It’s a difficult feat these days to offer a fresh take on the oversaturated horror premise of the maniacal killer stalking the hysterical Final Girl. After all, movies have been recycling this plotline for decades, sometimes with little divergence in overall story and character mapping. Midnight, the South Korean debut from director Oh-Seung Kwon, not only manages to balance originality and familiarity, it also provides an impressive amount of emotional stakes to keep the viewer on the edge of their seats.

Living as a deaf person would understandably come with difficulties, though modern technology thankfully aids those who are hearing impaired in various ways. We get a glimpse of this within the first few moments of the film with main protagonist Kyung-Mi (played with genuine vulnerability by Ki-joo Jin), as we see her communicating with customers via video chat at her call center job. There’s an immediate, genuine likeability to her character that feels charmingly authentic, as we witness her toggle back and forth between professional and sweet (when helping a friendly customer) to tough and ornery (when confronting a rude customer, and later her demeaning boss). Kyung-Mi has more important matters on her mind, though, as she’s planning a beach trip with her mom (Hae-yeon Kil), who is also deaf.

We are simultaneously introduced to So-Jung, who is excitedly preparing for a blind date, much to the chagrin of her overbearing, strict brother Jong-Tak So (Park Hoon). He chastises her on her outfit choice, gives her a rigid curfew, and generally comes off as extremely controlling. This exchange feels jarring even after the expositional tidbits given to suggest both their parents are deceased. Regardless, So-Jung handles it all in stride, playfully negotiating the time in which she’ll be home even as she’s bounding out the door.

All of this is expertly played out within the first moments of the film, offering enough background for the audience to gain a sufficient understanding for these characters and what makes them tick, while also not plodding into slow burn territory. We are treated to a few moments of sweet interaction between Kyung-Mi and her mother, giving us an opportunity to understand both the ease and the struggles that the deaf and hearing impaired experience each day. Both actresses portray their relationship in such a raw, realistic way that they are absolutely captivating to watch, which only accelerates the stakes for the rest of the movie.

Their infectious joy is short-lived, however, once Kyung-Mi and her mom end up in a cruel wrong place, wrong time scenario when Kyung-Mi happens upon a distressed and injured So-Jung, who is begging for help. Thus launches the three women, and the remainder of the movie, into the sadistic hands of crazed serial killer Do-Shik (played by Wi Ha-Joon, fresh off the heels of his success in Squid Game), who will stop at nothing to claim his next victims.

An intricate game of cat-and-mouse ensues, pitting Kyung-Mi up against the tenacious and terrifying Do-Shik, in a situation where being able to hear the footsteps of your stalker is essential. This is where the film suffers its only true setbacks, as some scenarios seem not only too convenient, but also swing into unbelievable territory. There’s enough tried-and-true horror movie tropes of characters making bad decisions, or others acting in ways that seem borderline superhuman, to give the viewer the urge to yell at their screen. 

Despite this, Wi Ha-Joon shines as Do-Shik, who is able to go from chilling to charismatic moment to moment so well that it’s difficult to take your eyes off of him. Though he does display some Michael Myers-like questionable invincibility and ingenuity, the rest of his character is so compelling that it’s easy to overlook the rest. 

The characters, and the performances of the actors portraying them, carries Midnight through the few pitfalls it has, allowing the viewer to shrug those off and enjoy the bigger takeaways; the attachment that forms for these individuals and their fight to stay alive. It all wraps up in an ending that will surely bring multiple emotions to the surface for those who have been along for the ride. 

8 out of 10