''Searching for the Elephant'' (; lit. "Penthouse Elephant") is a 2009 South Korean

psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and c ...

written, directed and produced by S.K. Jhung (a.k.a. Jhung Seung-koo). It stars

Jang Hyuk Jeong Yong-jun (born December 20, 1976), better known as Jang Hyuk, is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the films ''Volcano High'' (2001) and ''Windstruck'' (2004), and the television dramas '' Successful Story of ...

Jo Dong-hyuk Jo Dong-hyuk (born December 11, 1977) is a South Korean actor. He made his acting debut in '' Make It Big'' (2002), followed by erotic films ''Hypnotized'' (2004), ''The Intimate'' (2005), and '' Searching for the Elephant'' (2009). On televisio ...

and

Lee Sang-woo Lee Sang-woo (born February 13, 1980) is a South Korean actor. He rose to fame in the 2007 television drama ''First Wives' Club'', and has since played leading roles on '' The Road Home'' (2009), '' Don't Hesitate'' (2009), ''Life Is Beautiful' ...

as three male friends who deal with sex addiction, anxiety and other contemporary disorders.

Plot

Freelance photographer Hyun-woo has a successful career and seems to be living an enviable life. But he's been suffering from depression since his ex-girlfriend Ma-ri left him, and begins to have trouble distinguishing between reality and delusion. One of Hyun-woo's friends, Min-seok, is an in-demand plastic surgeon who is also married to Hyun-woo's sister Soo-yeon. But Min-seok is constantly having affairs with various women and suspects that he may have

sex addiction According to proponents of the concept, sexual addiction, also known as sex addiction, is a state characterized by compulsive participation or engagement in sexual activity, particularly sexual intercourse, despite negative consequences. The c ...

. Another longtime friend, Jin-hyuk, is a finance specialist. Jin-hyuk is secretly having an affair with Soo-yeon, Min-seok's wife, and is willing to give up everything for their love. A

suicidal Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and subs ...

, pot-smoking photographer with

schizophrenic Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social withdr ...

episodes, a sex addicted plastic surgeon with a bad conscience, and a secretive financier with legal trouble. These three childhood friends come together to relate common memories, future ambitions and share their deepest secrets. ''Searching for the Elephant'' is a raw, innovative film that portrays the decadent lives of the successful metropolitan in a cynical world. Materialistic dreams and mental anguishes collide as the lives of the three confused friends, and the women surrounding them, spirals out of control. The film is a stylistic psychological study, with its gritty story portrayed with creative images, disjointed cuts and a slick, stylistic camera work and aesthetics. Creating a beautiful contrast to the dark, disturbing story unfolding.

Cast

... Hyun-woo *

... Min-seok *

... Jin-hyuk *

Lee Min-jung Lee Min-jung (; born February 16, 1982) is a South Korean actress. She began her career in Jang Jin's stage plays, and for a few years appeared in supporting roles on film and television. She became known after her appearance in ''Boys Over Flow ...

... Soo-yeon *

Hwang Woo-seul-hye Hwang Woo-seul-hye (born Hwang Jin-hee on August 10, 1979) is a South Korean actress. She made her acting debut as a " dumb blonde"-type character in the critically praised black comedy '' Crush and Blush'' (2008). Hwang has since played leading ...

... Ma-ri *

Park Soo-jin Park Soo-jin (born November 27, 1985) is a South Korean actress, singer and model. She was a member of K-pop girl group Sugar from 2001 to 2006, then she transitioned to acting in 2007. Park has also hosted ''Tasty Road'' since 2010, a cable sh ...

... Ji-na *

Byun Hee-bong Byun Hee-bong (born Byun In-chul; June 8, 1942) is a South Korean actor. Career Byun In-chul was born in Jangseong County, South Jeolla Province, and attended Salesian High School in Gwangju. He took up law at Chosun University before droppin ...

... zoo official * Jeon Se-hong ... Mi-young * Baek Jeong-min ... Dong-won *

Jang Ja-yeon Jang Ja-yeon (; 25 January 1980 – 7 March 2009) was a South Korean actress. She was born in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, South Korea. She debuted in the entertainment industry when she appeared in a television commercial in 2006. She was k ...

... Hye-mi *

Jung In-gi Jung In-gi (born September 12, 1966) is a South Korean actor. Jung made his acting debut in 1990, and has remained active in mainstream and independent film as well as television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunic ...

... detective * Lee Eun-soo ... young Hyun-woo * Yoon Seol-hee ... girl in school uniform *

Ra Mi-ran Ra Mi-ran (born March 6, 1975) is a South Korean actress and television personality. Career Before making her film debut in '' Lady Vengeance'' (2005), Ra Mi-ran spent years acting in theatre. Afterwards, she appeared in more than 40 films but d ...

... middle-aged teacher * Woo Sang-jeon ... old man * Park Jin-woo ... chief administrator

Reception

Reviews for the film have been mixed. The Swiss website ''molodezhnaja.ch'' gave the film 3 stars (out of 5), citing the acting as "dramatic but exaggerated" but calling the film "boring." The online cinematheque ''

MUBI Mubi (; stylized as MUBI; The Auteurs before 2010) is a global curated film streaming platform, production company and film distributor. Mubi produces and theatrically distributes films by emerging and established filmmakers, which are exclusivel ...

'' gave it 4 stars (out of 5). ''Beyond Hollywood'' gave a generally negative review, stating that it is "void of any driving drama or tension right through until the final act" and that "the film is packed with wacky, often meaningless moments." This film is S.K. Jhung's feature directorial debut, and it was screened at various international film festivals including the Stockholm International Film Festival, the

Warsaw International Film Festival Warsaw Film Festival ( pl, Warszawski Festiwal Filmowy, abbreviated as WFF) is an annual film festival held every October in Warsaw, Poland which previews new films of all genres, including documentaries from all around the world. The festival ha ...

, the

Leeds International Film Festival The Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF) is the largest film festival in England outside London. Founded in 1987, it is held in November at various venues throughout Leeds, West Yorkshire. In 2015, the festival welcomed over 40,000 visitor ...

, and the

São Paulo International Film Festival The São Paulo International Film Festival ( pt, Mostra Internacional de Cinema de São Paulo), also known internationally as Mostra, is an annual film festival held in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. A non-profit event, the festival is organized ...

. ''Searching for the Elephant'' landed on Korean critics' lists as one of the most underrated movies of 2009. The writer director S. K. Jhung of ''Searching for the Elephant'' was nominated for Grand Prix at the Warsaw International Film Festival in 2009

References

External links

* * * * {{kmdb film, 10483, Penthouse Elephant South Korean erotic thriller films 2009 films 2009 thriller films 2000s erotic thriller films 2009 drama films 2000s South Korean films