Ch.192New Evil

October, third week.

Due to the rave reviews from people who attended the VIP preview.

Movie theaters nationwide experienced an unexpected boom.

From early morning screenings to late night shows.

Whenever The Real Hero was showing, it was completely sold out.

Especially at places called “Dragon Eye IMAX,” it was literally a war zone.

People who made it through competition rates of at least several hundred to one.

Among those people was Ji Eunbi, a devoted fan of Kim Donghu.

‘Amazing! Prime time! The best seats!’

Row J, seat 14.

Close to the center of the screen, with a comfortable viewing angle and perfect sound harmony.

Seated there, Eunbi turned off her phone while hiding her excitement.

‘Plus, this showing even includes a stage greeting!’

Actually, she thought front row seats wouldn’t have been bad either.

Since she could see Kim Donghu up close after the movie ended.

But today, the movie was the main focus.

‘Sadly!’

Eunbi boldly chose row J, seat 14.

‘The person next to me… Japanese? Looks cute.’

Glancing at the person seated in J15, they clearly looked like another devoted fan of Kim Donghu.

‘His popularity knows no national boundaries.’

Muttering that, Eunbi slowly adjusted to the darkening theater.

As the lights dimmed, the occasional voices gradually subsided.

Finally, with a boom! from the speakers, the movie began playing.

The first scene is in black and white.

Similar to the opening of the independent film Hero.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

A child brutally beating to death a stray dog that had been following some children.

A child who thought he would be praised as a hero for such actions.

When that child turned around, everyone screamed and ran away.

<Why are you screaming and running away? I saved you>

<I saved you from the villain who was trying to bully you, from evil>

<I’m a hero, one who carried out justice and beat evil to death, a hero>

Like a silent film.

The hero’s childhood situation is depicted through subtitles and black and white imagery.

Brief yet intense.

Like a condensed summary of childhood moments.

Silently.

Everyone focuses as if entranced by the black and white screen composed only of subtitles and sound effects.

No one dares close their eyes for fear of missing subtitles.

They suppress coughs to concentrate on even the smallest sounds.

How much time passed like that?

After what felt like an eternity.

Color gradually seeps into the black and white screen.

And simultaneously, the title appears.

<The Real Hero>

The logo appears boldly then gradually fades.

Starting the actual main feature.

The time period is modern.

The setting is a dark tunnel.

Thwack!

In a tunnel with all lights turned off.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

The sound of someone being violently beaten.

Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!

The camera, like the eyes of a frightened person,

Cautiously approaches the scene.

<“Kuhek, puhek… urgh… p-please, spare me.”>

<“Yes, that’s what you should say. You should beg for your life.”>

A truck driver with tape half-fallen from his mouth begging for his life.

A man expressionlessly throws punches at the truck driver.

Thwack! Thwack!

<“Because killing people is cheaper than treating them, that’s why you killed them.”>

Think of it as receiving the same punishment.

I’m choosing to kill you rather than hoping people forgive you.

Brass knuckles and thin leather gloves.

The melody of violence they create makes the audience’s skin crawl.

‘What is this… What is this? It’s too scary.’

As if the camera lens might shatter at any moment.

It shakes and loses strength, representing the truck driver’s perspective.

And then the truck driver’s phone rings.

Without hesitation, the hero answers it.

Click.

<“You answered quickly today? Does that mean the goods are fresh?”>

<“…Goods?”>

<“Yes, goo… Who are you?”>

Click.

The call ends there.

After finishing off the truck driver, the man frowns and opens the truck’s door.

And there…

<“….”>

Human organs were being coldly stored.

From the names of the organs in boxes to the appropriate temperature for organ preservation.

They say to hide a tree, put it in a forest.

No one would have thought human trafficking would be conducted so brazenly.

Because cargo trucks carrying goods is such an ordinary concept.

<“….”>

The hero silently closed the cargo door.

And simultaneously, the screen goes black.

A shot from inside the cargo area.

And soon when the cargo door opens again and the view brightens…

<“…What the fuck is this?”>

The speaker had changed.

Name tag reading Jo Yongsu, dressed as a police officer.

‘Wow, that scene transition was perfect.’

A temporary safety zone set up with tape and traffic cones.

Many police officers were investigating the scene.

<“How many murders is this now?”>

<“…More than 8 cases.”>

<“Is it acceptable that we still can’t catch one serial killer?”>

How in today’s world could they fail to prevent serial killings?

