‘Midnight’ Movie Review: When Plot Convenience Has a Starring Role
A suspenseful thriller that starts strong but loses steam in an endless cycle of chase and escape.
Korean Movie Name: 미드나이트 (Midnight)
Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video ← *Click for direct link*
Average Rating: 8.4/10 (MyDramaList)
My Rating: 7.0/10
One Sentence Description: Midnight is proof that sometimes, survival isn’t just about skill—it’s about sheer, unexplainable luck.
Trailer:
Disclaimer: This review is 100% my opinion — I’m not here to hate, just to share my thoughts! Also, SPOILERS AHEAD, so proceed with caution if you haven’t watched yet. Watch it, come back and let’s see if you agree. Let’s keep the discussion respectful and fun! 💕
Simple Description
Midnight follows a deaf woman caught in a deadly cat-and-mouse chase with a ruthless serial killer while everyone around her seems frustratingly incompetent.
⚠️Length Note: This post includes a detailed (and long) story breakdown. Want to skip straight to the review? Jump to the Review
The story begins late at night with a young woman arguing with her boyfriend over the phone as she makes her way home. A black van pulls up behind her, offering her a ride. Immediately sensing danger, she quickly refuses.
Before long, the van door swings open, revealing a terrified man inside, desperately pleading for help. The main antagonist, Do Shik, uses this moment to lure her in. The trap works. He kidnaps her, kills her, and calls the police, blaming foreigners for her death. A brutal way to kick things off.
Scenes change and we’re introduced to our main protagonist: Kim Kyung Mi, a deaf woman working in customer service. We also meet a few more key characters: her protective mother (never given a name), another woman named So Jung, and So Jung’s brother Jong Tak. As the story quietly builds, we cut back to Do Shik, still on the prowl. Upon noticing that Kyung Mi and her mother are deaf, he initially targets her mom. But just as quickly, he changes his mind when he spots So Jung instead.
Meanwhile, Kyung Mi parks her car as her mother waits nearby at an emergency-button streetlight. As she walks back, a single high heel flies out of a dark alley and lands in front of her—thrown by none other than So Jung, who is covered in blood and desperately begging for help. Do Shik lurks in his van, watching closely.
Kyung Mi sees So Jung’s injuries, but before she can react, Do Shik charges in and pins her to the ground with an axe. She manages to escape, but he remains relentless, chasing her through a parking garage in a vicious pursuit. At one point, he forces his way into her car and orders her to drive toward her mother. Kyung Mi accelerates at full speed, stops short, and seizes the moment to escape while he struggles to regain his balance.
The pursuit doesn’t stop there. He stays on her tail, almost catching her again, but Kyung Mi makes it to the emergency call pole where her mother is waiting. She slams the button in a panic, desperate for help. The operator picks up but Kyung Mi and her mother can’t hear anything. Both are deaf, and the emergency system isn’t built with that in mind. While they’re trying to understand what’s happening, a man in a clean suit walks up and asks if they’ve seen his sister. He offers help, says all the right things. Of course, it’s Do Shik. They don’t recognize him (during the chase he was wearing a mask, glasses, and a hat).
The police eventually show up, but as expected, they’re completely unhelpful and do more to slow things down than protect anyone. Do Shik keeps up his concerned-brother act just long enough to stay close and manipulate the situation. But Kyung Mi’s mother starts to get suspicious. He realizes she’s catching on, and the mask comes off. Just then, Jong Tak shows up at the station asking about his sister, and Do Shik, knowing the walls are closing in, turns violent and starts threatening Kyung Mi’s mom.
While Kyung Mi and Jong Tak struggle to communicate, Do Shik lurks behind them, casually flashing an array of weapons to Kyung Mi’s mother, making sure she knows exactly what will happen if she speaks up. He’s ready to stab Jong Tak, but at the last second, her mother lets out a scream, stopping the attack. Do Shik doesn’t bother pretending anymore. He openly admits to hurting Jong Tak’s sister, laughing as if it’s all a game. A fight erupts between them. Eventually the police arrive at the exact wrong moment. They walk in as Jong Tak is threatening Do Shik with a knife, completely misreading the situation. Without hesitation, they tase Jong Tak, remaining oblivious to the real danger. Kyung Mi and her mother desperately try to explain who the real culprit is, but the police remain as confused as ever.
After all that, Kyung Mi and her mother return home. Her mother briefly steps out to deliver “the goods” for a woman who stops by, and everything seems quiet. Then someone else shows up, Do Shik. He breaks in without hesitation and starts creeping around the house, circling Kyung Mi like a predator while she’s completely unaware of what’s happening. He starts talking to her, but she doesn’t hear him. It’s only when a sound-sensing toy flashes that she realizes something is wrong. Just as his ax comes down, she dodges it and runs. She locks herself in her room, but it doesn’t last long. He breaks through the door, and she makes a split-second decision to jump out the window.
