Directed by: Yoo Ha Starring: Song Kang-ho, Lee Na-young, Lee Sung-min, Shin Jung-geun Release Date: February 16th, 2012
As one of Korea’s lead representative male actors for nearly two decades, the now world-renowned Song Kang-ho (Parasite, A Taxi Driver) delivers performances that should not be missed. The year 2012 was no different and with Song set to reprise his role as a homicide detective, a role that shot his career into superstardom when he so perfectly portrayed one in Bong Joon-ho’s masterwork Memories of Murder (2003), in addition to the attachment of popular actress Lee Na-young (Maundy, Thursday, Someone Special), expectations for Howling were sent through the roof. But the film failed to meet expectations when the lackluster on-screen chemistry between the two leads wasn’t enough to hold its overly stuffed story together.
Former motorcycle police patrolwoman Eun-yeong (Lee Na-Young) has been newly assigned to a misogynistic detective unit that sees her partnering up with seasoned detective Sang-gil (Song Kang-ho) to solve a mysterious murder case that began when a man spontaneously erupted into flames. The drugs in the man’s system along with an unusual bite mark on his leg lead the investigators down a dangerous road of serial murders that uncovers a nebulous conspiracy involving drug trafficking, dog fighting, prostitution, and a thirst for revenge.
Director Yoo Ha, best known for his hyper masculine “streets trilogy” that include the films Once Upon a Time in High School (2003), A Dirty Carnival (2006), and Gangnam Blues (2015), makes films that tend to focus on the misfit character clawing for a place in some firmly established hierarchy. Having explored the social constructs of marriage, teenage angst and organized crime, his desire to continue expanding upon the theme of the outsider making their way through an unforgiving world brought Yoo to adapt the novel “Frozen Fang” (a.k.a. “The Hunter” in its English translation) by Nonami Asa, a bestselling Japanese crime fiction and horror novelist. Based on the synopsis of the book, Howling appears to have attempted a by-the-book adaptation.
But director Yoo’s screen adaptation may almost be too faithful to the novel as it tries pack in every single little twist and turn that Howling feels to go by in fast-forward in several sequences as it races to pack all that story in. Even with its nearly two hour runtime, a lot of exposition takes place in the police office as the detectives end up explaining much of their findings like in a “previously on” segment of a drama series. To make matters worse, the information comes so fast and furious in these recap sessions that it actually makes the story even harder to follow. The film adaptation of Howling would have done itself good if it had cut several characters entirely.
Howling is at its best when it dives into all the misogyny Eun-young faces in the workplace. She’s even initially introduced as being the “woman’s touch” detective Sang-gil may need to help him get his long sought promotion. She becomes the butt of gender jokes, made to do busywork, and excluded from important or risky missions despite her dedication and clear enthusiasm for the work. And when her capabilities prove time and time again to be of sufficient support and even exceed those of her male counterparts, she’s given zero credit. And if it couldn’t get worse, when she refuses the sexual advances of a superior, she’s marginalized even further. As a character, it makes almost zero sense for her to be doing what she’s doing, but the broader implications relating to real gender equality issues in the workplace becomes quite a statement.
Howling is also very ambitious in turning it wolf-dog into a character that transcends its role as a simple bloodthirsty animal in the movie. The wolf-dog is very much representative of that signature misfit character that director Yoo likes to explore in his films. But Howling wants the characterization to have more impact than it does, and that goes back to the story being so condensed that it makes it hard to emotionally invest in the characters.
There’s always been a special quality to the films of writer/director Yoo Ha that have captivated me in one or another. While difficult to put my finger on what exactly that special quality is, it perhaps has something to do with Yoo’s foundation as an established poet that adds an extra layer of artistic sensibility to the script that’s capable of striking unfamiliar emotional chords that make for some extended post viewing introspection while the credits roll.
While Howling makes a noble effort at mixing up the procedural/revenge genre, it feels out of tune overall and remains one of Yoo’s lesser works. The overly stuffed story and out-of-place characters make Howling difficult to emotionally invest in for the drama to work as intended. But those more interested in the women’s empowerment aspect of the film may find a heroine here to rally behind.
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