Director Byun Sung-hyun's latest black comedy "Good News" delivers a provocative exploration of truth and deception, drawing loose inspiration from a notorious 1970 airline hijacking incident. The film consistently develops one central theme throughout its narrative: the elusive nature of truth and the existence of hidden realities that challenge official accounts.
The satirical film reimagines the 1970 hijacking of Japan Airlines Flight 351, historically known as the Yodogo hijacking incident. Nine members of Japan's Red Army Faction orchestrated this dramatic event, demanding that the aircraft be diverted from its original Tokyo-Fukuoka route to Pyongyang, North Korea. Their ambitious yet somewhat absurd plan involved using the North Korean capital as a launching pad for their "revolutionary" communist ideological dream.
The plot thickens when international intelligence agencies launch a complex covert operation to safely recapture the hijacked aircraft while it remains airborne, carrying 120 passengers and seven crew members. This dangerous midair mission triggers a cascade of chaotic events that form the backbone of the film's satirical narrative structure.
At the heart of this frenzied storytelling sits Nobody, a mysterious South Korean intelligence fixer portrayed by acclaimed actor Sul Kyung-gu. Working behind the scenes, Nobody devises an elaborate and bizarre scheme designed to trick the hijackers into landing at Seoul's Gimpo International Airport. The deception involves transforming the airport to resemble Pyongyang's facilities, complete with women dressed in traditional Korean hanbok performing staged welcome ceremonies, actors posing as North Korean soldiers, and carefully crafted signage reading "Pyongyang Airport."
Nobody recruits Air Force Lieutenant Seo Go-myung, a radar technology specialist played by rising star Hong Kyung, to execute a crucial component of the plan. Go-myung's specialized mission involves intercepting and manipulating radio communications to convince the hijackers they are actually communicating with legitimate North Korean aviation authorities, rather than South Korean operatives.
The character of Nobody, ironically named, becomes the central vehicle for the film's sharp satirical commentary. Through his actions and schemes, the movie exposes the foolishness of government officials who prioritize appearances over substance, while simultaneously revealing the absurd mechanisms behind state propaganda operations.
Director Byun Sung-hyun, known for his 2023 action thriller "Kill Boksoon," employs innovative fourth-wall-breaking techniques that intentionally create psychological distance between the chaotic on-screen events and the viewing audience. Sul Kyung-gu delivers an exaggerated performance that deliberately oscillates between the plausible and the impossible, the rational and the absurd. His character alternates between active participation in the unfolding drama and detached observation, achieved through strategic moments of direct eye contact with the camera that pull viewers into and out of the narrative experience.
Despite the linguistic challenges of performing in Korean, Japanese, and English, Hong Kyung delivers what critics consider the most grounded and believable performance among the film's intentionally theatrical cast. His portrayal provides an anchor of authenticity within the movie's deliberately exaggerated world.
Veteran actor Ryoo Seung-bum makes his long-awaited return to cinema after a six-year absence, playing Korea's intelligence director. His character embodies the archetypal incompetent and opportunistic government official, adding another layer to the film's critique of institutional failures and bureaucratic self-interest.
The black comedy persistently questions the fundamental nature of truth, building toward a final revelation that inspirational quotations attributed to "famous" historical figures throughout the film are entirely fabricated. This thematic exploration establishes itself from the opening moments, when the movie begins with a deliberately contradictory disclaimer stating it is "inspired by true events, but all characters and events portrayed are fictional," before directly asking audiences, "What is the truth then?"
"Good News" premiered as a Netflix original Korean film, making its world debut at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month. The movie has also been selected for the prestigious Busan International Film Festival as part of their gala presentation program. The film is scheduled for global release on Netflix on October 17, bringing this sharp satirical commentary on truth, propaganda, and institutional absurdity to international audiences.