The chase resumes. Do Shik, clearly relishing the hunt, stays close behind. Jong Tak realizes what’s happening and starts chasing Do Shik. Well, sort of. He takes alternate routes in an attempt to cut him off but keeps failing. Do Shik eventually traps Kyung Mi in a corner, while Jong Tak is tricked into looking for his sister in the wrong place, leaving her completely vulnerable. Do Shik pins her under a chair and taunts Jong Tak over the phone, but Kyung Mi, thinking fast, throws sand in his eyes and escapes.
Somewhere nearby, So Jung finally escapes from the van. Kyung Mi sees her and quickly hides her away. She gives So Jung her phone and takes off again, luring Do Shik away to protect her. The chase continues. Kyung Mi makes it to a busy street and pleads with people for help. But because she can’t speak, people just think she’s mentally unstable. Do Shik appears, plays the “worried brother” card again, and everyone assists him in restraining her. He captures her and she breaks down, begging for her life, listing all the things she still wants to do. It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t care.
He leads her into a secluded alley, preparing to finish the job, but just before he can strike, Jong Tak arrives for his redemption arc, saving Kyung Mi at the last second. Another fight erupts. It’s chaotic, back-and-forth, with no clear winner. Kyung Mi slips away yet again, while Do Shik continues searching for her. This time, he runs into Kyung Mi’s mother and pretends that she’s his mom too. The whole thing becomes a twisted, manipulative mess.
Realizing what’s about to happen, Kyung Mi runs in. But instead of attacking Do Shik, she stabs herself. A shocking move, but an ingenious one. Everyone around thinks he’s the one who stabbed her, forcing their attention to shift and making it nearly impossible for him to talk his way out of it this time.
The tension reaches its peak. Onlookers freeze while Do Shik scrambles to justify himself. The police arrive quickly and instruct him to drop the knife but instead, he slices an officer’s face. Still, they don’t shoot.
Then, he lunges at Kyung Mi. They shoot him in the leg. He falls. They let him get back up.
He rushes at Kyung Mi again.
This time, they finally unload on him, shooting him multiple times.
Yet somehow, he still gets up… only for Jong Tak to tackle him to the ground.
Finally, he dies.
The film ends on a softer note. Kyung Mi and her mother are at the beach with Jong Tak and So Jung, laughing and taking pictures. It’s peaceful. The nightmare is finally over.
The End.
The Review
The Good
Perfect Casting Across the Board
The casting for this film was spot-on. Everyone played their role so convincingly that it elevated the entire experience. Kyung Mi had such a naturally innocent and quiet presence, which made her feel even more vulnerable during the chase scenes. Meanwhile, Do Shik had that perfect mix of “harmless on the outside” and “completely unhinged underneath.” You don’t realise how much great casting impacts a movie until you find yourself bumping the rating up just because the actors got it.
Kept You on Edge… At Least at the Start
The beginning really knew how to keep you anxious. That entire first chase sequence had me gripping my seat. Every time he nearly caught her, I found myself holding my breath. It felt chaotic in the best way, like anything could happen next. The pacing in the first half was tight and stressful in a way that worked really well for this kind of cat-and-mouse thriller.
Her Deafness Was a Game-Changer
Kyung Mi’s deafness made the entire experience ten times more nerve-wracking. The way the film muted the audio at times, letting us feel her disorientation, was so well done.
On top of that, watching her accidentally make noise without realising it was a brilliant tension-builder. Beyond the tension, though, it was also incredibly sad to see how much harder the world makes it for deaf people. Whether it was people ignoring her or just completely misunderstanding her, it was both frustrating and eye-opening.
A Brilliant, Twisted Ending
That ending twist? Genius. The moment she stabbed herself was when I sat up. I genuinely didn’t see it coming and kept wondering how she was going to escape once he had her in public. If she had stabbed him, it could’ve backfired completely. But flipping the situation and forcing everyone to believe he attacked her? So clever. Watching Do Shik fumble for excuses was so satisfying. It felt like she finally beat him at his own manipulative game.
The Bad
The Cat and Mouse Game That Never Ended
At first, the chase between Kyung Mi and Do Shik was gripping, keeping the tension high and the stakes intense. But as the movie went on, it became painfully repetitive. The cycle of her running, him catching her, hesitating for no clear reason, and her narrowly escaping played out over and over again. It reached a point where it no longer felt suspenseful, it just felt predictable.
How is he always just a second too late? Is it sheer luck? Plot armour? Or is he just bad at this? He clearly had no problem kidnapping or killing his earlier victims, but somehow Kyung Mi, who can’t hear or speak, manages to escape over and over. The suspense turned into frustration, and by the end, I was more over-it than anxious.
