Synopsis

Chan-woo has spent the last 5 years studying to join the police force. The walls of his stuffy studio are too thin to keep the noise out and let him focus on his studies. He is dragged to a gathering where he poses as a police officer before drinking himself unconscious. On the morning of the deadline to register for the police force entrance exam, he wakes up next to a dead boy covered in blood. He storms out in shock and realizes he had been at his noisy neighbor’s house next door. Resembling a closed circle novel, it is interesting to see the protagonist frantically trying to figure out what to do within the limited space of his studio, but what is more interesting is how the film unravels in an unpredictable manner to an unexpected twist. The film also offers a stark portrait of Korea’s state entrance exam culture. (Martin LEE)

Diretor

YEOM Ji-ho

Born on March 8, 1989, director YEOM Ji-ho graduated from School of Film, Korea National University of Arts. His first short film Equalizer (2015) was invited to many film festivals, including Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, and his follow-up Wait There (2016) competed in Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival’s The Extreme Nightmare section and won over the audience. Next Door (2021) is his feature directorial debut.