''Deranged'' () is a 2012 South Korean
medical
Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...
disaster
A disaster is an event that causes serious harm to people, buildings, economies, or the environment, and the affected community cannot handle it alone. '' Natural disasters'' like avalanches, floods, earthquakes, and wildfires are caused by na ...
thriller film
Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...
starring
Kim Myung-min
Kim Myung-min (, born October 8, 1972) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the television series ''Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-sin'' (2004), ''White Tower (TV series), White Tower'' (2007), ''Beethoven Virus'' (2008), ' ...
,
Kim Dong-wan
Kim Dong-wan (; born November 21, 1979) is a South Korean entertainer, known as a member of South Korean boy band Shinhwa. He has been acting since 2002, and has starred in television dramas such as ''A Farewell to Sorrow'' and ''Children of Hea ...
,
Moon Jeong-hee and
Lee Hanee. It is Korea's first medical thriller on an
infectious disease epidemic (another related film, ''
Flu
Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These sympto ...
'', was released the next year in 2013). The film was directed by
Park Jung-woo and produced by Lim Ji-young and Oz One Film. Distributed by
CJ E&M
CJ ENM Entertainment Division (), formerly known as CJ E&M, is a South Korean entertainment and mass media division (formerly company) of CJ ENM. In July 2018, the company merged with the parent company's subsidiary CJ O Shopping, with the latte ...
, the film was released on July 5, 2012, and runs at 109 minutes.
Plot
Jae-hyuk is a former professor with a doctorate in
biochemistry
Biochemistry, or biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology, a ...
who is currently working as a pharmaceutical sales representative after losing his life savings and his job due to a bad investment he made in the stock market on the advice of his younger brother. When a series of dead bodies are found floating in the
Han River, the public is shocked to discover that the deaths are related to a fatal outbreak of virus-infected
mutant
In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It i ...
parasitic
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The ent ...
horsehair worm
Nematomorpha (sometimes called Gordiacea, and commonly known as horsehair worms, hairsnakes, or Gordian worms) are a phylum of parasitoid animals superficially similar to nematode worms in morphology, hence the name. Most species range in size fr ...
s, called ''Yeongasi'', that can control the human brain. Those infected show symptoms of increased hunger without appropriate weight gain and excessive thirst when the worms are mature and ready to reproduce. Hence, they jump into the river to allow the worms to come out of the body. While the authorities work to find a cure, Jae-hyuk and his brother Jae-pil, a detective who is agonized with guilt for squandering Jae-hyuk's money in the stock market, struggle to save Jae-hyuk's family when they exhibit similar symptoms to the infected.
In Seoul, dead bodies with similar signs of malnutrition are found every morning in rivers all across the country. The police have trouble understanding the cause of the sudden deaths, as all the victims don't show any physical symptoms but look gruesome as soon as they jump into the water. One victim is found dead in his bathtub, but there are also unidentifiable worm-like organisms swimming next to his dead body. Officials at the
Ministry of Health find out that these organisms are parasitic
horsehair worms that normally use insects as hosts but became mutated into a new form that allows them to infect human bodies as well. The sudden change in appearance that was seen consistently in all victims was caused when the parasites escaped the bodies in the water. As soon as the news gets out and the government makes a public announcement urging people who have been in or near water and show symptoms of hunger and thirst to get checked out, countless people rush to hospitals. Pharmacies are crowded with people desperate to get
anthelmintic
Anthelmintics or antihelminthics are a group of antiparasitic drugs that expel parasitic worms (helminths) and other internal parasites from the body by either stunning or killing them without causing significant damage to the host. They may also ...
s. Matters become worse when more people jump into rivers overnight and dead bodies float around every morning.
Then it is discovered that using any type of
anthelmintic
Anthelmintics or antihelminthics are a group of antiparasitic drugs that expel parasitic worms (helminths) and other internal parasites from the body by either stunning or killing them without causing significant damage to the host. They may also ...
actually causes more excruciating pain and eventual death. Chaos ensues and worsens until one patient claims that he was cured by a specific type of drug called Windazole. The country goes insane in order to get a hold of the drug, but pharmacies run out of supply in less than a day. Government officials contact the pharmaceutical company in charge of making Windazole, ChoA Pharmaceuticals, and demand that they increase supply. However, ever since being acquired by an investment company, the devices involved in creating the drug were poorly managed and the company fails to make a single pill. Public hearings follow as the government requests the company to reveal the drug's composition, but the CEO says that the company's major stockholders refuse to do so, and the government has no legal grounds to force the company to disclose the drug's "recipe" either.
Jae-pil then discovers evidence that this was all planned out by workers at ChoA Pharmaceuticals. He finds someone who used to work at the research team at ChoA and threatens him to tell the truth. The researcher confesses the entire story. A few years back, the researchers at ChoA learned about the parasite Yeongasi and thought that finding out the protein involved in controlling the brain might help with finding a cure to other brain diseases such as
Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...
. The team was successful in making a mutant version that used mammals as hosts and seemed to be on the way to success with their research when the company was sold, and the research team was disbanded. Some of the researchers who were angry about the whole incident came together and agreed to take part in a collective
stock manipulation
In economics and finance, market manipulation occurs when someone intentionally alters the supply or demand of a security to influence its price. This can involve spreading misleading information, executing misleading trades, or manipulating ...
scheme in which they bought a bunch of stocks and released the parasite after storing away 100,000 packets of the drug. Consequently, hundreds of thousands of tourists became infected over the summer as they went to rivers for vacation. One of the researchers then acted as if he had been treated by the drug in order to raise stock prices.
