SUMMARY: A lonely father’s life spirals out of control after a drunken encounter with a mysterious woman who resembles his wife. He wakes up in bed with a dead woman.
In “Puzzle” (2018), based on his outer appearance, Jung Do-Joon has a successful work life. But his private life appears to be falling apart. He works in Korea while financially supporting his wife and child living abroad for their child’s education. At least, that’s what his wife says. He wants to believe her, and he wants to stay faithful, but … it’s hard. Beneath his composed exterior, Jung Do-Joon harbors deep insecurities and a festering jealousy toward his wife. He is slowly convincing himself that she may be unfaithful.
Jung Do-Joon’s emotional instability becomes the first loose thread in the unraveling of his entire life. Choi Yong-Gu, a guy at Jung Do-Joon’s workplace who may or may not be a “friend” is always trying to encourage him to commit adultery. After all, he’s a man with needs and his wife is not at home to satisfy him. Go ahead. Live a little! Do that instead of practicing martial arts all alone. It’s more fun. Just be discreet.
One night, Jung Do-Joon encounters a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to his wife. She introduces herself as Jang Se-Ryun. She is a mysterious, alluring woman, and her real name is Kim Min-Kyung. Their initial meeting is charged with temptation, confusion, and vulnerability. Jang Se-Ryun appears both fragile and enigmatic. He tries to resist, but in a moment of weakness, Jung Do-Joon yields to temptation. Jang Se-Ryun had invited him to a place where they could meet privately. When he gets there, the woman basically asks him, “What’s your pleasure?”
Jung Do-Joon chooses Course D, and the next morning, he awakens to a nightmare. There’s a dead woman in the bed, and he is now implicated in a murder. He has no memory of committing the crime, yet evidence and threatening messages suggest otherwise. Someone was watching him. There is someone who knows what happened that night, or wants him to believe they do. As the threats escalate, Jung Do-Joon realizes he is trapped inside a psychological puzzle designed to exploit his flaws and his fears.
As Jung Do-Joon attempts to piece together the truth, the line between paranoia and reality becomes blurred. His obsession with his wife’s infidelity or the infidelity he imagines intertwines with his fixation on Jang Se-Ryun, the temptress who holds a key to the mystery. The more he investigates, the more he discovers that Jang Se-Ryun may not be who she appears to be. Was his encounter with her a carefully orchestrated trap?
Jung Do-Joon’s attempts to solve the puzzle become increasingly desperate. The threats intensify, the clues grow more twisted, and the distinction between victim and perpetrator becomes more and more murky. How much of the horror-filled chaos was real versus imagined? How much is external manipulation versus the collapse of his own psyche?
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and Tubi TV
My personal rating is 7 out of 10 stars.
“Puzzle” is a dark, atmospheric thriller. After yielding to temptation, the main character finds himself tangled up in a web of threats and his own psychological torment. But he must uncover the truth and solve the murder mystery. The viewers have to work alongside the film’s troubled protagonist to assemble the truth. The opening scene for “Puzzle” is a clown getting off the elevator and dragging a sledgehammer down the hall. If that doesn’t grab your attention, this movie is not for you.
You Might Also Like:
Puzzle (2018). | Korean Film Biz Zone
Film Review: Puzzle | The Hollywood Reporter
EMK17. “Puzzle – Trailer (퍼즐 예고편).” YouTube, 18 Feb. 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=rnNADTcG_b4.
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