Being caught in an unpredictable and dangerous situation is a good foundation for many genres, as it opens up many possibilities, even a blend of many genre conventions, for the story to continue. At the same time, especially when being confronted with a tight budget, it can be used quite effectively and economically given the right script and skill as a visual storyteller. In the past, Korean filmmaker Yeom Ji-ho had quite a few opportunities to harness and develop those skills, with his short feature “Mosquito”, “Toilet” and “Equalizer” to his talents when it comes to developing characters and situation. His feature debut “Next Door”, which already screened at festivals such as New York Asian Film Festival 2021 and Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival 2022, if further proof of these particular skills considering the story of one man being trapped in a stressful situation is half thriller, half comedy, with many tense and downright ironic moments.
“Next Door” is screening on Fantasia International Film Festival
For five years, Chan-woo (Oh Dong-min) has been trying unsuccessfully to enlist in the Korean police force, and even though his landlady is still supportive of him, his parents' patience is running thin, and he has become something of a running gag among his peers. However, this time, he has sworn to himself, he will pass the test, so he has been studying most of the year, surviving only on fried rice and staying away from alcohol and parties. His only issue, apart from the boiler in his apartment not working properly, is the noise from his next door-neighbor, a young woman who obviously has a lot of arguments with her boyfriend, resulting in many complaints from him as well as other tenants.
His mood changes upon finding out he lacks the funds in order to meet the deadline for his application, so that Chan-woo has to call one of his friends to ask him for some money, who, in return, demands he joins him for some drinks. On the next morning, Chan-woo wakes up to a grim sight, because, aside from having a bad hangover, next to his bed he finds the body of a man, his head surrounded by a pool of blood. To make matters worse, he notices it is the apartment of his noisy neighbor, and with her probably on her way back home, he also has to get back to his apartment, avoiding his landlady and other people.
Although the foundation of his feature could perhaps not be more minimalist, Yeom Ji-ho does his best with the elements of this particular story, thus creating a truly entertaining and funny movie. One of the most important factors here is the leading performance by Oh Dong-min, showing Chan-woo as a person trapped in an unusual and dangerous situation, but not as the butt of the joke, so to speak. His struggles are understandable, as are his faults, making him a character you often find yourself rooting for, especially when he shows his skills as an investigator and setting up a crime scene to get out of a mess he (presumably) has created himself. At the same time, the actor's talent for physical comedy and slapstick adds much to the humor of the feature, thus resulting in many very funny moments.
Apart from the performances, “Next Door” also has some great set design to offer its viewer. While emphasizing the emotional state of the characters, it also creates a sense of tension and chaos as the protagonist begins to remember what happened last night before he blacked out, through his own recollection or through other people telling him. The blend of comedy and thriller is highlighted with the constant action in the background, mostly through noises of other neighbors, a worker trying to fox the boiler in the other room or other tenants complaining about the sounds coming from the apartment, where Chan-woo attempts to piece together the events of last night and how he might be able to get out of this situation. Director Yeom Ji-ho, along with cinematographer Jae-min Park and sound designer Jeong-won Yang, manage to create a busy, hectic and stressful environment, stressing the impossible situation the main character is in.
In conclusion, “Next Door” is a suspenseful, and quite entertaining blend of thriller and comedy. Yeom Ji-ho has created a feature which offers suspenseful and funny moments, thanks to its great lead performers as well as its overall design and sense of timing.
