Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: NEXT DOOR [Fantasia International Film Festival 2022 - Virtual]
The idea of best laid plans remain in the eyes of the beholder. The key for many films is to have a relatable character that people can identify with which sometimes can be an issue if the material is too dark or outside the norm. With "Next Door" [International Premiere], the character of Chan-Woo is caught in circumstances in the apartment next door which he doesn't understand. Hee-Jin Choi plays Woo with a perfect sense of innocence, idiocy and a sense of incredulity. He literally wants to do the right thing but can't resist himself as he gets a taste for his own adventure. He gets drawn into an altercation happening next door but has no idea the particulars except that it happened after he woke up from a hard night of drinking and doesn't know what happened. It also makes sense in terms of the reason where he ended up. The funny part of it is that Woo is studying to take the cop entrance exam which it seems he has failed more than a few time. This desperation and need to please by Woo is what makes the tone of the film work.
The girl who seemingly shows up and a person of unknown origin on the floor allows the story to unfold based on the lies said in the actual room. Why "Next Door" works is that it is not full of dread though violence does come to bear. Woo seems to have his own theme music playing at times in his head which is awesome. And the way the plans of the movie keep changing it goes between terror on his part to a fun game to a romantic interlude and then back to terror. The resolution plays well back to Woo because he is who he is. The movie doesn't try to change him but keeps his reactions as the everyman, even when the circumstances, even inside his apartment building are not the same as everyday. The film also keeps you questioning what path Woo will take but human behavior shows that not everyone is the sharpest tool in the shed but they do their best. "Next Door" takes that idea into practice with a sense of frivolity when worlds can crumble in a second with a wrong move. B+
By Tim Wassberg
