This review may contain spoilers
A Thriller That Keeps You Guessing Until the End
I write really long reviews but here's a summary. Keep in mind this is just my opinion and I don't mean to offend anyone ❤️❗SPOILERS AHEAD❗
The Good
Twist After Twist After Twist
This movie knew how to mess with your mind in the best way possible. The plot twists had me questioning everything, just like Jin Seok. When his brother came back acting all strange, I was sure Yoo Seok was the villain. I had my own theory board going, but of course, I was wrong. And that journey to the truth? So worth it.
Edge-of-Your-Seat Suspense
The suspense in this movie was chef’s kiss. From the pencil inches away from Jin Seok’s eye to the creepy room with those weird noises—every scene had me on edge. What made it even more gripping was the feeling that everyone in the movie knew what was going on, except for us. No slow build here—it was intense right from the start.
The Psychological Element
Jin Seok’s mental struggle hit differently because, honestly, it’s not just fiction. When you experience extreme trauma, your brain sometimes blocks it out as a coping mechanism, even creating fake memories. That’s what happened to Jin Seok. His guilt over the family’s accidental deaths was so heavy, it was buried deep in his mind. And when the truth finally came back? Yikes. It’s fascinating in a deeply unsettling way.
A Tragic but Perfect Ending
This might sound grim, but when a character gets what they want and then dies? That hits. It’s tragic, sure, but also poetic. Yoo Seok’s mission was finally complete, and then he ended his life. It felt like a tragic, full-circle conclusion. The whole movie started with tragedy and ended with it—perfectly tied together, in the most haunting way.
No Time Wasted
One of the best things about Forgotten was how it didn’t waste any time. No slow build, no dragging out the plot—this movie got right to the point. I watched it with my dad and stepmom, both of whom hate slow movies, and even they were hooked from the beginning. That’s how you know the pacing was on point.
The Bad
The House Was Just… There?
Why was Jin Seok in that house? I get it’s part of Yoo Seok’s trap, but it didn’t really help Jin Seok recover his memories. He didn’t start remembering until after he left. The house felt more like a weird psychological manipulation tool with no real payoff, rather than a meaningful part of the plot.
Lack of Flow
I love a good mystery, but Forgotten took it too far. The twists worked because they blindsided us, but the clues were nonexistent. We were trying to solve for A or B, only to be hit with an answer we didn’t even know was possible. The kidnapping? Juicy, but pointless. And the brother’s personality switch was just confusing—didn’t tie into anything. It was like they were so focused on making him suspicious that they forgot about the bigger plan.
Plot Overload
This movie couldn’t decide what it wanted to be. The two major plots—the kidnapping and the murder—competed for attention. They ended up just getting thrown at us in phases, with no real resolution. The kidnapping took way too much focus, especially considering how insignificant it turned out to be. Maybe they could’ve focused on one plot or expanded the story to give everything the attention it deserved.
The Trailer Lied (a Little)
Not a huge deal, but the trailer totally sold this as a "my-brother-isn’t-my-brother" thriller, and that wasn’t even the main plot. It definitely misled me, but I’m glad the movie still held up despite the bait-and-switch.
Final Thoughts
This movie is one of my top-rated thrillers. It hooked me from the start, with twists and a hauntingly poetic ending. A solid 9/10 from me.
But once you look closer, the cracks start showing—like the multiple main plots fighting for attention, and the kidnapping arc that didn’t really go anywhere. It’s one of those movies where the first watch is a rollercoaster, but on a second go, you’ll catch a few eyebrow-raising moments.
Still, no movie is perfect. Forgotten delivered where it counted. It’s the kind of thriller you wish you could experience for the first time again. And if you do rewatch it, just don’t think too hard about the plot holes—gasp dramatically, pretend you didn’t see them, and keep the popcorn coming.
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Let me warn you: You will not to come to a conclusion on your own.
At every step of the movie you'll get small hints and big twists and turns. I personally love a plot twist that I can't predict, so this movie turned out to be a great surprise.
My mouth shaped nothing more that a silent Wow, through out all the movie, and I was constantly feeling that the story was betraying me for not allowing me to believe in what I was watching.
