Films with social criticism to hit theaters

Posters for the film "Toxic," left, and "Take Care of My Mother" / Courtesy of The Contents On, Cinepirun

By Kwak Yeon-soo

In the absence of blockbusters, films that feature sharp social commentary and deep thinking will come to theaters this month, as will movies exploring family dynamics.

"TOXIC," based on the popular novel by So Jae-won, revolves around a fatal humidifier disinfectant scandal in Korea that caused at least 1,600 deaths (but unofficially presumed to be as high as 14,000) and affected more than 670,000 people.

Kim Sang-kyung plays an ER doctor who investigates his wife's sudden death, as several victims and their families fight a chemical manufacturing corporation to uncover the truth. Lee Sun-bin portrays the victims' lawyer while Yoon Kyung-ho stars as an official at the chemical company.

"TOXIC" is about how companies can commit crimes "unintentionally," causing people to suffer through the air they breathe.

"Some 14,000 people were estimated to have died from the deadly humidifier disinfectant scandal, but we know very little about it. We feel great responsibility in telling this story," actor Kim said.

"Take Care of My Mom" is an apt portrayal of a mother-son relationship. As life expectancies increase, adults are looking after their elderly parents for longer periods of time. This film depicts the challenges the middle-aged Jong-wook (Kim Young-min) faces once he becomes the primary caregiver of his 85-year-old mother Mal-im (Kim Young-ok). It will hit theaters April 13.

"I made this movie with the intention of thinking about a mother who has a place in everybody's heart," director Park Kyung-mok said.

"I Want to Know Your Parents" is based on a Japanese drama about bullying. An eighth-grade student kills himself after writing the names of the students who victimized him. The perpetrators' parents are then called into the school and a dispute arises regarding the note. Seol Kyung-gu plays the role of a perpetrator's father who fights for his son's innocence while Chun Woo-hee stars as the teacher.

School bullying has been regarded as a serious social issue here in recent years. It swept the entertainment industry last year, and a handful of celebrities had to quit or withdraw from their careers after their childhood history of bullying was revealed.

The film was shot in 2017, but was delayed after actor Oh Dal-su was embroiled in a #MeToo scandal. The actor was found not guilty of the sexual assault charges in 2019. Then the COVID-19 pandemic broke out and disrupted its release date. It will hit theaters April 27.

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