Familial fears: Fear in contemporary Korean cinema

The following article analyses three modern Korean films – Hope (2013), Forgotten (2017) and Night in Paradise (2020) – focusing on the ways fear is inextricably linked to familial relationships. It highlights that in these films, fear is often both provoked and soothed by one’s closest relatives, challenging the traditional notion of the Korean family as a safe, nurturing social unit. Instead, family is portrayed as a complex structure that can trigger deep emotional distress. A shared theme across the films is the fear of losing loved ones, particularly due to illness, which adds a layer of suspense and emotional realism. These fears are shown to influence the characters’ decisions and drive the narrative to unexpected and sometimes unsettling conclusions. The article argues that while family is meant to be a foundation of trust and security, in these stories, its breakdown becomes a source of existential fear and identity crisis for the protagonists.