As for the negative aspects, even though I loved the movie, maybe some revelations were a "bit" too excessive? Like they were hard to actually happened in our day-to-day basis. Was it the only way to connect all the dots or is it that weirdness what made this movie so different and good to watch? I have no idea, but if you give it a go, I think you won't regret it!
If the end is good or bad, expected or unexpected, I'll leave it for you to find out! ;)
IsaP
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When I started to see it I thought it was a typical Korean film, that for those who have been watching this genre for a while now, the movie could be very predictable ... but let me tell you that it is not.
I loved the performance of Kang Ha Neul - even though I hate him in Scarlet Heart - and the turn of the story is very good.
From the beginning it catches you, and I insist, you think that you already know what will happen when in truth you have no idea and as you look at it you want it to move faster and know what is happening.
Super recommended :)
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Expect to stay on the edge of your seat
There was NOTHING in this story that I could have predicted. It makes you question what the hell is going on from beginning to end and when things come to light, the truth just leaves you shocked.Stellar acting by Kang Ha Neul and Kim Moo Yeol. Music did it's job creating the right atmosphere but nothing memorable.
I agree with what another reviewer said about rewatching being rather pointless since the mystery is what makes this movie - unless you're rewatching to look out for the details you might have missed the first time around, or to observe someone else's reactions/journey (that should be fun).
I'd also say that once you're lying in bed replaying the plot in your mind you might start noticing and questioning some plot points. But that didn't dampen my overall enjoyment of the movie.
Am really surprised I didn't hear about this movie before (found it in "more like this" from The Call and watched it because of MDL reviews and Ha Neul) - it truly deserves more attention.
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This review may contain spoilers
One of the best plot twist ever. Very well written and protrayed. All characters were spectacular and I was drawn by the story right away. Didn't see it coming even though I tried to understand I still didn't predict anything. The only thing I'm not a fan of was the ending for one of our main characters. It wasn't satisfying imo just unfair and leave you with a bittersweet taste... Though it was realistic in that way even though not everything was really realistic in the plot lmao Was this review helpful to you?
Potential
If you're just getting into psychological thrillers or enjoy plot twists this is the movie for you. I truly enjoy psychological thrillers and that causes problems here. I've seen so many that I unfortunately saw a good bit of everything coming. There were definitely a few parts that caught me off guard and legit I almost crapped myself BUT overall I feel this movie was lacking serious potential. I enjoyed it none the less and it definitely is a huge mind f***. Acting was pretty spot on given the plot and my re-watch value is fairly decent. No doubt this movie deserves the high score it has. Be sure to pay attention or you might get lost...only for awhile, luckily.Was this review helpful to you?
I recently just watched When Camellia Blooms and I am in love with Kang Ha-neul, so I was trying to find a movie with him in it. I must say that I do not see any Yong-sik or Ha-neul in this character. Kang Ha-neul totally transformed into someone else and it is brilliant. I am in love even more.
It is a very well done movie, definitely a must-see!
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Don't watch at night time if you get scared easily
●PLOT VIEWWhy did I even choose this movie to watch at midnight, It scared me to hell but then it was still the first half, while the second half is the explanation of the first half which was fine. It had all the substance of a thriller movie, creepy setting, murder mystery, sci-fi backdrop with a chilling story.
The plot was developed beautifully, I tried making guesses but was not able to predict, Firstly it seemed like a horror genre, then suggest as a murder mystery and then a thriller.it plays with your mind and keeps you on edge until the end. I paused at the point and tried to question what is really happening and who is the elder brother actually, Quite frightening for me. Anyone if finds herself/himself in that situation would probably feel the same. The ending is gloomy, two apparently good guys are eroded in their own created doom.
●ACTING/CAST
All the actors did an exceptional job creating this incredible piece. Kang Ha Neul definitely deserves praise for top notch performance. His emotions, expression was to the point and I actually got swept away with his acting.
●APPRECIATION
The writer-directors did an amazing job with the shift of genre and manipulating the audience delving into a deep dark story.
●REWATCH
This movie deserves a rewatch, but I would not be able to do that because of its excessive and horror moments.
