K-Movie 'The Ugly' Is Anchored by Shin Hyun-bin Faceless Character

K-Movie 'The Ugly' showcases Shin Hyun-bin's incredible acting.
Shin Hyun-bin's performance is both powerful and faceless.
The movie 'The Ugly' is a critical must see.

Shin Hyun-bin is often described as "an actress who changes faces," a testament to her chameleon-like ability to vanish into any role. But in director Yeon Sang-ho's latest cinematic venture, 'Face' or also known as 'The Ugly' she delivers her most powerful performance yet by doing the exact opposite which is she never reveals her face at all.

The film, which premiered to acclaim at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival and has already surpassed 310,000 viewers in its opening weekend, tells the haunting story of a family mystery buried for four decades. At its center is Shin Hyun-bin's character, Jeong Yeong-hee the missing wife and mother whose very existence, and erased visage, forces a blind seal engraver, Im Yeong-gyu (Kwon Hae-hyo), and his son, Im Dong-hwan (Park Jung-min), to confront a painful past they'd rather forget.

Crafting a Mystery Around an Absence

For director Yeon Sang-ho, "The Ugly" is a deeply personal project that evolved from a self-reflection on obsession with achievement into a broader critique of Korea’s rapid, growth-obsessed modern history.

"I think I set up a main character who overcame the handicap and started making this story by creating a character named Jung Young-hee on the opposite side," he explained.

The core mystery begins when Jeong Yeong-hee's skeletal remains are discovered on a redevelopment site, shattering the carefully constructed reality of her husband, now a celebrated "miracle man," and her son, who only remembers her as the mother who "suddenly left home when he was young."

The director's approach was highly experimental. He wanted the audience to experience the story much like the blind Im Yeong-gyu does,through imagination and the absence of a visual anchor.

"I thought the power of the twisted inner side was Jung Young-hee's unconfirmed face… I thought that I would be able to go deep into the twisted inner space by creating an environment that only imagines Jung Young-hee's face in a situation where I couldn't see her face."

A significant creative decision was to make Jeong Yeong-hee a figure of strength, not just a victim.

"The biggest difference from the original was that I wanted the character Jung Young-hee to be strong until the end. I think he was the last victim, but he wanted it to be exercised by the other person even though he left a trace of resistance to the other person."

Shin Hyun-bin Embraces the Challenge of a Faceless Role

Portraying a character whose face is never shown is a monumental task for any actor, fundamentally removing their primary tool of expression. For Shin Hyun-bin, a frequent collaborator with Yeon, it was an opportunity for profound experimentation. The casting itself was almost serendipitous.

“I casually mentioned to actor Shin Hyun-bin, 'Who would take on such a role?' To which she responded that she was open to experimental acting even without showing her face. I immediately said, 'Then let's do it'," director Yeon recalled.

With her facial expressions off-limits, Shin Hyun-bin meticulously designed the entire character through other means. She manipulated her voice into a fragile, hesitant instrument, crafted a perpetually hunched posture, and used her hands and shoulders to convey a lifetime of being ignored and deemed "ugly" by her coworkers at a Cheonggyecheon garment factory. Yet, she also infused Jeong Yeong-hee with a resilient tenderness, a woman who, despite her own struggles, reaches out to those more vulnerable. ,

"The most surprising thing was that while editing, I became so immersed in the film that I forgot that 'Jung Young-hee's' face wasn't visible. This is because Shin Hyun-bin expressed it so well," director Yeon claimed.

He added that from the middle of the film, audiences likely forget her face is never seen, a testament to the power of her physical and vocal performance.

Shin Hyun-bin’s preparation was incredibly detailed. She explained that she especially considered the visual impairment of her on-screen husband, Im Yeong-gyu.

“Since Park Jung-min plays someone whose hearing is more sensitive than his eyes, I thought about how this person would feel when he heard it and agonized over the tone of his voice,” explained Shin Hyun-bin.

The Story and The Stars of 'The Ugly'

"The Ugly" is a mystery-thriller that digs into the hidden costs of South Korea's economic miracle. It follows Im Dong-hwan as he investigates the truth behind his mother's death after her remains are found 40 after she vanished. The investigation forces him to re-examine the celebrated legacy of his blind father and the society that was so eager to move forward it was willing to forget those it left behind.

The film boasts an incredible ensemble cast. The legendary Kwon Hae-hyo plays the older Im Yeong-gyu, while the immensely talented Park Jung-min pulls double duty, portraying both the younger version of Yeong-gyu and his son, Dong-hwan. This dual role was a core idea of the film, creating a sense of the two men confronting each other across time. The cast is rounded out by skilled actors like Lim Sung-jae and Han Ji-hyun. The project brought together these faces of Korean film based on their shared belief in Director Yeon's sharp and socially conscious storytelling.

"The Ugly" was officially released in theaters on September 11th, following its successful international premiere in Toronto. Given its powerful start and critical praise, it seems his compelling, faceless mystery is finding the wide audience it deserves.

Source: NAVER, Chosun, mk.co.kr., Plus M Entertainment