The Woman - a thriller that begins with two frightening objects…a used vacuum cleaner and a punnet of strawberries. I know, I can sense your fear already. But surely, director Hwang Wook has a plan to handsomely pay off this intriguing double act? Well, we’ll get to that. His follow-up to 2024’s Mash Ville (a 2024 Fantasia selection) follows Sun-kyung (Hye-ji), who, after collecting a used vacuum cleaner from the odd Young-hwan (He-sang), gifts the man some strawberries. However, he is horrified as he has memories of his mother’s tragic passing that apparently came about after accepting a gift from a stranger. An accidental meeting with an old friend, Ul-jin (Yeon-woo), kicks off the story as he is found dead later that day, leading Sun-jyung on an investigative mission.
"Han Hye-ji’s performance as Sun-kyung is by far the film’s strongest point. She embodies Sun-kyung with a blend of vulnerability, suspicion, and quiet strength that keeps you invested even as the story grows more confusing."
Well, sort of anyway. The Woman starts strong with this intriguing and unconventional mystery, and the potential that Sun-kyung, who has recently moved to the area, is being targeted by someone or that her investigation will lead to a shocking discovery. But this wasn’t to be the case as, a third of the way through the film, things take a narrative turn and the story begins to nosedive. On one hand, the switch-up challenges us to decide who can be trusted in the story, but on the other hand, the overly ambiguous nature of the plot and hazy mystery really derail the initial momentum. Is Wook telling a story of female isolation? Is this a reflection on grief or how repressed trauma can affect someone? Is what we're being shown truth or a subjective reality? Instead of a strong throughline, The Woman settles for a collection of fragmented, dreamlike sequences and puzzling imagery that often feel disconnected, and many plot threads - including the true nature of Ui-jin’s death - are left unresolved or underexplored.
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As the film suffered narratively, visually, The Woman also struggled at times. Whilst the cinematography was mainly solid, Wook opted for long, static shots in order to build tension, but this mainly served to slow the pace to a crawl. Combined with the spiralling story and some strange editing decisions, the film started to feel convoluted, a little messy, and pedestrian by the halfway point.
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Han Hye-ji’s performance as Sun-kyung is by far the film’s strongest point. She embodies Sun-kyung with a blend of vulnerability, suspicion, and quiet strength that keeps you invested even as the story grows more confusing. Her often subtle portrayal brings a grounded base to a film that often loses itself to more surreal territory.
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The Woman was set up initially to be an intriguing and tense affair. However, the issues mentioned above really do hold it back from being a fully engaging thriller. If you enjoy films that lean into ambiguity and atmosphere over clear storytelling, you may enjoy this more than I did. Instead, I couldn't help but feel disappointed by the time the credits rolled.
July 29th 2025