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'Murder Report' forces reporter to face killer in psychological cage
Aug 18, 2025
- Source by Yonhap
- View738
'Murder Report' forces reporter to face killer in psychological cage
The upcoming film "Murder Report" centers on a psychiatrist-cum-serial killer who requests a scoop-hungry reporter does an exclusive interview with him.
Any other details about the plot would spoil the narrative, according to the male lead Jung Sung-il, who portrays the killer, Young-hun.
"He is both a psychiatrist and a serial killer; everything else about the film is a spoiler," said the actor, best known for his role in Netflix's hit series "The Glory."
"I didn't think much about the scenario and just flipped it open for a quick look, but I ended up reading the whole book in one sitting," he said, describing how the story instantly captivated him.
His attraction to the script was so strong that he felt compelled to accept the role immediately. "I had to grab the casting offer as soon as I finished reading it. I feared someone might take the role," he said.
Jung Sung-il (L), Cho Yeo-jeong and director Cho Young-joon attend a press conference for
the upcoming thriller "Murder Report" in Seoul on Aug. 12, 2025. (Yonhap)
The sentiment was echoed by his co-lead, Cho Yeo-jeong of "Parasite," who portrays Seon-ju, the reporter who agrees to the perilous interview with Young-hun in a hotel room, fully aware of his identity as a serial killer.
"The movie's setting was completely new to me," she said. "I was amazed to see a film can be made of a one-on-one interview, and the two-hour runtime is filled with such a thick air of intensity and suspense."
"The story is so gripping. It was genuinely terrifying. I wasn't sure if I could pull it off," she added.
Cho Yeo-jeong (L) and Jung Sung-il pose for photos during a press conference for
the upcoming thriller "Murder Report" in Seoul on Aug. 12, 2025. (Yonhap)
Director-writer Cho Young-joon said the initial inspiration for the film came from a random scene he saw at a zoo.
He observed a child looking at a tiger through a fence and began to imagine the scenario if the fence were not separating them but rather behind the child, placing them in the same enclosed space.
"It was an ordinary scene, but removing the fence would create a completely different atmosphere. The fact that the two were in the same space immediately ratcheted up tension," he said. "I wanted to create a story of immense tension that arises from just two individuals in a single space."
As the setting -- a hotel suite -- plays such a critical role in the film's narrative, the director took extra care in creating the space as if it were a third character.
"I wanted the room to feel like a creature that was choking the characters," he said, expressing his hope that the film is experienced like a "bad but enticing dream that you want to dream again."
"Murder Report" is set for local release Sept. 5.
A poster for "Murder Report" is seen in this image provided by A2Z Entertainment and Sony Pictures.
(PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
By Woo Jae-yeon
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