Introductuon
Yeon Sang-ho is known for his 2016 directorial debut Train to Busan. His next release was 2018’s Psychokinesis, which shifts gears from the dire zombie genre to the comedy superhero genre. Psychokinesis retains the emotional depth exhibited in Train to Busan, exploring the nuanced dynamics of familial relationships. The central theme of the vibrant film revolves around the existential worries faced by the ordinary folk, rather than the super-territorial powers exhibited by the characters.
Psychokinesis is unique in its absence of the usual super-territorial, blockbuster style battle scenes. It instead pivots around the struggle of a single man brought to the periphery of his community, thrust into the rescue of his disintegrating family. The film, decorated with warmth, humor, and social criticism, strikes a balance between amusement and contemplation.
PsychoKinesis has a small but impressive cast, with each character vital for the progression of the story.
The character with the unique powers of psychokinesis is portrayed by Ryu Seung-ryong who plays Shin Seok-heon, the character’s name in the movie.
Portraying the daughter of Seok-heon is Shim Eun-kyung, who plays Shin Roo-mi. Roo-mi is goes through difficult times in her small family owned restaurant, as well as her community.
Park Jung-min plays Lawyer Kim, who offers words of encouragement, guidance, and advice to Roo-mi throughout the film.
Portrayed by Kim Min-jae is Manager Hong, a character written to serve as the antagonist for the business his character represents.
The story is brought to life thanks to Jung Yu-mi’s role as a television anchor. She is able to animate the story giving it depth.
Ever since Yeon Sang-ho first started storytelling, he is recognized for mixing action with really complex and emotional themes… in Psychokinesis, he still focuses on emotional layers, but this time, he adds humor, and more visual elements.
Now let’s delve deeper and analyze the story more.
In the beginning, we meet Shin Seok-heon, who works as a secuity guard and is portrayed as a man with no clear purpose in life. We also see him as a ‘flawed’ human, ‘lazy’ and ‘disengaged’ to those around him. One day, he ‘drinks’ from a ‘mountain spring’ and as a result, he gains psychokinetic powers, “ the ability to move things through the mind.”
At the beginning stages of gaining these powers, Seok-heon decides to use them in the most trivial and comical ways. His life changes however, in the moment he comes to know that his daughter Roo-mi is having a rather difficult life.
Her daughter Roo-mi is the owner of a fried ‘chicken’ and it is evident that she puts a lot of effort and hard-work in it. It is truly unfortunate that the society around is under great threat from a dome of oppression created by a ‘powerful’ construction company. Roo-mi fights this threat and is determined to keep her business and the society around her she cares deeply for safe. This problematic situation is the heart of the story since it is the center of the fight of small societies against larger ‘domes’ of oppression.
Upon learning of Roo-mi’s circumstances, he undertakes to help. Even if his absence during most of Roo-mi’s formative years left a gap in their relationship, he still attempts to exercise his newly discovered abilities on his daughter. The outcome is a combination of comical and heartfelt instances as he attempts to assert himself as a capable practitioner and a loving dad.
Both primary and secondary characters in a story must transform due to their own actions, and in the process, face obstacles that, if interpreted as acquired experience, will allow them to draw the most relevant concepts on the moral compass of the narrative. In this case, Roo-mi needs to determine the bounds of her trust and willingness to embrace her dad.
Main Ideas
- Reunion and Family
Psychokinesis revolves around the relationship with his daughter and the attempts they both make to reconnect after a long separation. Seok-heon is reckless and needs to grow up at times, and a bit of selfish, but all these traits do not make him a complete villain. He is just a person who needs to understand that he can do better. Roo-mi provides balance and a sense of realism and sincerity to the story with her father’s immaturity through her strength and independence.
- Ordinary Heroism
Like most superhero tales, Seok-heon is also a superman. But unlike most superman, Seok-heon is not a warrior nor a man with a great destiny. Rather, he is a superman who discovers super powers not to save the world, but to protect his family and the people around him. This brings the charm and humor to the relatable struggles of the story.
- Community and Resistance
Like all great stories, there is always a pesky development company. And, the development company shows the struggles and stories all great people have to go through in order to protect their life and property. Roo-mi and all the community is a perfect depiction of resistance, and the company a perfect depiction of relentless ambition. This resonates with the audience who understand the community well.
- Redemption and Growth
Through the kinetic powers, Seok-heon metaphorically shows us his metaphorical life. all Seok-heon does is move so many objects, and all the audience does is wonder. while he wonders through life, he must learn to be a responsible man and a great father to his children. Seok-heon failed as a father, and in order to redeem himself, he must act. This is the chance he has to change himself.
Style and Tone
Instead of Seok-heon destroying a skyscraper, there is humor in the situation and the audience is amused. The overall tone of the motion picture balances the comedy, the light action and the drama. The The movie, psychokinesis, is all about the great, complex, and amazing powers Seok-heon possesses. Moving the audience is not through so much action, but through laughing at the simplistic movements.
Consistent with the rest of the film, the encounters of Seok-heon and Roo-mi also carry quite a substantial emotional heft. There is intensity, disappointment, and even moments of intimacy. The blend of candor and thoughtfulness makes the film approachable to all types of audiences.
Aspects of the film show the use of bright tones alongside the complexities of an urban backdrop to situate the narrative in acessible and relatable storytelling. The use of visual effects may be understated in comparison to the grandiose spectacles of blockbuster cinema, yet, they achieve their goal of illustrating Seok-heon’s abilities in a manner that prioritizes the emotional nuance of the narrative.
Reception
During the release of Psychokinesis, the film was lauded for its originality and its novel spin to the superhero genre. The humor present in the film, the chains of the superhero genre, and the emotional spinal cord soy the film was the center of appreciation by the audiences. There were shortcomings of the film, particularly in the pacing, however the praise the film was garnished with was for its unorthidox nature to storytelling.
The film garnered international appreciation due to the success of Train Pend to Busan, however, it also displayed the versatility of the director by exploring an obese different genre.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
The deep and complex father-daughter relationship depicted by the strong performances of Ryu Seung-ryong and Shim Eun-kyung.
A fresh take on the superhero genre whereby the focus is on the the day-to-day activities of people rather than a world-ending catastrophe.
Emotional storytelling that strikes a balance between the comical and the sincere.
Universal themes of family, responsibility, and community.
Weaknesses:
Pacing may feel uneven for some viewers.
The drama with the development company, important as it is, at times overshadows the personal narrative.
Some viewers who expect rapid-fire action may find the film slower than other superhero films.
Conclusion
In the context of the superhero genre, Psychokinesis is a welcome change. It takes a different approach than most and instead of gorging on spectacles, it thoughtfully unravels the human story of love, reconciliation and responsibility. The film’s charm is also a change: instead of large battles, it focuses on little acts, like a father trying to bond with his daughter and ordinary folks wanting to defend their cause.
If you like superhero stories with heart and humor, Psychokinesis provides an original and thoughtful experience. It reminds us that real saving is not so much about saving the world, but saving the people who matter and fighting for the truth.
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