It had an interesting story and I generally understood the story, but if only SooMi and her father were in the…
I think I can answer most of these!
The person the father calls is the real stepmother, Eun-joo. The woman who later visits Su-mi at the hospital is also the real Eun-joo. Most of the “evil stepmother” we see living in the house earlier is actually part of Su-mi’s dissociation. Su-mi is essentially taking on Eun-joo’s role while also imagining that Su-yeon is still alive.
When the real Eun-joo returns to the house near the end, however, that really is her. The supernatural encounter there also appears to be real, not something created by Su-mi, especially because Su-mi isn’t present. The movie had already suggested that genuine supernatural activity exists when the visiting aunt sees the ghostly girl under the kitchen sink. The ghost that attacks Eun-joo at the end is generally understood to be connected to Su-yeon.
The earlier scenes showing the stepmother abusing/beating Su-yeon shouldn’t necessarily be taken as literal memories of things the real Eun-joo did. Those scenes are occurring inside Su-mi’s distorted reconstruction of the household. The same applies to the scenes where the “stepmother” attacks Su-mi. That version of Eun-joo isn’t physically living there with them.
The mother’s suicide and Su-yeon’s death, however, really happened. Their mother killed herself inside Su-yeon’s wardrobe. Su-yeon discovered her there, and the wardrobe fell on top of her, trapping her underneath. There is nothing suggesting the mother intended for Su-yeon to die. Her death was a horrible accident resulting from what happened. The most tragic part is the meaning of Eun-joo telling Su-mi, “You’ll regret this moment.” Eun-joo had already gone into Su-yeon’s room and discovered her trapped underneath the wardrobe. She initially walked away, but then changed her mind and started going back toward the room to help her. Before she could, Su-mi came out and confronted her.
After their argument, Su-mi walked away without knowing what had happened upstairs. Eun-joo knew Su-yeon was trapped, but instead of telling Su-mi or returning to help Su-yeon, she let Su-mi leave and told her she would regret that moment.
So yes, Su-mi would eventually regret leaving, because if she had gone into her sister’s room, she might have been able to save her. But Su-mi DID NOT KNOW that Su-yeon was trapped. She had no reason to understand what the noise upstairs meant. Eun-joo was the person who knew.
That is what makes the ending so tragic. Su-mi spends afterward consumed by guilt over walking away, even though she didn’t have the information Eun-joo had. Her mind then creates a reality in which Su-yeon is still alive and the cruel stepmother is still living with them. The movie mixes Su-mi’s dissociation, memories, and actual supernatural events together, which is why it can be so confusing on the first watch.
In episode 7, Si-o Atelier is played by Lee Bong Jun! Someone has to add him on the cast list. I knew he looked familiar... he played the deceptive, cold, predatory antagonist in Teach You A Lesson. Good to see him as a cameo. <3 Edit: a twin role?! Sweet.
Am I the only one who thinks Song Qi, who plays Huang Bo (the ML's bodyguard), resembles Thai actor Inn from The Edge of the Horizon? I do a double take sometimes when he's on screen. 🤯💗
I love the trio - the handsome ML, his pretty-but-masculine bodyguard, and the beautiful cousin-aide who flips deliciously between cute and commanding. Their interactions... <3
He did such an amazing performance in Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert. His character kind of reminded me of Legolas from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. 💞
I'm impressed by Ollie's performance. 👀 His aura is ✨ majestic ✨. The last time I saw him was in that survival show performance on Jessi's Zoom song - he was adorable there.
I like how even the supporting and less supporting roles have significant weight in this series. From "not interested" to "currently watching" binge mode up to the 6th episode, I'm surprised that I'm lovin' this series so far. I've been in a slump for K-dramas as of late but this & Absolute Value of Romance might be some of my next favorites for forever. 🫶
The misunderstanding was a bit too much, dropped at episode 17. I love the FL but couldn't finish it no matter how many times I picked it back up. Sad, it had a good start though! 😭✨
The person the father calls is the real stepmother, Eun-joo. The woman who later visits Su-mi at the hospital is also the real Eun-joo. Most of the “evil stepmother” we see living in the house earlier is actually part of Su-mi’s dissociation. Su-mi is essentially taking on Eun-joo’s role while also imagining that Su-yeon is still alive.
When the real Eun-joo returns to the house near the end, however, that really is her. The supernatural encounter there also appears to be real, not something created by Su-mi, especially because Su-mi isn’t present. The movie had already suggested that genuine supernatural activity exists when the visiting aunt sees the ghostly girl under the kitchen sink. The ghost that attacks Eun-joo at the end is generally understood to be connected to Su-yeon.
The earlier scenes showing the stepmother abusing/beating Su-yeon shouldn’t necessarily be taken as literal memories of things the real Eun-joo did. Those scenes are occurring inside Su-mi’s distorted reconstruction of the household. The same applies to the scenes where the “stepmother” attacks Su-mi. That version of Eun-joo isn’t physically living there with them.
The mother’s suicide and Su-yeon’s death, however, really happened. Their mother killed herself inside Su-yeon’s wardrobe. Su-yeon discovered her there, and the wardrobe fell on top of her, trapping her underneath. There is nothing suggesting the mother intended for Su-yeon to die. Her death was a horrible accident resulting from what happened.
The most tragic part is the meaning of Eun-joo telling Su-mi, “You’ll regret this moment.” Eun-joo had already gone into Su-yeon’s room and discovered her trapped underneath the wardrobe. She initially walked away, but then changed her mind and started going back toward the room to help her. Before she could, Su-mi came out and confronted her.
After their argument, Su-mi walked away without knowing what had happened upstairs. Eun-joo knew Su-yeon was trapped, but instead of telling Su-mi or returning to help Su-yeon, she let Su-mi leave and told her she would regret that moment.
So yes, Su-mi would eventually regret leaving, because if she had gone into her sister’s room, she might have been able to save her. But Su-mi DID NOT KNOW that Su-yeon was trapped. She had no reason to understand what the noise upstairs meant. Eun-joo was the person who knew.
That is what makes the ending so tragic. Su-mi spends afterward consumed by guilt over walking away, even though she didn’t have the information Eun-joo had. Her mind then creates a reality in which Su-yeon is still alive and the cruel stepmother is still living with them. The movie mixes Su-mi’s dissociation, memories, and actual supernatural events together, which is why it can be so confusing on the first watch.