Ha-roo (2017) Reviews

• Beautiful Story, A Bit Bloody

  alisonc-12017-07-23

  Famous humanitarian doctor Jun-young (Kim Myung-min) often misses the birthday of his daughter Eun-jung (Jo Eun-hyung), but on May 17, he's flying home to Seoul just in time for it. On his way from the airport, he stops to help at an accident involving a taxi, but then sees another victim of the accident - none other than Eun-jung. And then he wakes up again in the plane heading home on May 17….After several repeated days, he is confronted by ambulance driver Min-chul (Byun Yo-han), who is also repeating May 17 over and over, and who also has lost someone in the accident. They team up to try to figure out how they can stop the day from repeating in an endless loop, and how they can save their loved ones…. The audience knows about the deaths about 10 minutes into this film, so that's not a spoiler. Instead, the film focuses on how the main characters react to their losses, how they try to prevent them and how they change as people in the process. It's *quite* bloody, so if you're squeamish, this may not be the film for you; but it's beautifully filmed and has a really big heart. Quite emotional and at the same time full of moral dimensions, "A Day" is simply a gem.

• A Thrilling and Intense Ride

  moviebuffchick2018-05-11

  A Day provides a fresh take on the "endless loop" story. My suggestion is to NOT watch the trailer... don't even read the synopsis if you haven't already. If you like loop movies and thrillers... just check it out! Even the synopsis on IMDB gives away information that I had no idea was coming during the film (I went in completely blind during a film festival). Overall, A Day was very well-rounded. A great thriller that maintained high levels of suspense and intensity from beginning to end... even a few chuckles in there. It was such a fun and interesting ride. Watching everything unfold... and wondering what new secrets would be revealed as you got deeper into the story. The production, direction, acting, cinematography... ALL very well done.

• An excellent rumination on consequences and redemption

  ctowyi2017-08-12

  This is a tough review to write without dropping spoilers, but I will try. In fact, I would also recommend not watching the trailer because it drops a huge spoiler that will rob you of the feverish fun you are going to have. Trust me, go in blind and like me you will come up for breath 90 minutes later with a big smile. This is a mystery drama revolving around a doctor Kim Joon Young (Kim Myung Min) who is just returning from a successful humanitarian overseas trip. He arranges to meet his headstrong young daughter Eun Jung (Jo Eun Hyung) on the day of her birthday. On the way to the rendezvous, he witnesses a car accident and realises she was killed in it. And then the day starts all over again for him… Yes, A Day is South Korea's version of Groundhog Day (1993), a time loop genre film. The most recent successful exponents include Timecrimes (2007), Triangle (2009), Edge of Tomorrow (2014) and Source Code (2011). The dynamics of the game are the same – the protagonist either uses the loop to his/her advantage (getting into the pants of Andie MacDowell as in the case of Groundhog Day), or he/she tries to solve the puzzle of the loop so that time can be linear again, or he/she feels the loop is a second chance to avert a disaster from happening as in the case of Source Code and Edge of Tomorrow. A Day doesn't differ in all these aspects, but what it does spectacularly well is that it throws not one but two spanners in the works that gives the over-tired genre a kick in the butt. The movie switches gear effortlessly. The first act feels recycled and familiar, but Kim Myung Min anchors the horrendous scenes compellingly well. Witnessing your daughter's death and not being able to do anything about it is definitely a sickening feeling. At a lean, mean and spry 90 minutes, the movie has hardly any fats. It moves forward (or is it repetitively?) propulsively and doesn't waste time in letting the protagonist feel his way through the time loop puzzle. The character behaves like he is weaned on time loop movies and quickly gets down to the job of solving the puzzle and asking himself why he is in a loop. The premise is so compelling that it kept me front and centre, wondering how he will unlock the puzzle of the waking nightmare. Just as when you start to think you are cruising along a well-treaded narrative path, writer-director Cho Sun-Ho drops a bombshell and your eyes will grow wide as saucers. No, I won't share what it is and please don't go check out the trailer too. Cho's previous screenplay is the derivative horror-killer flick Killer Toon (2013). A Day marks his debut as a director with a screenplay also written by him. This is a vast improvement and it put a gleeful smile on my face as I walked out of the cinema. It is not just an action thriller; it is also a concerted cogitation on consequences and redemption.

• Another masterpiece from South Korea

  ayhanx-712732018-08-12

  I don't want write long story here.Just watch and enjoy this excited movie.