I Was Mistaken As A Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 153

‘Drug Dealer’ officially premiered today, the 28th. And now, as a morning showing, ‘Drug Dealer’ was being revealed to the world for the first time. About 30 audience members filled the theater. Everyone, including Hwa-rin, was an adult.

It had to be.

From the start, ‘Drug Dealer’ was rated R. In any case, from the very beginning of ‘Drug Dealer,’ the audience’s anticipation was high. From the moment the rough-looking title, mixing black and red, appeared on the screen, to the appearance of the names of the lead actors.

But more than anything, what caught the audience’s attention was.

-[And Kang Woo-jin]

It was when Kang Woo-jin’s name, who made a cameo appearance in ‘Drug Dealer,’ was emblazoned on the screen. He had been the source of numerous issues recently, but it was the hit of ‘My Best Friend’ that played the biggest role. Most of the audience members here had seen ‘My Best Friend’.

Thanks to that, the anticipation and curiosity grew even more.

As soon as Kang Woo-jin’s name appeared, dozens of audience members, both men and women, were whispering to each other.

‘Kang Woo-jin’s name came up, he’s a cameo but his name is first?’

‘Isn’t it because he’s so popular? Anyway, I’m curious. How will Kang Woo-jin appear here?’

‘Wouldn’t his image be similar to ‘My Best Friend’? Maybe just a bit rougher in his acting?’

‘He’s a good actor, so he’ll probably do at least average.’

The topics of the whispers were mostly similar. How would Kang Woo-jin, a cameo, appear? How was his acting? How different would it be from ‘Han In-ho’ in ‘My Best Friend’? And what kind of persona would he portray?

However, the audience’s interest quickly shifted to the content of ‘Drug Dealer’.

‘Drug Dealer’ was intense and gripping from the start. After the appearance of the protagonist ‘Jung Sung-hoon,’ played by Jin Jae-joon, ‘Drug Dealer’ showed a pace that was hard to look away from. Therefore, Hwa-rin and the dozens of audience members fixed their gazes on the large screen.

But as it always is with movies, there’s a balance of pace.

There are times when explanations are needed, and scenes where the world-building is revealed through the dialogue between characters are also necessary. If you just keep running, you’ll get out of breath. In other words, there came a moment when ‘Drug Dealer’ also slowed down.

Therefore.

-Swoosh.

The audience members who had been concentrating started to fidget or do other things. Their concentration had dropped for a brief moment. But just as the audience’s interest was waning, the background on the large screen suddenly changed, and an unfamiliar atmosphere and scenery were displayed. The pouring rain was the same.

Oh? Something’s different?

-♬♪

The music, which was grandly laid out. Soon, just as the slightly sagging concentration of the audience had risen slightly.

-Click.

On the screen, a figure with a cigarette in his mouth got out of the last of the four parked sedans.

‘Huh? Is that Kang Woo-jin?’

The first appearance of ‘Lee Sang-man’ with a cigarette in his mouth. All the elements enhanced his impact. The pouring rain, the suit-clad thugs, the music echoing in the theater, the dynamic camera angles.

And.

[‘Hoo-‘]

The unconventional character of ‘Lee Sang-man,’ who appeared exhaling a long puff of cigarette smoke, the persona that showed controlled violence. The actor Kang Woo-jin, who played that Lee Sang-man. As soon as he appeared on the screen, the slightly scattered concentration was immediately focused.

Hwa-rin, who had stopped moving, muttered to herself, mesmerized, and the small movements of dozens of audience members increased.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Lee Sang-man on the screen.

That’s how intense Lee Sang-man’s impact was. It was a character that appeared about an hour into the movie’s runtime, but it immediately heightened the tension.

From here, the audience’s hearing and sight became keen.

It was because, for some reason, after Lee Sang-man appeared, there was a feeling of the calm before the storm. His one line.

[‘Come closer. You’ll get all wet.’]

[‘Ah! I’m sorry!’]

[‘Or do you want that?’]

[‘No, no, sir!!’]

Each action had a subtle weight to it. What about the feeling of a mix of flexibility and fluidity, yet also cruelty and violence?

To this, the audience members.

‘Ugh, goosebumps.’

‘Isn’t it a bit scary?’

Rubbed their arms. The cold air conditioning in the theater fueled that feeling. The coolness touching the skin and the ruthlessness of ‘Lee Sang-man’ on the screen matched well. Meanwhile, Hwa-rin, with her mouth slightly open, was completely captivated by Kang Woo-jin on the screen.

‘It’s different. There’s none of the acting or atmosphere he’s shown so far. Did he even change his voice? He kept his unique low tone, but… how did he create that phlegm-like tone?’

Hwa-rin, as a fan and as an actress, was completely captivated by Kang Woo-jin’s acting.

