Shopping for second-hand items online becomes a terrifying and life-threatening situation in the upcoming Korean action thriller Target starring K-Drama’s most renowned actors led by Shin Hae-Sun, along with Kang Tae-Oh and Kim Sung-Kyun. Together the actors give life to everyday, realistic characters embroiled in the hazards brought about by online scams.
Soo-hyun’s (Hae-Sun) life falls apart when she is targeted by a killer after buying a used washing machine online. Bent on saving costs due to skyrocketing prices of goods, Soo-hyun falls for a deal when a seller posted a second-hand washing machine online at a very cheap, irresistible price only to find out that she’s been scammed since the item is not working. Annoyed and unwilling to let it slide, Soo-hyun tracks the seller and warns everyone online about being scammed to protect potential buyers from the fraudulent seller. She soon finds out that this is no ordinary scammer and will do anything at all costs to stop her from spreading the word against him. Strange things soon happen as she start to experience receiving strange text messages and deliveries at home she hasn’t even placed. Shaken, Soo-hyun reports the incidents to the police that led them to a terrifying revelation that she bought an item from a killer.
Target starts off with the realistic subject of second-hand shopping, which has become a familiar part of our daily lives, and combines it with the thriller genre with added cinematic imagination. The plot of being scammed and targeted by a criminal in a used goods online market, where anyone can easily sell and buy, is not just for the movies, but something that could be happening to someone right now. The film sharply captures the crime of online second-hand shopping and maximizes suspense with a heightened sense of reality.
Shin adds to the immersion by expressing Soo-hyun’s emotions as she goes from an ordinary office worker to the target of a killer whose life falls apart as she is anonymously threatened. From the anger of being scammed in a used item purchase, to the fear that someone is watching her every move, and the despair of not being able to escape the criminal’s watch, Shin delicately expresses the various emotions with a three-dimensional, compelling performance. Portraying not just a victim who is unconditionally targeted, but a woman who takes action to find the culprit, Shin leads the audience with her intense performance. Director Park Hee-kon expressed his great satisfaction in working with Shin Hae-sun, saying, “It is difficult to express various emotions where an ordinary office worker becomes a target of crime, and to coordinate the changes with other actors, but I was amazed to witness her doing that every day on set.”
An Encore Films to be distributed by Warner Bros., Target opens October 18 in local cinemas.