The police officers frowned.

<“Does this human trafficking seem connected to any organization?”>

<“That’s… unclear. He took all the related evidence.”>

<“….”>

Human trafficking operates in groups.

Those groups would number at least ten.

What if he finds the scene first?

Another murder would obviously occur.

He never leaves criminals alive.

A criminal who kills criminals protected by the law,

Whom all citizens wish to see judged.

That’s exactly who he was.

<“Why do people like serial killers so much?”>

<“Pardon?”>

<“It’s just people killing people, but why are they so enthusiastic? Why get angry? It’s someone else’s business anyway.”>

<“Well, that’s….”>

<“They needed somewhere to throw stones, and a target appeared, so they throw them. What exactly is public sentiment?”>

<“Pardon?”>

<“Public sentiment, public opinion, that stuff. Should we kill everyone when we’re angry? Can you truly hate someone you’ve never met enough to kill them? Suddenly overnight? Does that make sense?”>

Yongsu spat as if frustrated.

It’s ridiculous.

People who previously paid no attention suddenly become unified in wanting to kill someone when the news reports, “It’s unfortunate, a bad person received insufficient punishment.”

They throw eggs bought from neighborhood supermarkets at police.

Individuals suddenly becoming groups that judge crimes.

Becoming angry mobs was truly absurd.

The conversation ends there.

After that, the movie quickly advances the situation.

Giving just a brief moment to breathe.

Then rushing forward rapidly again.

The hero’s movements to find the human traffickers’ base.

The police’s movements to catch the hero.

Not a single scene is wasted.

From composition to subtle color tones.

And the placement of props and movement lines.

Like slowly sculpting an art piece.

Making viewers think every scene has intention behind it.

And finally.

<“…Found it.”>

We arrive at the beginning of the one-take scene that had been endlessly predicted in online communities.

‘…Is this the place?’

‘But it starts so dark, the atmosphere is extremely contrasting.’

‘Is it really one-take? There was so much talk about this…’

‘A one-take in Korea, without guns… but thrilling? I really don’t know.’

At that moment of heightened audience expectation.

Bang!

The hero violently kicks open an old iron door and enters.

People were startled by the unexpected development.

Though they’d seen many scenes of doors being kicked open,

Seeing an iron door bend when kicked was uncommon.

Following that.

Crash!

A baseball thrown by the hero is seen breaking a light fixture.

Clearly no stunt double is used.

Because from the moment of throwing to the impact,

Everything is cleanly connected in one take.

<“Who the hell are you!”>

<“Hero.”>

A line that might seem somewhat cheesy.

But Kim Donghu’s face in that moment swallows all the cringe.

How far can one actor carry a film?

As if to demonstrate that upper limit, Kim Donghu, no, Hero, launches his body.

What follows is exhilarating action.

The scene never cuts, utilizing every prop to advance the sequence.

<“What the hell is this guy! Get him!”>

<“This crazy bastard!”>

He doesn’t fear knives and clubs being swung at him.

Instead, he trusts his knuckles, meeting weapons head-on to deflect or break them.

It doesn’t end with simply beating people down.

To completely cut off their breathing, he kills people who are already down.

Not many movements were needed.

Just gripping the brass knuckles tightly and striking down at the neck.

The cervical spine breaks and the neck bone fractures, leading directly to death.

The most perfect and clean movement.

A boxing gold medalist committing murder.

That sensation is clearly imprinted in the audience’s eyes.

The human traffickers number roughly twenty.

The actual time it takes to kill twenty people is exactly 10 minutes.

Not flashy action but raw reality is reflected on screen.

The sincere full power that a heavyweight boxer might show if determined to commit crimes.

A killing machine.

<“Y-you, who the hell are you! Who, who sent you!”>

So much so that even the person holding a gun is trembling.

‘…It’s scary because it’s too realistic.’

‘Is this… really what it’s like when a person kills another person?’

People kept forgetting to breathe due to the excessively high realism.

Bang!

Only when the gunshot is heard do they exhale heavily.

The audience realized then.

The image of the real hero they had imagined was.

Miserable, destructive, and cruel.

Not the image of evil created from good intentions, a criminal like that.

What they see before them is truly a brutal being.

A new evil that punishes criminals.

And simultaneously.

‘This… is unbelievably entertaining.’

Everyone silently vowed to watch it multiple times.

This was just as the movie had passed its midpoint.