South Korea is no stranger to disaster movies—entries cover tidal waves to zombie viruses. The most recent addition combines The Towering Inferno, the French Dans la Brume (A Breath Away), the Three Stooges, and any movie where a guy wants to impress a girl. Let me explain.
Our sad-sack-but-soon-to-be-hero Yong-nam (Jo Jung-suk) has been living with his parents since failing to get a job after college, now some years hence. His one strength is that he’s an excellent rock-climber. Back in school, he had a crush on our Love Interest Eui-joo (K-pop star Kim Yoon-ah), but she friend-zoned him hard, and they’ve not seen each other since.
Back to the present: Yong-nam’s mother is nearing her 70th birthday, and he decides that they need to have her celebration in a high-rise in a distant city. Oddly enough, it turns out that Eui-joo is the assistant manager there, and she’s assigned to make sure the party goes smoothly. What are the odds?
Unbeknownst to both of them, though, the disgruntled cofounder of a nearby biotech company has decided to seek his revenge THAT VERY NIGHT by releasing a toxic gas into the city. Said gas promptly disobeys all laws of physics by creeping close to the ground along the main streets. Then it starts rising…
The partygoers and Eui-yoo quickly realize they need to get to the roof—too bad the door’s locked when they get there. BUT. It can be opened from the outside. Guess who’s climbing skills are about to get a workout?
Writer/director Lee Sang-guen’s debut feature has several things going for it, competence porn chief among them—no superheroes here. Its CGI visuals are also truly stunning, with nailbiting climbing shots from below and above. It (smartly, for once) incorporates the power and reach of both social media and drones in service to the story, something you don’t see very often.
The main drawback—and this might simply be a cultural difference—is that the tone is all over the place. We have slapstick comedy, emotional indulgence, true tension, and romance all smushed together, which doesn’t really allow any of them to shine.
Still, Exit is a fun time. If you’re not afraid of heights, I’d say to go for it. Try to see it on a big screen if you can.
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Exit 100 min, not rated
Directed and written by Lee Sang-guen
Featuring Jo Jung-suk, Kim Yoon-ah, Ko Du-shim