INTRUDERS

To finish off a screenplay, Sang-jin goes to his family B&B in a quiet mountainous village looking for some peace, away from any distraction. On his way there, he meets an overzealous local ex-convict named Hak-su, who insists on helping him. Just as he settles into the closed downed for winter season B&B, Sang-jin runs into mysterious poachers. The following morning, a small group of skiers, including an attractive girl, asks him to lend them rooms at the B&B which Sang-jin agrees to against his will. As Sang-jin unexpectedly becomes their host, he is mistaken for taking voyeuristic photos. The skiers persuade Sang-jin to let them use his barbecue and to share the B&B owner’s secret stash of food without permission. Afterwards Sang-jin ends up allowing even the poachers and Hak-su to use his barbecue as well. Upon finishing his screenplay, Sang-jin comes out for some fresh air and discovers one of the skiers passed out in the barbecue area. One thing leading to another, he finds himself tied up to a chair and accused of attempted rape. So much for working in peace… If there’s something that makes contemporary Korean cinema so fascinating, it’s the enthusiasm with which directors mix, mash up or transform several genres into one movie; ranging from comedy crime adventure thrillers and melodramatic politically charged monster films to intimate scifi satire. Intruders, directed by Young-seok Noh ( Daytime Drinking ) is one of those films. Hidden under the tense thriller package, hides a full blown political and social satire and a black comedy of errors. And we haven’t even mentioned the healthy doses of gore, slasher and murder, presented with much cinematographic style and flair.