Two couples dine at an upscale restaurant, presenting themselves as picture-perfect families. One couple consists of a successful attorney at a prestigious law firm and his young, beautiful wife. The other pair includes a respected pediatrician and his wife, who appears to juggle her demanding career and home life effortlessly. Beneath their polished exteriors, however, lies a disturbing truth. As the evening unfolds, their peaceful dinner takes a shocking turn when CCTV footage of their children committing a crime is unexpectedly displayed on the dining table. Now faced with a moral dilemma, they must decide: do they report their children, or cover up the crime to protect their futures?
This intense moral conflict is at the heart of “A Normal Family,” a psychological thriller directed by Hur Jin-ho, known for films like “Christmas in August” and “One Fine Spring Day.” The film, which opened at the top of the box office, pulls audiences into a deeply unsettling psychological drama that intensifies as the story progresses. Even a single confession could ruin both families, raising the stakes with every passing moment.
Hur Jin-ho masterfully adapted the narrative of the Dutch novel “The Dinner” by Herman Koch, which has sold over one million copies worldwide, molding the story to reflect the tensions within Korean society. While the original novel gradually reveals the families’ ugly secrets over the course of a single meal, the film cleverly extends this through three distinct meals, bringing a sharp focus to issues like juvenile delinquency, school violence, and Korea’s obsessive educational culture.
The film’s highlight is the acting showdown during the pivotal dining scenes. Jae-wan (played by Sul Kyung-gu), a man driven by profit at all costs, faces off against his principled younger brother, Jae-gyu (Jang Dong-keon), who values integrity above all else. Meanwhile, Ji-soo (Soo-hyun), the stepmother of the child involved in the crime, watches the tension unfold, alongside Yeon-kyung (Kim Hee-ae), a “superwoman” balancing her career, child-rearing, and the care of her elderly mother-in-law. As the evening wears on, their moral beliefs clash, leading to a sharp conflict over whether to turn the children in or cover up the crime to protect their futures.
Hur Jin-ho captures the actors’ subtle emotional shifts by shooting many scenes with three cameras simultaneously. After a six-year break following “Rampant,” Jang Dong-keon noted how exhausting the dining scenes were, commenting, “Each of the four characters had different perspectives, and their relationships were intricately intertwined, requiring careful coordination.” The film’s strength lies in its portrayal of characters who resist simplistic judgment, offering a rich exploration of human complexity. The actors embody morally conflicted, unsettling personas with remarkable nuance.
A standout element of the film is its sharp black comedy. Sophisticated but hypocritical characters engage in biting exchanges, exposing one another’s flaws and hidden agendas with cutting wit. Despite the chilling atmosphere, Hur Jin-ho’s delicate directorial touch—seen in earlier works like “Christmas in August”—remains intact. One particularly memorable scene shows Jaewan (Sul Kyung-gu) visiting the victim’s family, offering money in a futile attempt to assuage his guilt, only to leave with a face full of mixed emotions.
Premiering to acclaim at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), “A Normal Family” captivates with its unpredictable plot and shocking twists. As characters face moral crossroads, their true nature is gradually revealed. The film’s distant camera work encourages viewers to reflect on what they themselves would choose. Hur Jin-ho explained the film’s title change, saying, “While the reactions of these two families may not seem typical, I thought they could easily become an ordinary experience for anyone. I liked the paradoxical nature of the title, as it made me reflect even after the movie ended.”
The explosive final scene has a lasting impact, forcing audiences to ask: Are we a normal family? Are we normal humans?