‘There’s not even 1% of the pure, warm emotion from Han In-ho. Honestly, it’s amazing. From the motion of smoking a cigarette to the small hand gestures, the way he looks, even the way he blinks, everything is deliberate. Each and every one of them enhances the character’s power. I already knew it, but the acting detail is really…’

If she, who had experienced Kang Woo-jin’s acting up close, felt this way, what about the dozens of audience members around Hwa-rin? Hwa-rin glanced at the women next to her, rubbing their arms. She understood that reaction well.

‘The timing of Lee Sang-man’s appearance was perfect, and more than anything, Woo-jin’s acting and character transformation exceeded expectations.’

Around this time.

[‘Dancing.’]

Lee Sang-man spoke, looking at the long line of orange streetlights. His eyes, which had a hazy but faint smile, were closely zoomed in. At the same time, Lee Sang-man had been scratching his neck or arms since earlier.

At first, it was just that, but the audience felt something strange.

‘Hey, but hasn’t he been scratching since earlier?’

‘Yeah, I thought something was weird too.’

‘Is it a clue?’

At the same time, the discomfort on Lee Sang-man’s face on the screen intensified. The music also became heavier. Clearly, Lee Sang-man was revealing his problem to the audience.

That problem was.

-Dududududuk!

-Hudududududuk!

Beyond the pouring rain.

[‘The sea will burn.’]

[‘Yes?’]

[‘I said the sea will burn.’]

Beyond the death of his subordinate.

[‘Concrete.’]

When Lee Sang-man went up the gloomy and dark stairs, it became extremely intense. Anyone could see that the scene at the top of the stairs was ominous, but a faint smile was spreading across Lee Sang-man’s eccentric and indifferent face. The angle was straight on, and the screen was filled with Lee Sang-man’s face as he climbed the stairs.

[‘……’]

The twitching facial muscles, the lips curving like a bow as if his teeth were gradually showing, the eyes filled with madness, the quickening movements.

It was a descent into madness.

Such gradual changes in Lee Sang-man’s expression, the transformation, were somewhat shocking to the dozens of audience members.

‘What, what is it? Why is he like that?’

‘Ugh- that expression will come out in my dreams at night.’

‘What is it? Was he actually a madman? A psychopath?’

Hwa-rin, staring at the screen with wide eyes, noticed Lee Sang-man’s change.

‘Liberation, I see a sense of liberation. Until just now, it was a tiresome workplace, and now it’s like he’s going to his own playground… and his smile is unsettling. That smile itself seems to foreshadow Lee Sang-man’s end.’

It was accurate. Right now, Lee Sang-man was showing a spoiler to all the audience members. The smile I’m making is like death. Kang Woo-jin showed that not through dialogue but through acting, and the audience was feeling the death that was vaguely visible behind Lee Sang-man’s smile as ‘unease’.

But all the audience’s unease soon turned into certainty.

-Click!

Because of the various tools that were visible when the half-mad Lee Sang-man in the movie opened the desk drawer. Soon, Lee Sang-man threw off his suit jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves.

[‘Hoo-oop- Hoo.’]

As his breathing became rougher, his face became full of life. Then, Lee Sang-man, sitting on the sofa, was liberated, and the audience realized. Lee Sang-man was a drug addict. Then, Lee Sang-man imprinted the audience’s awareness several times more intensely.

[‘Hehehe’]

Lee Sang-man, sitting on the sofa, chuckled. A smile that was exactly that expression. The screen also captured the window behind Lee Sang-man, where rainwater was pouring down. At this time.

-Rumble, crash!

A strong thunder and lightning struck, and about half of the audience members, who had been tense, were startled.

‘Eek!!’

‘Whoa!!!!’

‘Aah!!’

‘That scared me!’

Regardless, Lee Sang-man on the screen slowly raised his head to the ceiling. An angle that looked at his entire face from above. Gradually zooming in. Soon, a strange laughter spread throughout the theater.

[‘Ehehehe-‘]

No, it was the sound of death. At this moment, dozens of audience members in the vast theater did not open their mouths. They were frozen like ice, just staring at the screen.

The scene’s immersion was truly amazing.

‘……’

Hwa-rin was the same. However, everyone had the same thought in their minds.

‘Kang Woo-jin is so good at acting.’

Because they had seen more than a scene stealer.

About 1 hour and 30 minutes later.

Before they knew it, the screen in the theater where Hwa-rin was showed a black screen and the end credits were rolling.

-♬♪

The grand OST also signaled the end of the movie. The lights in the dark theater also became slightly brighter. There were no post-credit scenes, so the audience now had to leave the theater. But for some reason, dozens of audience members did not easily leave their seats. It was as if they all had a feeling of lingering aftertaste.

Whether they came with men.

‘That was awesome, damn. It was so fun. There wasn’t a single acting flaw.’

