Thread of Lies ~ How Did I Not Know She was in Pain?

“Thread of Lies” is a 2014 Korean film, categorized as High School, Teens, Youth, Crime, Mystery, and Family; based on a bestselling novel; and streaming on Viki.

SUMMARY: Why did my sister commit suicide? She didn’t even leave a note.

♦ We Didn’t Know She Wanted to Die!

In “Thread of Lies”, Cheon-Ji is a lovely, quiet child who gets along with her mother and her sister. She is 14 years old, goes to school every day, does homework and housework, and seldom complains or asks for anything. So when asked her mother, Hyun-Sook, to buy her an MP3 player, her mom told her she couldn’t afford it. Other priority bills needed to be paid. However, if she were patient, she could get the MP3 player later. Cheon-Ji didn’t object or whine about not having her way. She just hung her head and accepted that her mom couldn’t get it.

Hyun-Sook went to work, and on her break time, she stopped by a store to take a look at the MP3 players. She called her other daughter, Man-Ji, to ask for advice on how to buy MP3 players. There were different kinds, different prices, etc. Man-Ji wanted to know if her mom had changed her mind. She told her sister, Cheon-Ji, that she couldn’t afford one. Hyun-Sook said Cheon-Ji never asked for anything, and there was something “odd” or “off” about the way she reacted when she realized she couldn’t get the MP3 player. Hyun-Sook decided to make a sacrifice and buy it for her.

When Hyun-Sook and Man-Ji came home that day, Cheon-Ji, had committed suicide, and she didn’t even leave a note. Both mother and sister were devastated. WHY?  Hyun-Sook and Man-Ji were kicked out by their landlord and had to move to a smaller apartment. Both mother and daughter were distressed by Cheon-Ji’s suicide. What had they missed? Why didn’t they know Cheon-Ji was in pain?

• Man-Ji checked with students at school and found out that Hwa-Yeon was supposed to be her sister’s best friend. But was she her BFF or a BBB? (Best friend forever OR a Big Bad Bully?)
• Hyun-Sook started paying close attention to students who came into the grocery store where she worked. If she noticed the kid was being bullied, she’d try to help or give them advice.  Her primary advice was for the kid to talk to their parents (because she wished her daughter had talked to her).

Hyun-Sook and Man-Ji begin trying to unravel the mystery of Cheon-Ji’s suicide.

Main Characters:

• Hyun-Sook (mother) (played by Kim Hee-Ae, “The Moon”, “The Vanished”, “Queenmaker”, “The Whirlwind”)
• Man-Ji (sister) (played by Ko Ah-Sung*, “Doona!”, “Tracer”, “The Host”, “Snowpiercer”)
• Cheon-Ji (victim) (played by Kim Hyang-Gi, “Space Sweepers”, “Along With the Gods 1 and 2”, “Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist 1 and 2”, “The Grand Heist”)
• Hwa-Yeon (best friend?) (played by Kim You-Jung, “Lovers of the Red Sky”, “My Demon”, “Dong Yi”, “The 8th Night”, “Commitment”, “Chicken Nugget”, “Love in the Moonlight”)

*Added to my watch list: “Office” (movie) AND “Radiant Office” (16 episodes)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 8 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 7.9 out of 10 stars
• Viki did not rate this film

My personal rating is 9 out of 10 stars.

Even though Kim You-Jung is my favorite of all of my favorite South Korean actresses, I don’t think I would have found this film on my own. It’s rare that the Viki viewing audience does not rate a movie or a series. Even so, “Thread of Lies” showed up in a Viki grouping for “Trending Crime and Mystery” (for the week of May 5, 2025). I was curious to know what the crime was. In addition, MAY is Mental Health Month, and this Kdrama explored a case involving adolescent suicide. After watching it, the message of this movie is clear: Psychological bullying is just as bad and could be even worse than physical bullying.

This film was adapted from a bestselling novel by Kim Ryeo Ryeong titled “Elegant Lies”.

• “The Trunk”, a 2024 K-drama on Netflix, was also adapted from a novel of the same name by this South Korean author.
• KLN Features : Interviews : Catching Children When They Fall: Children’s Book Writer Kim Ryeo-ryeong | Korean Literature Now

LINKS OF INTEREST:

Thread of Lies: Filmart Review | The Hollywood Reporter

Suicide Drama ‘Thread of Lies’ a Surprise Hit at South Korean Box| The Hollywood Reporter (“The small-budget local film has struck a major nerve in the country, which has the highest suicide rate in the developed world.”)

Hong Kong Film Review: ‘Thread of Lies’: A Devastating Look at Teenage Bullying | Variety

Movie Review: ‘Thread of Lies’ Beautifully Unravels The Harsh Realities Of Adolescence | KdramaStars

‘Elegant Lies’ (“Thread of Lies”) looks at family’s ugly truths | Korea JoongAng Daily

Thread of Lies (Elegant Lies) Unravels The School Bullying And Teen Suicide, Tops Box Office Chart | Yoo Ah In SikSeekLand

TRAILER/TEASER:

CJEntertainmentUSA. “Thread of Lies (우아한 거짓말) Main Trailer [HD].” YouTube, 19 Mar. 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRpV1-KdVO4.

♦

MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH MONTH ~ KDRAMAS ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH:

• 16 K-Dramas That Deal With Mental Health | Soompi
• 7 K-dramas about mental health breaking the stigma around emotional well-being | Vogue India

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