korean film that directly translated into 2 Guys. Both Min-ho and Ma Dong were willing to take on the roles of the two main leads. For Min-ho, a Shinee member, the prominent role in consideration was completely different than what he had done in the past. Though this wasn’t Min-ho’s acting debut, he was getting his first opportunity to be on the big screen. Previously, he had only acted in K-dramas which catered to his good-looking features and his K-pop fanbase. One of the concerns surrounding his casting was the fear of the script being interpreted too sweetly to accommodate his presence in the film.
Fortunately, that isn’t the situation, with his part as a teenage runaway tying the whole hard-hitting 90-minute feature together. Together with his girlfriend, played by now-defunct K-pop group 2Eyes member Jung Daeun (here making her acting debut, she’s gone on to feature in the likes of The Witch Part 1. The Subversion) and another runaway couple, the quartet manage to keep a roof over their heads each night by selling a variety of stolen items. When their latest deal goes sour, and with night approaching, Daeun goes against Min-ho’s wishes and tries to pull off a prostitution scam in which she intends to run off with the client’s money before needing to do anything. She’s picked up by karaoke bar owner Ma Dong-Seok, who notices what’s going on, but not before the runaways manage to escape with his BMW and wallet.
Since alerts about transactions are activated, it is relatively simple for Dong-seok to locate them. Unfortunately, by the time he arrives, the individuals in question are in possession of his BMW. After using Min-ho as a punching bag and smashing his face into a pulp, Daeun, his girlfriend, is threatened with real prostitution until the BMW debt is paid, now forced to work in his karaoke bar. In a frenzy, Min-ho makes a promise that he will gather enough money to buy her out of captivity, putting him down an escalated path of criminal activity, which was complicated by his ex, who has been recently released from prison and is out for blood.
Here, Derailed gets intriguing. Rather than sticking to a sombre storyline about a teenager who is desperate for his girlfriend and tricks a karaoke bar owner, the story shifts its attention and allows us to delve into Dong-seok’s character as much as we do Min-ho. Both the teenagers have their own tragic backstories and Dong-seok and Min-ho want to repay a huge debt while providing for their family. Just like many other Korean films, these two characters do not fit the ‘hero’ protagonist and like most indie versions of the same story, their characters repeatedly get into acts of violence which are against the morally neutral aspects of society.
Considering that he has directed several short films since 2001, it was director Lee Seong-tae’s short film The Ten-Minute Break that got people intrigued in 2007 when it was selected for screening in various international film festivals. The popularity of the short film set him up to eventually direct Derailed close to a decade later (which would be followed by his sophomore full-length feature in 2019 – By Quantum Physics – A Nightlife Venture), and he demonstrated strong abilities to control the rhythm and the build-up of the tension. Though teenagers running away from home is an issue that South Korea has had to confront for a long time, this age group is almost never the subject of the other films produced in the country. Perhaps the most shocking work on the issue is Bad Movie, part-documentary and part-fiction made by controversial director Jang Sun-woo in 1997, but it is also addressed in other films like Kim Yu-min’s Yellow Hair, Park Chu-soo’s Bongja, or the recent one by Shin Su-won, Madonna.
Where Seong-tae’s feature-length debut stands different from the rest is its no-holds-barred portrayal of violence. The figures who inhabit Derailed are people who have been put in a corner by society and their primitive instinct is to strike out. Bloodied fists, steel pipes, baseball bats, and knives all make routine entrances as what appears to be a desperate fight for existence unfolds in the extremities of society. It’s a harsh existence, devoid of principles and morals, and one that’s too unbrutal to be tolerated. But in that sense it makes Min-ho and Dong-seok’s characters far more interesting. Even within the greasy injustice surrounding them, they are reasonably good people. While Min-ho wants to shield his girlfriend from everything and anything, and Dong-seok has to serve his family, both men are willing to do whatever it takes. Though not model citizens, their actions stem from the appropriate intentions.
Speaking of Dong-seok, Derailed was released in the same year that he became well-established as the zombie-bashing protective husband in Train to Busan, and I would argue that this turn of events showcases his overwhelming talent better than the monotonous supporting role he was given (but a zombie punching husband is pretty cool). As a character placed on the front foot, he is at first in the position of advantage but circumstances unfold that cause him to keep compromising in ways that are quite unforeseen, not least on the fact that he exposes himself to the attention of an ex acquaintance of Minho’s who has just come out of prison. This is injurious to him since he is unable to make use of the pain he is suffering out of Min-ho. The character is portrayed by Kim Jae-young (Golden Slumber, Money), and his motive of wanting to do wrong to Min-ho makes him frantic to find him. And once he presumes that Dong-seok knows where Min-ho is, the overweight Korean becomes the target as well.
A Jae-young character is creepy in that he behaves very much like a borderline psychopath, determined to inflict severe bodily harm on anyone who portrays the slightest bit of aggression toward him. His character together with the rest of the primary cast feels like fully rounded characters, and his individual appeal works within the context of the narrative. Essentially acting as a one-man whirlwind of chaos and violence, his entrance keeps proceedings on a knife edge. This is maintained in the finale when all the key players converge in a parking lot and tensions bubble over. Director Seong-tae shows a masterful hand at cranking up the tension, which enables him to plug into the most basic human instinct of wanting to harm the person who’s wronged someone. It plays out in a devastating fashion that includes numerous examples of grievous bodily harm inflicted.
Korean indies tend to focus on somber themes and Derailed is no different. However, I believe there is more to the story than just doom and gloom. After watching the film, I was left with a sense of hope and self-reflection that will linger long after the film has ended. The film receives its boost from the powerful core performances of Min-ho and Dong-seok. Further, it has a concise 90-minute runtime, which is a trademark of a song-the film. In his debut feature film, he showcases his talent for short films on the big screen. Korean cinema may have lost the vibe of its earlier days, but this film reminds us that it hasn’t completely lost it. For the past few years, it almost felt like Dong-seok had lost his touch. Perhaps, the best compliment I can give to Derailed, is that it feels refreshing like the first time all over again.
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