''Innocent Thing'' (; lit. "Thorn") is a 2014 South Korean

romantic thriller A romantic thriller is a narrative that involves elements of the romance and thriller genres. A good thriller provides entertainment by making viewers uncomfortable with moments of suspense, the heightened feeling of anxiety and fright. A thril ...

film directed by Kim Tae-kyun, starring

Jang Hyuk Jeong Yong-jun (born December 20, 1976), better known as Jang Hyuk, is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the films ''Volcano High'' (2001) and ''Windstruck'' (2004), and the television dramas ''Successful Story of a ...

and Jo Bo-ah.

Plot

Joon-ki (

) was once a former

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

athlete and is currently a popular physical education teacher at an all-girls' high school. His pregnant wife Seo-yeon (

Sunwoo Sun Sunwoo Sun (born Jung Yoo-jin on March 21, 1975) is a South Korean actress. She made her acting debut in 2003, but rose to stardom in 2009 with the television drama ''Queen of Housewives''. Other notable films and series include ''My New Partner ...

) is due to give birth to their first child imminently. Although he's used to playful advances from pubescent students, things take a dangerous turn when Young-eun ( Jo Bo-ah) falls hard for her teacher and daringly confesses her feelings for him. Amid growing rumors, he is soon consumed with guilt and attempts to end the relationship. However Young-eun's pure crush slowly turns to obsession. She starts to regard everyone related with Joon-ki as obstacles, and the farther he keeps her away, the bolder her obsession and madness grows.

Cast

as Kim Joon-ki * Jo Bo-ah as Ha Young-eun *

as Seo-yeon *Lee Do-ah as Min-joo *Do Gwang-won as Seok-jin *Jang Seo-kyeong as Joo-hee * Shin Cheol-jin as school custodian *Park Jin-young as Jang-in, Joon-ki's father-in-law *Do Yong-gu as gynecologist *Wang Tae-eon as principal *Kim Kyeong-sik as Teacher Park *Han Hee-jung as housekeeper *Son Hee-seon as Joon-ki's mother-in-law *Yoo Ji-yeon as Cheo-hyeong, Joon-ki's sister-in-law *Kim Won-sik as Dong-seo * Yoon Bok-in as OB/Gyn nurse *Baek Eun-joo as student council president *Kim Ye-eun as Ye-eun *Han Seul-gi as Seul-gi *Lee Sang-mi as Sang-mi *Park Jeong-hee as Jeong-hee *Lee Sae-bom as Sae-bom *Woo Do-im as Do-im *Park Gyu-ri as Gyu-ri *Kang Do-eun as Joo-hee's mother *Jeong Joon-yeong as Teacher Jeong *Choi Won-seok as Won-seok *Heo Ji-hye as new ward nurse *Kim Mi-kyeong as neonatal nurse *Oh Ui-taek as male student *Lee Yeon-joon as "kiss" man *Park Joon-seo as man in TV drama *Kim Bo-ryeong as woman in TV drama

Production

The film reunited director Kim Tae-kyun and actor

for the first time in thirteen years since '' Volcano High'' (2001). Kim first encountered the screenplay in 2007 at a competition, and he was won over right away, captivated by the blurred lines between love and obsession. He called the film "an experiment" due to its eclectic mix of

suspense Suspense is a state of mental uncertainty, anxiety, being undecided, or being doubtful. In a dramatic work, suspense is the anticipation of the outcome of a plot or of the solution to an uncertainty, puzzle, or mystery, particularly as it aff ...

horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction ** Japanese horror, Japanese horror fiction **Korean horror, Korean horror fiction * Horror film, a film genre *Horror comics, comic books focusing o ...

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...

and romance, and that his use of cinematography and camera techniques were essential in delivering the "feeling of being trapped." Wanting the schoolgirl character to embody both innocence and pure sex appeal, Kim auditioned 250 actresses, before casting Jo Bo-ah in her big screen debut. The early working title was ''Strawberry Milk'' (), a drink which Jo's character has a fixation on. It was changed to ''Thorn'' because Kim said, "There is nothing sweet and soft about the movie like strawberry flavored milk. Only sharpness like a thorn exists. It represents something difficult." Filming began on September 14, 2013, at Jijok Middle School in Daejeon. Shooting wrapped on November 10, 2013.

Box office

''Innocent Thing'' was released on April 10, 2014. It drew 121,292 viewers on its opening day.

References

External links

* * * * {{Kim Tae-kyun 2014 films 2010s Korean-language films 2014 psychological thriller films 2010s romantic thriller films Erotic romance films 2010s erotic thriller films Films about stalking Films directed by Kim Tae-kyun South Korean erotic thriller films South Korean romantic thriller films 2010s South Korean films