Just by the plot alone, I knew I had to check out the Korean thriller by director Kim Seong-hun titled Tunnel, that follows an everyday guy that becomes trapped in a collapsed tunnel on the way home. Featuring a small but great cast, and a touching story that showcases the best and worst of people in a terrible situation, this movie is sure to tunnel its way into your spirit (yes, bad pun intended).
The story wastes no time at all following the life of Lee Jung-soo (Ha Jung-woo), a family man on his way home to celebrate his daughter’s birthday with a wonderful cake in tow. As he drives through a tunnel that hasn’t been long built, it begins to crack and eventually collapse, trapping him inside with only his cell phone, the cake, and a few bottles of water to survive with. It isn’t long before things start to go downhill as he calls his wife Se-hyun (Bae Doona) to let her know what happened, which eventually leads to a rescue team being deployed that’s headed by Kim Dae-kyung (Oh Dal-su) who advises Lee to ration his food and water to make it last a week. This proves to be difficult as Lee discovers a woman that’s also trapped in the tunnel with a dog that he gladly shares his rations with. With his cell phone battery and food running out, and the government fighting to look good in the eyes of the public which begins impeding Lee’s rescue, this film will keep you glued to your seat until it’s powerful conclusion.
Watching how this played out was amazing, as director Kim Seong-hun captures the drama of being stuck in a tunnel and the madness and desperation of what’s going on outside of it on the surface as well. The cast was perfect and I loved how they do their best to push forward despite overwhelming odds on both sides as the tension builds. With this being a DVD only release, the film looks and sounds good with its original Korean audio track, but it would’ve been nice to see it in high definition on Blu-ray. It also would be nice if there were some special features included, such as interviews with the cast and crew, behind the scenes of making the effects and dramatic camera angles, etc. Even without any extras, the movie itself more than makes up for it.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen anything this gripping and Tunnel comes highly recommended for anyone that enjoys gripping dramas. A perfect cast and a well told story that will keep you on the edge of your seat and glued to the screen is what you’ll find buried in this tunnel of a masterpiece.
