Montage: A Gripping Korean Thriller About Kidnapping and Revenge
Montage is a 2013 South Korean thriller film that tells the story of a mother who lost her child in a kidnapping case 15 years ago, and a detective who tries to solve the case before the statute of limitations expires. The film stars Uhm Jung-hwa, Kim Sang-kyung, and Song Young-chang, and is directed and written by Jeong Keun-seob.
Montage: A Gripping Korean Thriller About Kidnapping and Revenge
The film begins with a flashback of the kidnapping of a young girl named Seo-jin, who was taken by a masked man while her mother Ha-kyung (Uhm Jung-hwa) was distracted by a phone call. The kidnapper demanded a ransom, but the exchange went wrong and Seo-jin was never found. 15 years later, Ha-kyung is still haunted by the tragedy and visits the crime scene every year on the anniversary of her daughter's disappearance. One day, she notices a flower left at the scene by someone else, and suspects that the kidnapper might have returned.
Meanwhile, Cheong-ho (Kim Sang-kyung) is a detective who was in charge of Seo-jin's case, but failed to catch the culprit. He is also nearing his retirement and wants to close the case before it becomes unsolvable. He teams up with his colleagues to track down the mysterious flower-leaver, who turns out to be Han-chul (Song Young-chang), a wealthy businessman and grandfather of another young girl named Bom. Cheong-ho soon realizes that Han-chul is hiding a dark secret: he was the one who kidnapped Seo-jin 15 years ago, but accidentally killed her during the ransom delivery.
However, before Cheong-ho can arrest Han-chul, another kidnapping takes place using the same method as Seo-jin's case. The victim is none other than Bom, Han-chul's granddaughter. The kidnapper demands a ransom from Han-chul, and gives him instructions similar to those he gave to Ha-kyung 15 years ago. Cheong-ho suspects that the kidnapper is someone who knows about Seo-jin's case, and tries to find clues from the old evidence. He also tries to protect Han-chul from harm, despite knowing his guilt.
As the ransom deadline approaches, Cheong-ho discovers that the kidnapper is actually Ha-kyung, who has been plotting her revenge against Han-chul for years. She kidnapped Bom using the same MO as Han-chul, hoping to make him confess his crime and suffer the same pain she did. She also planted the flower at the crime scene to lure him out. However, she did not intend to harm Bom, and planned to return her safely after getting Han-chul's confession.
Cheong-ho confronts Ha-kyung and tries to persuade her to give up her revenge plan, but she refuses to listen. She tells him that she has been living in agony for 15 years, while Han-chul has been enjoying his life with his family. She also blames Cheong-ho for failing to catch Han-chul earlier and letting him get away with murder. She says that she will only release Bom if Han-chul admits his sin publicly.
Cheong-ho then makes a deal with Han-chul: he will help him get Bom back safely if he agrees to confess his crime and go to prison. Han-chul reluctantly accepts the deal, and follows Ha-kyung's instructions for the ransom exchange. However, things go wrong again when Ha-kyung's car is hit by a truck on her way to deliver Bom. Cheong-ho rushes to the scene and manages to rescue Bom from the car wreckage, but Ha-kyung dies from her injuries.
Han-chul arrives at the scene and sees Ha-kyung's dead body. He breaks down in tears and apologizes to her for killing Seo-jin. He also thanks Cheong-ho for saving Bom's life. He then surrenders himself to the police and confesses his crime on live TV. The film ends with Cheong-ho visiting Ha-kyung's grave with Bom, who gives her a flower as a sign of forgiveness. 04f6b60f66