Fascinated and shocked to learn how an online seller is able to harass the victim by using phone calls, text messages and other electronic means, director Park was keen to bring the story to the big screen. Alternately known as “Don’t Buy the Seller” and further inspired by real-life events about the dangers of buying goods from an online second-hand items market platform in Korea, the result is his crime thriller, “Target“.
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A confident, young woman Jang Soo-hyun (Shin Hye-sun) works as a team leader for an interior design company. Besides having to supervise some negligent workers onsite she also has to put up with her boss, director Kim (Im Chul-soo) who is forever harassing and flirting with her unnecessarily. In addition, her washing machine suddenly packs up after she moves into an apartment, bringing her more stress.
As new home appliances are getting more expensive, she decides to buy a cheaper, used one online to save money. However, after receiving a machine that does not work, she realizes that it is a scam. Jang tries to contact the seller only to discover that the online account has been deleted. Angry and frustrated, she decides to hunt down the seller herself since the police fail to help her. After many tries online, she eventually finds him. She then alerts buyers that he is a fraud which results in him losing sales.
A series of heated texting soon follows between them but Jang stands her ground and carries on with her abuses and attacks. Unfortunately, that turns out to be her biggest mistake as the scammer starts to terrorize her. Apart from the endless prank calls she gets, she also has to deal with food deliveries which she never ordered. Then horny men turn up at her door late at night looking for a good time. Before long, her everyday life has turned into a nightmare. Detective Joo (Kim Sung-kyun) from the Cyber Crime Unit finally comes to her rescue and together they set up a trap to lure the seller in.
Compared to other films of this nature, the plot here is pretty much the same. Typically, the antagonist is always one step ahead of his victim and becomes even more devilishly skillful when provoked. Furthermore, the action packed and over-the-top ending is solely to create the utmost atmosphere and tension to stir up the viewers. Still, it shows that Park is able to create tension with a touch of horror as seen in those truly dreadful moments showing the helpless Jang alone in her apartment.
Best known for her acting ability to portray different emotions in Korean dramas like “Mr. Queen” and “See You in My 19th Life”, Shin Hye-sun truly shines as the film’s lead. Her transition from a strong-willed and assertive character to a complete wreck is totally believable. She is a determined protagonist who refuses to give up and remains strong even when her life falls apart. The film certainly benefits from her display of a wide range of emotions like anger, fear and frustration.
Actor Kim Sung-kyun, who last appeared in the TV series “Moving”, plays detective Joo from the Cyber Crime Unit. Overloaded with online crime cases, he is unable to take on Jang’s case but after seeing her fall apart he finally takes her case seriously. However, Joo has a junior detective named Na (Kang Tae-on) who is actually more enthusiastic about victim Jang’s scenario. Elsewhere, Im Chul-soo has a small role as director Kim, Jang’s flirty boss.
“Target” is very much a cautionary thriller which shows how easily online scammers can target us. It is indeed scary that they can get our personal details with just a few clicks on the keyboard. Nonetheless, Shin’s captivating performance alone is enough to warrant a watch. Besides, there are enough thrills and suspense to make the film reasonably exciting.
