Aloners is a film about a social group in South Korea, the overtone of which is so powerful and universal that it should go anywhere in the world. Showing the problem of loneliness of contemporary singles and entering the depths of human character is a beautiful potential for a film that gives food for thought on many levels. This is what Aloners is, talking calmly but meticulously hitting the right tones and hitting the punch line. Routine is not always a conscious decision. On the example of the heroine, we have a view of human masks, social closure and the subject of mourning related to it. Theoretically, the creators expand it more than they should, but they consciously get into it, never go below a good level.
We see how the main character is shaken by the death of a lonely neighbor. At the same time, we have unworked mourning and the trauma of our father's betrayal. These aspects cumulate to give the image of a woman who is alone. Aloners shows how accustomed to loneliness, we are not always aware of its destructive impact on our everyday life. The protagonist, confronted with a young, energetic call center employee whom she is to train, is torn from her comfort zone. This, in the end, is a lesson from Aloners: there are stages in life where we have to force ourselves to fight an inner problem and break through. And the changes in the main character take place gradually. We observe how she struggles with them and how slowly her life turns upside down as she was forcibly pulled out of her loneliness. Its various faces give many sad conclusions about the present day. It turns out that the seemingly conscious choice of loneliness does not reflect our desires. The director creates a scary picture by giving food for thought about the condition of society. He proves that there can be a situation where someone dies at home, and the lack of contact with anyone, even the neighbor next door, will make the body rot for days before someone drips.
Gong Seung-yeon creates the perfect role of the main protagonist, who, closed in her routine, becomes an image of the modern face of loneliness. All aspects of the story, colliding it with other people and changing its perspectives into interpersonal relations, have a great impact on how the actress builds emotions and how she perfectly emphasizes the subtleties of transformation. Even at the climax of emotional catharsis, she is not overly expressive, but her words contain so much pain and anguish that we know how a younger friend changed her life. And it's definitely for the better! How she broke its invisible walls, motivating them to go beyond them and open up to the world. A beautiful picture of how you can and must fight loneliness while looking for sources of happiness.
Hong Sung-eu narrates in a romantic way, because the whole is accompanied by a subtle and sentimental atmosphere that fits the storylines. There is something intriguing and magnetic about the way he operates the camera. In key, emotional scenes, he saves on dynamics to emphasize the heart left on the screen. This built-up mood is an oddly strong aspect of Aloners.
Aloners is a Korean example of a timeless and universal film. Although it tells about a specific social group from South Korea, showing the different faces of loneliness becomes as important in Poland as in any other country. Good cinema with a fantastic atmosphere to accompany the story.
