The Witness (2018 South Korean Film)
The Witness (Korean: 목격자; RR: Mokkyeokja) is a 2018 South Korean thriller film directed by Jo Kyu-Jang. The film explores themes of social apathy and the moral dilemmas faced by an ordinary citizen who becomes an unwilling observer of a violent crime.
Plot
The story follows Sang-Hoon (played by Lee Sung-Min), a man living in a standard apartment complex. One night, he is awakened by a woman's screams. Upon looking out his window, he witnesses a man named Tae-Ho (Kwak Si-Yang) brutally attacking a woman with a hammer. During the incident, Sang-Hoon and the killer make direct eye contact. Fearing for his own safety and that of his family, Sang-Hoon chooses not to report the crime to the police.
The following day, the victim is found dead. Detective Jae-Yeob (Kim Sang-Ho) begins an investigation into the murder. Despite the ongoing police inquiry, Sang-Hoon remains silent about what he saw. As the killer continues to eliminate potential witnesses, Sang-Hoon finds himself caught in a dangerous situation, forced to protect his family while grappling with the consequences of his inaction.
Cast
The film features an ensemble cast portraying the residents and investigators involved in the case:
- Lee Sung-Min as Sang-Hoon
- Kim Sang-Ho as Detective Jae-Yeob
- Jin Kyung as Soo-Jin
- Kwak Si-Yang as Tae-Ho
- Park Bom as Eun-Ji
- Kim Sung-Kyun as Hyung-Gyoon
Production
The Witness was directed by Jo Kyu-Jang, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Lee Young-Jong. The film was produced by Oh Jung-Hyeon and Cha Ji-Hyeon and distributed by Next Entertainment World. It was released in South Korea on August 15, 2018, with a total runtime of 111 minutes.