Given this information, Jae-pil calls Jae-hyuk, and the two go to the storage the researcher admitted to having kept away the rest of the drugs. When Jae-hyuk finally is about to get a hold of the medicine, someone locks the door to the storage and sets the building on fire. The two survive, but the researcher who had been giving Jae-pil the information is murdered by a mysterious man (who later turns out to be the researcher to claim that Windazole worked), and all of the drugs burn down. Jae-pil then finds out that the murdered researcher had actually been the head of the research team and was a close friend to the CEO. Jae-pil learns that the other researchers had already run away overseas and that the head of the team was just staying behind to see how things panned out. Thus, the entire plan was premeditated and taken out by the CEO and the researchers from the beginning. Meanwhile, the CEO suggests that the government buy the company in its entirety, which would then allow them to find out the drug's composition and make more of it for the rapidly increasing number of patients. The price the CEO offers is completely unreasonable at 5 billion won and most government officials are against the idea, but the
Prime Minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
says there is no other option and is about to sign the contract. In the nick of time, he is informed of the whole scam and the CEO is arrested. Jae-hyuk is in despair when he suddenly realizes, based on his knowledge of chemistry, that as long as he is able to create a drug with the same
active ingredient
An active ingredient is any ingredient that provides biologically active or other direct effect in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease or to affect the structure or any function of the body of humans or animals.
...
as Windazole, he should be able to treat his family—he does not necessarily need Windazole itself. Other people join in on the plan and pharmaceutical companies hastily create an effective drug that treats everyone.
The movie ends with Jae-hyuk and his family spending time at an amusement park. Jae-hyuk suggests the family go on vacation overseas all together, preferably to a place with many drugstores. His wife laughs and asks if Jae-hyuk is worried that there might be ''Yeongasi'' in other countries as well. Jae-hyuk smiles but suddenly freezes and whips around as the film suddenly transitions to a scene with a dead body floating in
New York Harbor
New York Harbor is a bay that covers all of the Upper Bay. It is at the mouth of the Hudson River near the East River tidal estuary on the East Coast of the United States.
New York Harbor is generally synonymous with Upper New York Bay, ...
.
Cast
*
Kim Myung-min
Kim Myung-min (, born October 8, 1972) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the television series ''Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-sin'' (2004), ''White Tower (TV series), White Tower'' (2007), ''Beethoven Virus'' (2008), ' ...
- Jae-hyuk
*
Moon Jeong-hee - Gyung-seon
*
Kim Dong-wan
Kim Dong-wan (; born November 21, 1979) is a South Korean entertainer, known as a member of South Korean boy band Shinhwa. He has been acting since 2002, and has starred in television dramas such as ''A Farewell to Sorrow'' and ''Children of Hea ...
- Jae-pil, a police investigator and younger brother of Jae-hyuk
*
Lee Hanee - Yeon-joo, Jae-pil's fiancé
* Eom Ji-seong - Joon-woo
* Yeom Hyun-seo - Ye-ji
*
Kang Shin-il
Kang Shin-il (born November 26, 1960) is a South Korean actor. Kang graduated from Kyung Hee University with a degree in electronic engineering, but he soon put aside his studies and spent most of his time in Daehangno, Seoul's theater district, ...
- Doctor Hwang
* Jo Deok-hyeon - Tae-won /Yhengmorada
* Jeon Kuk-hwan - Prime Minister
*
Choi Jung-woo
Choi Jung-woo (; February 17, 1957 – May 27, 2025) was a South Korean actor. He began his acting career in theater, then became active as a supporting actor in film and television, notably in the sitcom '' Standby'' and the procedural drama
...
- Minister of Health and Welfare
*
Lee Hyung-chul
Lee Hyung-chul (born February 19, 1971) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his supporting roles in television dramas, notably in ''Scent of Man'' (2003), '' Sisters of the Sea'' (2005), ''On Air'' (2008), ''City Hall'' (2009), ''Pasta ...
- James Kim
*
Jung In-gi
Jung In-gi (born September 12, 1966) is a South Korean actor. Jung made his acting debut in 1990, and has remained active in mainstream and independent film as well as television
Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for tran ...
- Sales Office Manager
* Song Young-chang - Doctor Kim
*
Choi Il-hwa
Choi Il-hwa (; born May 9, 1959) is a South Korean actor. He joined the Madang Sesil Theatre Group in 1983, and has since continued acting in Korean theater, television and film.
Filmography
Film
*'' No Tomorrow'' (2016)
*'' Wonderful Nightma ...
- South Korean president
* Kim Se-dong - Production Director
Reception
On the first day of its theatrical release, ''Deranged'' sold 190,953 tickets, making it number one on the daily box office chart (beating Hollywood film ''
The Amazing Spider-Man
''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American superhero American comic book, comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its title character and main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of t ...
'' which sold 149,170 tickets). The film grossed a total of after only five weeks of screening, with 4,515,665 total tickets sold nationwide.
"Korean Weekend Box Office 2012.08.17 ~ 2012.08.19"
''Hancinema
HanCinema () is an online South Korean movie and drama database created by Cédric Collemine during the summer of 2003 in Korea. It provides information related to Korean movies, television dramas, actors, and other related information. It is a ...
''. 20 August 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-26.
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
*
* {{hancinema film, Deranged, Deranged
2012 science fiction horror films
2012 horror thriller films
2012 films
2012 horror films
Films about viral outbreaks
Films set in Seoul
South Korean horror thriller films
South Korean science fiction thriller films
Films directed by Park Jung-woo
2010s South Korean films
2010s Korean-language films