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A boy takes care of his sick mother while his father works at sea. He suffers from terrible nightmares, haunted by the worst imaginations about his mother and father. One day, he sees a girl dragging a huge rock along the beach. Intrigued, he follows her home and discovers how she managed to escape the worst imaginations.

The sounds of a disgusting cough, never-ending alarm, and a boiling pot make a heart quicken with hastiness. If you’re familiar with the director’s previous films, the opening of Vortex may raise your hopes about what kind of exciting creepiness might unfold. Vortex is the newest film from Jang Jae-woo, the director of last year’s impactful Nani Ga Mieh Ru! (2023). The anxiety felt by Yoon-seok, who cares for his sick mother in his father’s stead, leads us into a darkness consisting of sudden grotesque imaginations and horrible realities. It further proves that the new generation cannot escape the never-ending cycle. Yoon-seok’s situation applies to the horror of elderly care labor that the younger generation feels today. The production and sound design complete the grotesque atmosphere of the film. (LEE Haneul)