Written and directed by Lee Moon-young, a group of young friends from the city go on a camping getaway. What starts as a fun-in-the-woods adventure soon turns into a bloody nightmare as a madman and eventually his suave henchman stalk them like prey. Starring: Kang Byul, Park Yeon-woo, Kang Seung-hyun and Song Young-gyu.
A common problem with cinema today, something that’s always been around but tends to be more frequently seen now, is giving away too much, too fast. Filmmakers can shy away from relying on the patience or intelligence of their audience and instead hand them everything and focus on creating tension or suspense. It’s not a very successful strategy and that’s basically what you find with The Human Trap. Everything is immediately suspicious, there’s no build-up, so there isn’t really anywhere for the story to go, to really pack a punch.
One of the big problems with the story is that it’s actually two, there are two main plotlines running simultaneously and one of them is inherently more interesting than the other. One has a solid backstory with complex emotion but it’s sadly overshadowed by the conventional, horror and thriller driven side. It’s a shame as its brief focus on the human side of things, suffering and grief, has a few genuinely sincere moments which are the strongest thing the film has to offer. However, the direction is very consistent, it does a good job of building a strong atmosphere and strengthening the tension where it’s needed.
Similarly, the performances are good throughout on all fronts but Kang Byul is particularly enjoyable in what could be called the leading role, though the limelight is well shared. Whatever flaws The Human Trap may have, the acting is not one of them. The ensemble all does an especially good job of making their characters feel real, they can be selfish, short-sighted or even irritating at times but it all serves to build their personalities. They also add a touch of humour here and there, which is a welcome addition.
The Human Trap is split between two stories, one of them has a nicely bubbling tension and plenty to offer with moral questions and emotions. The other tries to connect itself to a dark side of reality that it doesn’t have the weight to pull off. The acting and direction are consistently entertaining throughout but the rest can feel fairly unsatisfying. There’s the potential for something better hidden within, but it takes a few too many wrong turns along the way.
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