A Normal Family

Right and wrong collide violently in Hur Jin-ho’s thrilling drama.

A Normal Family follows two brothers and their families. Surgeon Jae-gyu (Jang Dong-gun) is trying to do his best, doing good wherever his can. His wife Yeon-kyung (Kim Hee-ae) is a teacher and a volunteer and the two see themselves as the virtuous of the two families. Their son Si-ho (Kim Jung-chul) is struggling at school, and seems to have unresolved anger issues. On the other side is defense lawyer Jae-wan (Sol Kyung-gu), a widower with a daughter (Hong Ye-ji), and new young wife Ji-su (Claudia Kim). The two brothers don’t really get along, due to their different moral standings.

Their relationship is always a bit strained but further tested when Jaw-wan is hired to defend a man who injured a little girl (now being looked after by Jae-gyu) and killed her father in a driving incident, but things get really bad when a video showing their children beating a homeless guy into unconsciousness goes viral. Suddenly morals are flipped on their heads as all four parents scramble between protecting their children and making them accept responsibility.

Based on the novel by Herman Koch, A Normal Family is very much its own film and infuses a very Korean point of view into the story. On top of the social satire you’ve no doubt come to expect from the country, there’s also some very Korean genre play here too. At times it’s a comedy so black as to be unwatchable, and other times a morality play and tragedy that explores themes the world as a whole experiences frequently.

From time to time it’s hard to fully parse exactly what every character’s motivation is, which can be difficult when the entire point of the film is to see where loyalties and moralities lie. Characters change ideas and convictions on a whim, leaving you in a position of never knowing what’s on anyone’s mind. Perhaps if this was a mystery I could see the appeal in doing so, but instead things are supposed to feel a bit more concrete, so it’s annoying when you’re never sure what anyone is about to do next. Nevertheless, it’s a tightly-written adaptation and one that’s played excellently by its six (!) leads. No one feels extraneous or wasted, and it’s due to director Hur Jin-ho’s ability to keep things snappy, even if it is occasionally a bit bloated and unfocused.

It’s to be expected when you’re directing a satire of this level. There’s a lot of commentary flying in all directions, and sometimes it can be a bit all over the place. The movie looks at the expectations parents have of their kids, the stresses of the current education system, the ability of the rich to get away with anything – a lot of things. In the end, A Normal Family exposes the everyday corruptions we experience in society, amplified for dramatic effect and while it doesn’t always work, it’s got plenty going for it, from its first car crash to, well, its second.

Verdict: Complex, twisty if occasionally convoluted, A Normal Family is a fun change of pace for director Hur Jin-ho, and a great acting showcase for the cast.

Overall entertainment: 7.5/10
Violence: 6/10
Sex: 1/10
Beatings: A few

Si-ho: The absolute spitting image of Mob from Mob Psycho

A Normal Family (2023)
Also known as: 보통의 가족)
Korean

Director: Hur Jin-ho
Writers: Hur Jin-ho, Herman Koch

CAST

Sol Kyung-gu – Jae-wan
Jang Dong-gun – Jae-gyu
Kim Hee-ae – Yeon-kyung
Claudia Kim – Ji-su
Hong Ye-ji – Hye-yoon
Si-ho – Kim Jung-chuk