Jin-ah (Gong Seung-yeon), the central character of ‘Aronards’, is lonely but never lonely. Or maybe vice versa. She isolates herself at any point of the day, whether eating, working, or smoking, and looks to the screen for her company. Even when she’s talking to her customers at the call center where she works, she’s constantly working and scrolling on her mobile phone. At night she falls asleep with the TV on.
But in director Hong Sung-woon’s quiet, tragic tale of alienation, it’s clear that Jina really is just numb. Her mother recently passed away and she is estranged from her father. But at the call center, an enthusiastic new employee (Jung Dae-un) begins to confront Gina’s walled-in existence.
Hong’s greatest strength is self-control. At a moment when the film could be turned into a more lighthearted, feel-good story about a woman who is taught how to wake up to life, she steps back. Life is not that simple, and healing is difficult. “Aloners” is a song about grief, but also about the ennui of modern life, how it’s so easy for people to close their minds and fall into the void, and how mundane that withering can seem. It is also a work. But you can find pain and despair beneath the surface in Gong and Jung’s brilliantly sensitive performances. The only solution is for Gina to find someone else to do the same and reach out to her.
alone
Unrated. Korean with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 31 minutes. Available for rent or purchase on most major platforms.