●RECOMMENDATION
This is a movie if for people who want an excellent thriller movie where they had to keep guessing that what's gonna happen. The film had lots of curse words so it should be watched under parental guidance if below 16 and many of the scenes are also violent.
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Well written but very dark
This movie is a bit of a roller coaster that keeps you guessing until the very end. You think you know but you probably don't. You may get an idea but the detsils and the why really don't all come together until the end. It is definately worth your time to watch IF you like DARK mysteries. It is a bit soul wrenching so beware.The acting is amazing and the story is put together well. It can get a bit confusing if you don't pay total attention to it. So be prepared to focus. It is not for doing something else while watching.
The re-watch value on this depends on how well you dont remember it. This was my 2nd time watching it. My first view was over a year ago so my brain was like I dont really remember this except for the fact that I remember it was really good.
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Just one word: MASTERPIECE
This movie has to be one of the best,if not the best, mystery/psychologiac thriller in the history of movies, ALL MOVIES not only the Kdramas. There is too much to be told about this movie. At the start, I just thought that they had done something with his brother's brain, maybe someone took control of his body? maybe someone hypnotized him in doing this? But oh God it never came to mind how the whole thing was gonna end. The plot twists were unthinkable, I would never think of such a thing, the director has to be some kind of genius. And did I mention the actors' acting? God it was PERFECT! My boy Kang Ha Neul did such an amazing job ♡. The music? The way it made the suspense scenes even more suspenc-y; and scary was just amazing.Truth to be told, I actually watched this movie bc of Kang Ha Neul (I love him sm) but I'm so glad I did. And Kim Mu Yeol, hello? His acting is perfect, I need more of him, please. ( Kang Ha Neul too, GIVE MY BOY MORE MAIN ROLES!!!)
Don't just put it in your watchlist to watch another time. Stop looking for more series/movies in this platform. Go watch it NOW! 1hr and 48mins is one and a half episode of a drama series, it won't hurt to go watch it now...
or...
maybe it will hurt in the end..?
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This review may contain spoilers
Amazing Movie
I have watched so many movies and tv shows (I mean American and Korean) and to be honest out of all of the shows I’ve watched I would say Forgotten is the best piece of entertainment I’ve watched. For me it tops all kdramas I’ve watched. So beautiful.Why I liked it:
It was executed amazingly. It had me questioning myself. I remember at one point I thought I had missed a piece of information because I’d gotten confused but it’s just part of what makes the movie amazing. You really don’t know what will happen. I won’t lie I did predict out some of the things that were gonna happen but that’s doesn’t mean it didn’t have the shock factor. Building up all that confusion and then just revealing everything close to the end was just *chefs kiss*. Acting was amazing, cinematography was great and production was 👍🏾
Why I disliked it:
I don’t have much to say on dislike to be honest. It’s just one of those movies for me where there isn’t really anything I can dislike. At first I did question the ending.
SPOILER:
I’m not necessarily one for having main characters die or anything but to be honest in some shows that’s probably the direction that makes the most sense. I mean they basically had no family, had done terrible things and probably really depressed. Just the fact that the guy whose family died had been investigating for all those years only to k*ll himself in the end.
I normally watch Romance and some thriller but Forgotten has just made me want to delve deeper into thriller kmovies like Forgotten.
Overall:
I would definitely recommend. 10/10. Even if you don’t really watch thriller that much I would watch anyways. Because majority of my watch history is romance dramas but a thriller movie is my favourite out of everything I’ve watched including kdramas, so 🤷🏾♀️
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This review may contain spoilers
You wont expect anything like that
Im a big fans of Kang Ha Neul and lately Ive been rewatching his old works . I still remember watching this with my friends at our dorm . First of all this movie is a MUST TO WATCH ! Real masterpiece . For me this movie show how regrets could messed up your whole life . Not to mention all the cast did a superb job . There arent much music but its okay , it didnt ruin the movie at all . Btw here come spoiler hcghcgc this movie has a major plot twist you need to watch this movie . Oh and theres a little jumpscare hehWas this review helpful to you?
