Consider this scenario: The vibrant young high school girl is starting her first face-to-face encounter, and she is simply full of optimism. However, that optimism is gradually and mercilessly faded by the system that is aimed at aiding her which decimates her. You attempt to reach through the screen to save her. But, the brutal reality is that you are unable to help, which is devastating.

But the part that impacted me the most is not simply Sohee’s narrative, but the investigation that followed. The detective played by Bae Doona does not shout and lash out. Rather, she conducts her investigations calmly and subtly, which makes every glare she directs at those around her shriek “this is not okay”. Such composure, which is often viewed as cerebral, emboldens the narrative more so than any courtroom-centric drama or thriller could hope to achieve.

The tragedy depicted in this film did not occur simply because something went wrong – it reveals that a societal structure introduced which results in no individual committing a “evil” action, actively leads to a personal being crushed.