Frustrating Moments of Plot Convenience
This ties directly into the endless chase loops, but the level of plot convenience in this film was wild. Jong Tak, for example, felt like one of the most useless characters second only to the police. He spent most of his screen time either running in the wrong direction or getting beat up. At one point, he even believes the killer when he says he’ll spare his sister if Kyung Mi dies. Make it make sense. And don’t even get me started on the scene where Do Shik traps Kyung Mi under a chair only for her to throw sand in his face, which sends him flailing on the ground long enough for her to break free. I ask this again: how is it that he had already killed multiple people, yet Kyung Mi, who couldn’t speak or hear, managed to outsmart and evade him time and time again? It was hard to take him seriously when he kept fumbling like this. Either he’s the worst serial killer ever or the plot was really working overtime.
The Police Were Useless
The incompetence of the police in this film was baffling. The scene at the police station where Jong Tak got tased, and Do Shik walked out completely free was absurd. Kyung Mi and her mother desperately tried to tell them who the real threat was, yet nobody listened.
Then, during the final confrontation, the police stood there with their weapons drawn but did absolutely nothing. Even after Do Shik sliced an officer’s face, they still hesitated. When they finally shot him, they let him get back up and charge at Kyung Mi again. I understand that police in Korea don’t shoot to kill, but if someone is actively trying to murder an innocent woman, maybe take a more effective approach. It wasn’t until Jong Tak tackled him that the situation was finally handled by someone who wasn’t even supposed to be responsible for stopping him.
The Unbelievable Lack of Help
A smaller issue, but still frustrating—why did absolutely no one believe Kyung Mi? She was visibly distressed, clearly pointing at the man walking toward her, yet instead of helping, people treated her like she was contagious.
The movie aimed to highlight the real struggles deaf people face, and I get that. There are absolutely instances where deaf individuals are ignored or dismissed in real life. But portraying an entire crowd blatantly refusing to help someone in clear distress? That felt like a bit of a stretch.
Even the killer himself brought up this theme, which could have been explored in a more realistic way. Instead, the film exaggerated the issue so much that it pulled me out of the story instead of driving the point home.
What I Would Do
I wouldn’t change much, but I’d refine a few key elements to make the tension more effective. I liked how manipulative Do Shik was, constantly adjusting his persona to fit whatever situation he needed to control. That was something the film did well, and I’d definitely keep it.
However, instead of having him constantly inches away from catching Kyung Mi, I’d shift his approach to a predator stalking its prey: testing his limits, watching her, playing a psychological game rather than simply chasing her in endless loops.
Her deafness would fascinate him. He’d intentionally make noise, whisper things she couldn’t hear, making us, the audience, feel the full weight of her vulnerability. Rather than multiple repetitive chase sequences, there would be one or two well-placed chases, each tying directly into a pivotal moment instead of just being thrown in for action’s sake.
I’d keep the ending with her stabbing herself, but rather than having the public ignore her distress entirely, I’d shift the pacing so she doesn’t linger long enough for anyone to help her. Maybe people are starting to come toward her, maybe someone’s reaching out, but with Do Shik closing in fast, she bolts before anyone can actually intervene. That way, we still get the desperation, but without the forced disbelief that literally no one would try to help her.
That’s really it. I don’t think the story needs a massive rewrite, it just needs a different rhythm. Maybe it also didn’t help that I watched this on a plane, with limited space and no real time to fully sit with the story or imagine how I’d rewrite it scene by scene. But the main thing I’d change is the pacing. This could’ve been a tighter, sharper thriller with more psychological weight and less repetition.
Final Thoughts
On first watch, this movie was solid and I even gave it an 8 out of 10. Then, for the sake of this review, I watched it again. Let’s just say, I shouldn’t have.
Once I rewatched it, the flaws became glaringly obvious. Things that had slipped past me the first time now stood out like neon signs. There were way too many moments when she escaped when she absolutely shouldn’t have, and a whole lot of scenes that felt like filler. While I still appreciated the tension and the strong acting, the endless chase sequences felt way more repetitive the second time around. At some point, I realised that about 90% of the movie is just running and near-escapes. It was entertaining at first, but eventually, the reliance on convenient timing wore thin.
Would I still recommend it? Yes. As long as you don’t think about it too much, or read this review beforehand, it’s actually a pretty good watch. Basically, enjoy the suspense while it lasts, because once you notice the plot holes, police incompetence, and absurd chase sequences, there’s no going back.
This one got mixed reviews from a lot of people, what did you think when you first watched? Was it as interesting as I first thought it was?
I’m thinking of doing another movie for next week because I already have one in mind. But it’s another thriller/horror and I don’t know if I should do write intense movies back to back. I guess you’ll have to wait and see what I decide!
See you next week!💕
Find Your Next Watch!
Main Cast
Jin Ki Joo as Kim Kyung Mi
Wi Ha Joon as Do Shik
Park Hoon as Jong Tak
Kil Hae Yeon as Kyung Mi’s Mother
Kim Hye Yoon as So Jung
Themes/ Genres
Survival, Resilience, Fear, Psychological Manipulation, Struggle for Justice, Vulnerability of Marginalized Individuals
Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Crime Drama