Recalled (2021)

Synopsis

When Kim Soo-jin (Seo Ye-ji) wakes up in the hospital, she knows her own name and recognizes her husband, Lee Ji-hoon (Kim Kang-woo), but the rest is a blank. She’s told it will take time to recover from the amnesia caused by her recent accident.

But instead of recovering her memories of the past, she’s seeing the future: a little girl being hit by a bus, a murder in an apartment in her building. She tries to report the murder to the police, but the oddball but perceptive Detective Cho Ki-sang (Park Sang-wook) and the more methodical Detective Bae (Bae Yoo-ram) have trouble believing her. And they’re more deeply into investigating thefts that are occurring at a building site linked to her husband.

As Soo-jin doggedly tries to derail the events foretold in her visions, her grip on reality begins to slip. Are these visions real, or just hallucinations? Why is her husband so obsessively protective; is he hiding something? Why is he pushing for them to move to Canada? Was he having an affair … or was she?

See It

This mystery/thriller puts down enough clues along the way to keep you guessing at what’s causing Soo-jin’s visions and Ji-hoon’s behavior. You’ll have to pay attention at the conclusion, but it all clicks eventually into a satisfying twist.

Seo Ye-ji is compelling as the bewildered and terrified victim who must grapple with the continual frustration of being unable to avert the dangers she foresees and the disbelief she encounters. Likewise, Kim Kang-woo gives off sinister vibes as a guy who knows much more than he’s letting on.

Park Sang-wook, as the loopy but intuitive detective, and Bae Yoo-ram, as the partner who must keep him grounded, provide an occasional break from the non-stop tension.

Experienced movie addicts can spot the key insight a few scenes before Soo-jin sees more clearly, turning Recall from one type of thriller into another type of thriller. But figuring it all out is the essential fun.