Actor and director Hyun Woo-sung has taken on directing with ‘City of Evil’.
On the afternoon of the 12th, a press screening and media conference for the film ‘City of Evil’ was held at CGV Yongsan I-Park Mall in Yongsan, Seoul, with director Hyun Woo-sung and actors Han Chae-young, Jang In-soo, and Kim Hye-eun in attendance.
‘City of Evil’ is a sociopathic thriller that delves into the depths of human nature through the intertwined lives of ‘Yoo-jung (Han Chae-young)’, who believes in goodwill, ‘Kang-soo (Jang In-soo)’, who rejects faith, and ‘Sun-hee (Hyun Woo-sung)’, who uses people, in a catastrophic relationship that can only end in death.
Director Hyun Woo-sung, making his directorial debut with ‘City of Evil’, stated, “The motivation for directing came from always being concerned about the bad people around me. Especially when I see actors, I realize they are often deceived. There are many bad people around, and I wanted to raise awareness for those who live kindly, but some misunderstood, which led me to make this film.”
‘City of Evil’ features performances from Han Chae-young, Jang In-soo, and Kim Hye-eun. Han Chae-young plays the role of ‘Yoo-jung’, an internet star instructor, portraying a character whose belief in humanity leads to cracks in her daily life. Meanwhile, director Hyun Woo-sung makes his acting debut in a leading role with ‘City of Evil’, playing ‘Sun-hee’, who appears kind on the outside but is a complex character with a hidden duality, showcasing a strong villainous role that differentiates from his previous performances. Jang In-soo joins as ‘Kang-soo’, Yoo-jung’s brother and a reliable ally, completing the intense psychological battle among the three characters.
Han Chae-young, returning to the screen after eight years with ‘City of Evil’, shared, “The last film I shot was ‘Neighbor Star’, which was a comedy. I haven’t done a dark genre since ‘Wildcard’ 20 years ago. So when I received this script after a long time, I felt a desire to try it. I became curious about what kind of film would come out if I shot a movie in 2024. Also, the director was overflowing with confidence, which made me feel confident about participating.”
Above all, in this project, director Hyun Woo-sung not only directed but also acted. He explained why he took on the villain role, saying, “I had asked actors to play the villain role. We talked a lot, and I communicated with those who are good at acting about this role, but they were not interested in a cool villain. They wanted some modifications. I wanted to express a bad person who is seen in everyday life, someone who is in the gray area of the law, but they seemed hesitant about that type of villain. As the shooting date approached, I ended up taking on the role myself.”
The thriller ‘City of Evil’ depicts the events that unfold when star instructor ‘Yoo-jung’ becomes entangled with ‘Sun-hee’ due to a one-night mistake, illustrating the catastrophic relationship among the three characters as the true nature of evil gradually reveals itself. It realistically portrays crimes such as dating violence, gaslighting, and stalking, which frequently occur in modern society, raising social awareness among the audience while delivering a heavy message.
Han Chae-young stated, “Everyone has both good and evil within them, but since we cannot express the evil, the role of good becomes very important. I hope that through this film, viewers can feel the importance of controlling that. In fact, there is no one without duality. I want to convey the message that when the existence of evil grows too large, there will be a harsh price to pay.”
Director Hyun Woo-sung remarked, “The devil approaches kindly. I want to emphasize this strongly. I believe that while living, one will likely be deceived and will think of the film I made.”
[Yongsan (Seoul) = Son Jin-a, MK Sports Reporter]
