The Hypnosis

The Hypnosis ~ Are They Real Memories or Just Imagination?

“Hypnosis” is a 2021 Korean movie, categorized as Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Revenge, and Horror; and streaming on Tubi TV.

SUMMARY: Some college students interested in hypnotherapy submit to hypnosis but they are not sure if they are recalling real memories or if the frightening events are just their imagination.

♦ Who is Seung Min?

In “The Hypnosis”, Do Hyun is a college student with a close circle of friends: Seo Hyun Jung, Byung Jun, Chan Gyu, and Jin Ho. He has developed an interest in hypnotherapy and sometimes goes to a professional hypnotist. Not for treatment but to learn from him. Seo Hyun Jung would like to become an actress. Do Hyun watched a video of her playing a part where she was a person under hypnosis and she was very convincing. So convincing that later on Do Hyun asked her if it was real or if she was just acting. She said it was an act. Or at least … she thought it was an act. (???)

Seo Hyun Jung appears to be suffering from depression. Do Hyun persuaded her to visit a professional hypnotist. Perhaps there is a memory buried in her subconscious which is causing her mental anguish and hypnotherapy might be a cure. Seo Hyun Jung agreed and during the session, she did see lots of horrible things. But she doesn’t know if what she saw is real or imaginary. Once she left the office of the hypnotist, her condition seemed to have gotten worse. She called Do Hyun in a panic and told them that ever since she saw the hypnotist, the memories (??) or her imagination (??) have become more frightening. Seo Hyun Jung keeps seeing a little girl named Seung Min.

Do Hyun is baffled because Seo Hyun Jung spoke to him as if he should know the little girl. But he said he didn’t know anybody named Seung Min. He tried to call Seo Hyun Jung to talk to her and even went to the studio where she practiced. Do Hyun arrived just in time to witness her death. Seo Hyun Jung committed suicide by falling from the roof of the building. After that, Do Hyun started seeing visions of a little girl. Not just him, but all of his other friends too. Byung Jun, Chan Gyu, and Jin Ho all said that they were seeing a little girl.

But who is she? Is she Seung Min? But who is Seung Min? Why are they all seeing her?

They didn’t all get hypnotized. Or at least … they don’t think they did. (???)

Did they all get hypnotized? When? Who? Where? How? WHY?

Main Characters:

  • Do Hyun (played by David Lee, “Squid Game 2”, “Bring it on, Ghost”)
  • Seo Hyun Jung (played by Shin Ji Won, aka Johyun, K-Pop group Berry Good)
  • Byung Jun (played by Kim Do Hoon, “Dear X”, “Love Scout”, “Your Honor”)
  • Chan Gyu (played by Nam Min Woo, “Ditto”)
  • Jin Ho (played by Kim Nam Woo)
  • Seung Min (played by Kim Min Joon)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

  • IMDb: 5.1 out of 10 stars
  • My Drama List: 7.2 out of 10 stars
  • ‎Letterboxd: 3 out of 5 stars
  • Amazon customers rated the film: 3.4 out of 5 stars

My personal rating is the same as My Drama List.

YAHOO! published a review and described the movie as “gruesome”. That’s a great word!

(NOTE: There is a film by a Swedish director with the same title.)

LINKS OF INTEREST:

The Hypnosis review: A gruesome fable against bullying | Yahoo! Entertainment

The Hypnosis (South Korea, 2021) – Review | AsianMovieWeb

31 Days of Horror – Day 8: The Hypnosis | Love Thy Dramas

THE HYPNOSIS (2021) Reviews and overview of Korean horror | MOVIES and MANIA

TRAILER/TEASER:

GSC Movies. “THE HYPNOSIS (Official Trailer) – In Cinemas 6 May 2021.” YouTube, 12 Apr. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXj1MTqXQdc.

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Avatar of melinda hilton
melinda hilton

New Member

7 messages 1 like

Okay, I just read about “The Hypnosis,” and I’m obsessed already! A college guy like Do Hyun dabbling in hypnosis, his actress friend Seo Hyun Jung seeing some creepy kid named Seung Min, then bam—she’s dead, and everyone’s seeing this girl? It’s like a horror soap opera, and I’m living for it! The article’s got me spinning—who’s Seung Min? A ghost? A memory? A total mind trick? I love that it’s all murky and weird. The ratings are all over

Reply 1 like

Avatar of Perfect Peach
Perfect Peach

Howdy Sugar

22 messages 1 like

The idea that Do Hyun and his friends start seeing this Seung Min girl after Seo Hyun Jung’s suicide is chilling—especially since only she was hypnotized, right? Or was she? I keep wondering if the hypnotist planted something in her mind that somehow spread to the others, like a psychological contagion. The article mentions her depression, so maybe her subconscious conjured Seung Min as a manifestation of guilt or trauma, and her death amplified it for the group. I’ve seen movies play with reality like this before, but this one’s twist on memory versus imagination has me hooked. I might watch it on Tubi just to piece it together myself