‘Honestly, it feels like a great movie came out after a long time.’

‘Wow- I really want to see this again? And what about Kang Woo-jin? His acting was crazy.’

‘Totally agree. No, is he really crazy? He’s a cameo, right? Why is he stealing the spotlight from the lead actors?’

‘But Kang Woo-jin was amazing even in ‘The Fixer’.’

‘Ah- the less attractive Park Dae-ri?’

Whether they came with women.

‘It was a bit brutal and scary, but it was fun, right?’

‘Yeah, yeah! Totally! Jin Jae-joon is so cool.’

‘Ah- I’m a bit not into it. Should I say it’s a bit disturbing? I guess this kind of movie doesn’t suit me. But Kang Woo-jin’s scene-stealing in the middle was amazing, he stood out more than Jin Jae-joon?’

‘It was amazing. He came out just when it was about to get boring, and my concentration went up! Ha… I liked Kang Woo-jin, the character was a bit trashy, but he was cool.’

‘It’s because he’s good at acting. Everyone saw ‘My Best Friend’, right? But Han In-ho wasn’t even visible? It was like a different person.’

Even couples were all similar.

‘Wow- Kang Woo-jin is good at acting. I’m going to watch ‘My Best Friend’ when I get home today.’

‘See, I told you to watch it, honey. In ‘My Best Friend’, Kang Woo-jin is so tsundere [a person who is initially cold but later shows warmth] but warm, but in ‘Drug Dealer’, Kang Woo-jin is completely crazy. How can his acting be so different for each role?’

‘It’s not for nothing that the media is praising him as a monster rookie.’

The dozens of audience members who had been occupying the seats started to move around the end of the end credits. Even while throwing away the popcorn or drink cups they had eaten in the trash cans right in front of the theater, their mouths did not stop.

The interesting thing was.

‘Does Kang Woo-jin have SNS [Social Networking Service]?’

‘Yeah, he does. Have you ever seen Kang Woo-jin’s YouTube?’

‘Yeah, yeah.’

The name of the actor that most of the audience members were uttering was Kang Woo-jin. Behind them, Hwa-rin, wearing a hat, mask, and glasses, followed. She was in a slightly dazed state.

No, to be exact.

‘Woo-jin… wow, really.’

Her already strong fan heart was soaring endlessly. It was a kind of faith different from ‘Kangtotem’ [a term of endearment for Kang Woo-jin]? In other words, her fangirling was growing immensely. More than anything, she was the only one among today’s audience who could accurately judge Kang Woo-jin’s acting.

Why?

Hwa-rin had seen all the characters that Kang Woo-jin had played. She became a fan with ‘Kim Ryu-jin’ in ‘The Fixer’ and up to the recent ‘Lee Sang-man’. Of course, none of them felt the same.

‘Is that what they call method acting? But it’s something more extensive than method. The acting approach is different for each role.’

What kind of actor is he? Hwa-rin felt jealousy as an actress and awe as a fan.

‘My Best Friend and Drug Dealer were released almost at the same time, so Woo-jin’s diverse acting is more prominent.’

Whatever the case, Hwa-rin kept thinking about Kang Woo-jin after getting on the elevator and until she arrived at the underground parking lot. Of course, his thoughts would not leave her all day today. Soon, she woke up her foreign car that was sleeping in the parking lot and got into the driver’s seat.

It was at this time that she took off the disguises that had been covering her face.

-Swoosh.

Hwa-rin, who had swept back her long hair that had been messed up by the hat, was about to start the engine when.

‘Ah, right!’

She suddenly clapped her hands together.

‘Ratings, I have to give ratings!’

It seemed like she was going to rate ‘Drug Dealer,’ which she had watched as the first viewer. Of course, with reviews. She knew it well. That the early ratings are important for the success of a new movie. Soon, Hwa-rin picked up her phone and accessed a search site. Of course, the search term was ‘Drug Dealer’.

The information for ‘Drug Dealer’ immediately appeared on the first line.

Hwa-rin’s eyes widened slightly as she touched the ratings section.

‘Wow- already.’

Even though the morning movie had just ended, there were already quite a few ratings and reviews from viewers.

[「Drug Dealer」/ Released October 28, 2020]

[Rating 9.7]

[Viewer·Netizen Reviews/ 198 Participants]

-It’s so fun and Kang Woo-jin is the real deal/ t****

-It was a bit brutal and scary… but the actors’ acting was amazing… especially Kang Woo-jin/ g****

-Jin Jae-joon’s rediscovery, no need to say more, just watch it/ c****

-Kang Woo-jin’s cameo casting was a divine move./ 1*****

-Why is Kang Woo-jin only acting now? His acting was seriously amazing? It made me wonder if he’s actually done drugs/ 9*****