From the U.S. to Taiwan, 'Weak Hero' takes over Netflix worldwide upon Season 2's release
On the morning of March 24, director Yeon Sang Ho of the Netflix movie Revelations sat for an interview with the local media.
Revelations tells the story of Pastor Sung Min Chan (Ryu Jun Yeol), who believes God has given him a divine revelation to sentence the culprit of a missing person case, and Detective Lee Yeon Hee (Shin Hyun Been) haunted by the apparition of her deceased sister, as they each pursue their own beliefs.
Director Yeon Sang Ho, who also worked on the original webtoon, explained the reason behind the film adaptation, saying, "Since making movies is my main profession, it was only natural for me to attempt a film adaptation."
He added, "I was interested in the effect of seeing things in the direction one desires. I was particularly intrigued by apophenia — the tendency to perceive meaningful connections between unrelated things — and pareidolia, a psychological phenomenon where a person emotionally reacts to patterns they perceive in stimuli such as images or sounds, even when no real connection exists. The human brain has an innate instinct to infer. This instinct has both positive and negative aspects. As I came to understand this, I thought it would be interesting to explore it through a genre-driven story."
"I wanted the way the story unfolds until the ending to cause a shift in perception, tapping into the audience's instinct to infer. I wanted to depict the downfall of the character Sung Min Chan, and in doing so, obscure certain clues — like the one-eyed monster and the round window — that were present from the beginning. I wanted the audience to remain unaware of them until a certain moment when they would suddenly come into focus. I hoped the storytelling itself would take the form of a perceptual shift," he said.
Revelations features several optical illusions that can be interpreted as apophenia. Instead of relying heavily on VFX, the film primarily uses lighting and natural phenomena, with only a touch of VFX for special scenes.
Director Yeon explained, "One of the illusion scenes takes place in the pastor's room in a large church. The art and lighting teams created the illusion using shadows from props and lighting. What was interesting was that the more blurred the image, the clearer the illusion became. When viewed directly, it didn't appear as a distinct shape, but when you zoom out, the optical illusion became more apparent. This aligns with the film's central theme. The more blurred it is, the clearer it appears. That’s why I created many scenes using only focus play."
Through this approach, he reinforced the film's central theme, ensuring that its message was reflected in both storytelling and cinematography. "As someone who's a part of the society, I try to incorporate the things I feel into my work. When I was writing for this film, I sensed that people believe only what they want to believe, and that the world is taking advantage of that. While such tendencies have always existed, I feel they are accelerating. These days, whether it's TV or shopping, people no longer look at things they don't want to see. They go straight to what they want to watch or buy, and only see that. It feels like we're becoming a society where people are unable to see beyond their own perspectives. That's why I created Revelations — it's a work that came about [based on what I've seen in] today's society."
Director Yeon Sang Ho is currently filming his next project, the movie Colony. Recently started production, Colony follows a story in which a building is sealed off due to an unidentified virus, and the infected evolve in unpredictable ways, threatening the survivors. The K-movie stars Jun Ji Hyun, Koo Kyo Hwan, Ji Chang Wook, Shin Hyun Been, Kim Shin Rok, and Go Soo. Colony marks Jun Ji Hyun's return to the big screen after nearly 10 years since Assassination.
Toward the end of the interview, when asked about working with Jun Ji Hyun on Colony, director Yeon Sang Ho responded, "Now that I've had the chance to work with her, I can tell — she's really exceptional." "This film incorporates some action elements, and even in the briefest moments, Jun Ji Hyun had a clear understanding of the direction the movie needed to take."
He continued, "Through those qualities, I can see that as a top star who has been in the industry for so long, she has a sense of direction when it comes to a project — what you might call 'experience.' I'm reminded of that every day." He added, "Even as I'm making this film, I find myself in awe. Having a partner like her who brings so much to the table gives me strength and motivates me to push forward."
In addition to Colony, Yeon Sang Ho will also meet audiences this year with Face, his first live-action independent film. When asked about his motivation for taking on an independent film despite already having established himself as a star director both in Korea and internationally, Yeon explained, "I believe that when making something, one must have a special reason or catalyst. To make films for a long time, I think it's important to have diversity in the directions one pursues." He continued, "For example, some creators may dedicate their lives to achieving ten million admissions at the box office, while others may strive to be recognized at international film festivals. Everyone has their own sense of purpose."
He added, "I, too, am someone who is susceptible to such ambitions and desires. That's why I believe I need to frequently create opportunities to disrupt those tendencies, even in a physical sense. I think that's essential for sustaining a healthy creation process." He continued, "Once I've set things in motion, I have to follow through. As I do, I find myself immersed in the creative process. Without such catalysts, I feel like I would become trapped in a single way of thinking. The films coming out this year are also part of that approach. They have also been in preparation for several years."
