Jeong Dong-won, New Normal Thriller Charm

The movie 'New Normal,' released on Netflix, is gaining popularity by ranking high on the charts. Although it only drew 100,000 viewers upon its theatrical release in 2023, it has reconnected with the public through the OTT platform and is currently ranked 4th in Netflix's movie category TOP10.

'New Normal' is a term that means new standards in a changed era. Through the lives of six people living in Seoul, it depicts the emotions of a changed era, the loneliness felt by modern people, and events that evoke fear.

The movie begins with news report scenes reminiscent of real-life incidents and accidents such as family murder, job seekers giving up, cat abuse, and dating app assault, shedding light on the dark side of modern society. It portrays the bitter portrait of modern people, including the hardships of single-person households, inconsiderate human relationships, transactional views on dating, and issues of power abuse.

This social landscape is intertwined with chilling crimes to create tension. Crimes targeting women living alone, kidnappings exploiting human goodwill, and murders using dating apps turn everyday spaces into stages for crime. In particular, the first episode featuring Choi Ji-woo and Lee Moon-sik offers a high degree of realism and empathy to those living in an era where 10 million households are single-person households.

The dating app episode, which deals with modern encounters, shows the tendency to digitize personal preferences to find an ideal partner, but it depicts individuals pursuing extreme efficiency getting caught up in serious incidents due to personal information exposure.