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Avatar of charliesmith
charliesmith

New Member

3 messages 0 likes

Reading about “The Hypnosis” hit me in a quiet way. Seo Hyun Jung’s struggle with depression feels so real, and I can imagine how desperate Do Hyun must have felt trying to help her with hypnotherapy. The article paints this haunting picture—her seeing Seung Min, not knowing if it’s a memory or her mind breaking apart, and then taking her own life. It’s heartbreaking. Then her friends start seeing this little girl too? That’s where it gets eerie. I wonder if it’s their grief manifesting, or if something darker tied them all together from the start. I’ve dealt with loss before, and the mind can play strange tricks

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Avatar of Galinda
Galinda

Member

468 messages 7 likes

So, I skimmed this “Hypnosis” article, and it sounds like a typical spooky flick. College kids, hypnosis, some mysterious kid named Seung Min popping up—meh. Seo Hyun Jung’s suicide is dark, sure, but the whole “are these memories real” thing feels like a gimmick to me. Do Hyun and his crew all seeing this girl afterward?

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Avatar of DramasOverKimchi
DramasOverKimchi

Well-Known Member

1,340 messages 61 likes

I find the central question compelling: are Do Hyun and his friends recalling a shared, repressed memory of Seung Min, or is this a collective delusion sparked by Seo Hyun Jung’s hypnotic experience? The fact that she was the only one hypnotized, supposedly, yet they all see this girl post-suicide suggests either a subtle narrative twist or sloppy plotting. I lean toward the former; Korean cinema often excels at weaving trauma into mystery, as the Yahoo! review’s “gruesome fable against bullying” hint implies. Perhaps Seung Min represents a past event they’re all connected to, unearthed by hypnosis and amplified by guilt

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Avatar of DeniseRichards
DeniseRichards

New Member

41 messages 4 likes

Do Hyun getting into hypnotherapy to help Seo Hyun Jung with her depression makes sense—she’s struggling, and he’s trying to fix it. But then she starts seeing this Seung Min girl, and after she dies, all his friends do too? That’s where it loses me a bit. Hypnosis isn’t some magic trick that spreads visions. Maybe it’s just their minds playing tricks after her suicide—grief can do that. The article leaves you hanging with all these questions, which is smart. I’d probably watch it on Tubi to see how it plays out. The cast sounds solid, especially David Lee. I’m curious if they tie it all together or just leave it messy.

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Avatar of HallyuObsessed
HallyuObsessed

Heaven is a Place on earth, Korea

230 messages 26 likes

Do Hyun’s hypnotherapy hobby kicks it off, and Seo Hyun Jung’s vision of Seung Min is intense, Shin Ji Won nails her unraveling. Her suicide’s brutal, and when the others see Seung Min too, it’s game on. I’m convinced she’s a real person from their past, some tragedy they’ve blocked out, and hypnosis tore the lid off. The film’s smart not to over-explain; it trusts you to connect the dots. David Lee’s Do Hyun is steady but fraying, and the supporting cast holds up. The tension builds slow, then hits hard, those Seung Min scenes are pure dread. It’s not flawless, pacing dips a bit, but it delivers where it counts. If you like your mysteries dark and tangled, this is it. Stream it and prove me right: there’s something real behind Seung Min, and it’s messed up.

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Avatar of "하늘바람"
"하늘바람"

삶이 있는 한 희망은 있다

59 messages 2 likes

I watched “The Hypnosis” on Tubi, and holy cow, what a trip! Do Hyun’s this hypnosis nerd, Seo Hyun Jung’s seeing Seung Min like some horror movie star, then—boom—she’s off the roof! And then all his friends are like, “Hey, there’s that kid again!” I was yelling at my TV, loving every second. Seung Min’s gotta be a ghost, right? Haunting them for fun! David Lee was awesome as Do Hyun, and Shin Ji Won had me tearing up. The whole thing’s a spooky rollercoaster—creepy looks, weird vibes, no clear answers. I don’t even care if it’s real or not; it’s too much fun. Stream it now if you’re ready to lose your mind a little. I’m telling all my friends about this one—it’s bonkers in the best way!

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Avatar of cmoneyspinner
cmoneyspinner

What does the Fox say?

1,871 messages 37 likes

Okay, I just read about “The Hypnosis,” and I’m obsessed already! A college guy like Do Hyun dabbling in hypnosis, his actress friend Seo Hyun Jung seeing some creepy kid named Seung Min, then bam—she’s dead, and everyone’s seeing this girl? It’s like a horror soap opera, and I’m living for it! The article’s got me spinning—who’s Seung Min? A ghost? A memory? A total mind trick? I love that it’s all murky and weird. The ratings are all over

Let me say the ending surprised me. I wasn't going in that direction at all! I was like, 'Oh? I didn't see that coming!'

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