Ha Jung-woo stars in gritty thriller ‘Nocturnal’

By Baek Byung-yeul

The upcoming thriller film, "Nocturnal," is expected to have a raw charm, brimming with the scent of gasoline and on the brink of explosion, according to its lead actor, Ha Jung-woo.

"This work is a film that smells of gasoline," Ha said during a press conference at a theater in Seoul, Monday.

"That's exactly how it felt when the director led the atmosphere on set and when the actors created their ensemble. It's clearly a thriller with twists and action elements, but it was a film with a strong dramatic pull."

In "Nocturnal," Ha portrays Min-tae, a former gang member turned construction worker who begins investigating the mysterious death of his younger brother.

As Min-tae follows the clues surrounding his brother's death, he encounters Ho-ryeong (Kim Nam-gil), a novelist investigating the same case. Min-tae soon discovers that the author had eerily predicted the circumstances of his brother's death in his bestselling novel.

"Min-tae is a member of a ruthless gang, but takes the fall for his brother's accident and ends up in prison," the lead actor said describing his character. "When he's trying to start a new life after leaving the gang, he is confronted with his brother's death. This drives him to relentlessly investigate and seek revenge for the loss."

Ha added that he was drawn to the project after watching director Kim Jin-hwang's previous project, "The Boys Who Cried Wolf."

"I was impressed by Kim's 'The Boys Who Cried Wolf,'" he said. "I was looking for a new, raw and classic work and this movie seemed to align with my interests when I received the offer."

The film finished shooting in 2021 and is now being released in theaters after four years. The director revealed that the editing process underwent several modifications, which caused the delay.

"The post-production period took longer than expected. We didn't change the overall structure in editing, but we worked to increase the density and completeness," the director said.

He said audiences should be able to empathize greatly with Min-tae, who is determined to uncover the truth behind his brother's death.

"As you follow Min-tae's pursuit, you can feel compassion for both his anger and humanity," the director added.

Kim Nam-gil, who portrays bestselling author Ho-ryeong, is taking on the lead role alongside Ha for the second time following the 2020 film, "The Closet."

Ha and Kim explore a new dynamic in this film, contrasting their previous work together in a different genre.

"There can be disadvantages to acting with actors you're close to, but the advantages outweigh them," Kim said. "Ha is such a humorous actor and one who makes the set enjoyable, but in this production, he gave a raw performance, which was impressive.”

"Nocturnal" will hit theaters on Feb. 5.