Missing You ~ He Killed Them, He Killed Them Not!

“Missing You” is a Korean drama movie, released in 2016, categorized as Crime, Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense.

♦ He Killed Them, He Killed Them Not!

In “Missing You”, a young girl named Nam Hee Joo, who is 7 years old, slowly backs out of a courtroom. She is in shock. A man named Kim Ki Bum was tried as a serial killer of several victims. But he was only convicted for one murder; the murder of his cheating girlfriend. For that crime, the police and prosecution were able to present sufficient evidence to get a conviction.

However, because there was insufficient evidence to connect him to the other murders, he was only given a sentence of 15 years. Yes, the families of the murdered victims were visibly upset at such a light sentence. Only 15 years? For all of those brutal murders?

One of the victims was a homicide detective, Nam Hee Joo’s father. He was a single parent and the night he died he was happy to get off work. He was going home to his young daughter and they would celebrate a birthday. But by the time he got home, he dropped dead on the floor inside his home.

A killer had stabbed him in the throat on his way home. He lived long enough to make it to his house. When his dead body was discovered, the little girl had rested her father’s head in her lap. She was stroking his hair ever so gently and not saying a word.

Another detective, Dae Young, was convinced that the man who was convicted and sentenced to serve 15 years was the one who killed his fellow detective. But he did not have proof.

He patiently waited 15 years for the criminal to serve his time and when he was released, he started following the ex-con around. Dae Young was so convinced that Kim Ki Bum was the serial killer, he never considered any other possibility.

Meanwhile, after 15 years, the murders start occurring again and it is the same killing pattern. Now that the convict has been released from jail, the murders are happening again? Surely, he must be the killer. Right?

It’s been 15 years and the little girl who walked backward out of the courtroom is now a young woman in her 20s. The policemen who were friends of her father all sort of looked out for her. She even had a desk in the police department where they allowed her to sit.

What the investigators did not realize was that all this time she had been doing her own investigative work. But unlike the police, once she found the criminal culprit, she intended to administer justice all by herself.

The police detectives are baffled. Murders are occurring but the man they suspect is being watched around the clock. There’s no way he could sneak past them, commit a murder, and return to his home without them noticing.

So? If he is not the killer now, maybe he wasn’t the killer 15 years ago when they convicted him.

The fellow detective may not want to admit it, but he has to stop being so fixated on that one ex-convict. There just might be a serial killer who committed those crimes 15 years ago and has started killing again. That’s why there was no evidence to condemn the man they arrested and put in jail.

• But then … who is the serial killer?
• Did the two killers work together but only one was caught?
• Is there a copycat killer on the loose?

Hee Joo calls Dae Young “Uncle” since he stepped into her father’s shoes and finished raising her. One day she tells her father’s friend that she has a specific goal in life. She says:

• “I thought a lot about being brave for justice. There’s only one condition to let evil win. … Good men doing nothing. Let’s be strong and fight for justice.”

Hhhmmm …??? What is her idea of “justice”?

Here’s a hint: The young girl collects quotes by Friedrich Nietzsche.

• Nietzsche said:  “God is dead.”
• Hee Joo reasons: If God is absent, then a monster is needed.

Meanwhile, the ex-convict, Kim Ki Bum, doesn’t care about justice. He just wants to catch the real killer so that the police will leave him alone. Murders have started happening since he was released from prison and this time, he knows he’s not the killer! 

The police don’t seem to be doing their job, so the ex-con has to do their job for them. Kim Ki Bum uses a GO Board to help him analyze the murder pattern in hopes it might lead him to the real killer (or killers).

Main Characters:

• Nam Hee Joo (played by Shim Eun Kyung)
• Kim Ki Bum (played by Kim Sung Oh, “Lies Hidden In My Garden”, “Unlock My Boss”, “L.U.C.A.: The Beginning”)
• Detective Dae Young (played by Yoon Je Moon, “Nothing Uncovered”, “The King’s Affection”)

Where to Watch (Available Free on several streaming platforms.)

• (NOTE: Do not confuse with “I Miss You” which is sometimes found in search results under its alternate title “Missing You”. It is a Korean drama series released in 2012 and like the movie it is a hidden gem. It is on my watch list, so please check back often as there may be a review published via PopGeeks.)

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 6.7 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 7.8 out of 10 stars
• Blu-ray.com: 7.4 out of 10 stars
• Filmaffinity: 6.5 out of 10 stars
• Letterboxd: 3.2 out of 5 stars
• Viki viewer rated this movie 9.1 out of 10 stars

My personal rating is the same as the Viki viewers.

I like this reviewer’s point of view:

• “Korean cinema isn’t exactly short of films about cunning, merciless serial killers and vengeance-seeking cops or heroines, but this drama from writer-director Mo Hong-jin delivers enough complications and emotional punches to distinguish it in its thriving sub-genre.” (Quote per The Kim Newman Web Site)

“Missing You” did not make various published lists at well-known sites such as ScreenRant, as one of the best Korean drama movies or series about serial killers. PinkVilla published a list of 45 K-dramas about serial killers and did not include this film on their list either.

Even though the ending was unexpected and left me with a question as to whether justice was truly served, I still consider it a gem and think it deserves high marks. The scriptwriters’ use of Nietzsche quotes, the GO board, and the pink scarf made the film memorable. 

Another thing! The South Korean actor Kim Sung Oh has played both lead and support roles. He is usually a bad guy but always performs well.

The first time I ever saw him was in a historical period/supernatural fantasy K-drama, “Diary Of A Night Watchman”.  He wasn’t just a bad guy.  He was a bad guy with superpowers.  His acting was awesome!

Kim Sung Oh never appears on lists of most popular South Korean actors, yet he has become very recognizable. If he has a role in a Korean film or series, you will notice him immediately and you are not likely to forget his character either, even if he wasn’t the male lead.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

• MotelX review – Missing You | The Kim Newman Web Site
• Film Review: Missing You (2016) by Mo Hong-jin | Asian Movie Pulse
• 10 Best K-Dramas With A Serial Killer Storyline | ScreenRant
• 45 Must-watch thrilling serial killer K-dramas | PINKVILLA

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

Stockholm. “Missing You – Trailer – Stockholm International Film Festival 2016.” YouTube Video. YouTube, October 18, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLfYbWfxsmM.‌