In some parts of Asia, the Chinese title of this film is known as “Avenging Mother”, even though the film is not about revenge. Whereas in South Korea, it translates as “Find Me”. “Bring Me Home” also marks the return of actress Lee Young-ae to the big screen after 14 long years. Of course she was last seen in Park Chan-wook’s “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance” back in 2005. Nonetheless, she has been busy doing historical television series since 2017.
“Bring Me Home” is about a dedicated mother, Jung-yeon, looking for her son who went missing six years ago. Her husband still drives around looking for him every day, following clues and any potential sighting that he comes across. Unfortunately, during a prank call in which he follows up, he’s killed in a car accident. But this doesn’t stop Jung-yeon from looking, one day she receives a tip-off which leads her to a small fishing community outside the city. Eventually, her encounter with the locals while searching for her lost son ends in more heart breaks and bloodshed.
This dark drama is the work of first time director Kim Seung-woo, in which he also writes the screenplay. The subject matter is heavy; it deals with child abuse, slavery, class issues, human evils and corrupt cops. Consequently, the actions are not shown on screen, it’s up to the viewers to insinuate and this turns out to be a more effective way in bringing the theme across.
The film definitely benefits from the casting of Lee Young-ae as the lead, since her performance as the desperate mother, Jung-yeon is strong and her screen presence is still magnetic. She has to portray a suffering mother character that goes through hell: loses her husband, she gets threatened, beaten up, but she never gives up hope. In fact, her acting seems to have matured even after years away from the big screen.
During the search for her son in the fishing community, Jung-yeon comes across Hong, a corrupted police sergeant, a most unlikable man who’s also cruel and cunning; he’s played by the charismatic and brilliant Yoo Jae-myung. He’s on the take and fits right in with those low class workers that populate the fishing community, which doubles as a hideout for criminals. These locals have two young kids living with them, who are treated like slaves and sleep in run down shacks, and obviously they’re not their own children. Seung-yeon is led to believe that one of the kids might be her son, and that’s the reason she ends up looking there, and hence unfortunately, crossing path with this mob of misfits.
“Bring Me Home” is both a bleak and slow film with a strong message about human suffering, particularly in the sacrifices mothers make for their children. The pace picks up near the end during the showdown between Jung-yeon and the bad cop; it’s quite suspenseful and thrilling to watch. However, it is also emotionally depressing and lacks humor; the tear-jerking experience is too predictable, making it less mesmerizing while it tries to pull your heart strings. It’s not a feel-good drama, but the saving grace is the acting of Lee Young-ae while the character of the corrupted cop is a plus too.
