Decibel

Story: A terrorist has placed multiple bombs in public areas of a South Korean city that will blow up if the noise level breaches a certain decibel. A celebrated national hero must find out who is behind this
diabolical plot and why even as he struggles to save lives.

Review: In a thriller when the fight between the good and evil is a race against time, it’s usually bound to be adrenaline-pumping and edge-of-the-seat. Especially, if the execution is right. Here, director In-ho Hwang along with his co-writer Jin-hoon Lee start off their story with a ticking time bomb, but gradually lead us to the crux of it, which is bound by a deeply emotional fabric. ‘Decibel’ is a long film that takes its time to unfold and slowly reveal the reasoning behind the actions of its characters. And, this is always a tricky business in thrillers because it runs the risk of making the screenplay drag. In this case, the narrative moves at a consistent pace but there will be moments when it kind of tests your patience. This is purely because the makers try to spread out the more tense and nail-biting situations and fill in more characters and their plotlines in between. Director In-ho Hwang spends a considerable amount of time setting the stage for the ultimate reveal that is definitely worth the wait. However, more precise and crisp edit and a tighter script would have helped the film immensely.

Performance-wise, it’s a Kim Rae-won show all the way. His depiction of Commander Kang Do-Young’s steely resolve and vulnerability is quite on point. Jung Sang-Hoon as goofy reporter Oh Dae-Oh provides good support and comic relief in tense situations. Lee Jong-Suk excels in his limited screen time as the resentful Captain Jeong Tae-Seong. Rest of the actors play their part well.

‘Decibel’ works mostly because of its tension-filled premise that gives a lot of scope for action and adventure. It’s not groundbreaking or highly unpredictable but is made interesting with a layered, non-linear narrative and a strong climax. While the overall execution and the production values don’t quite match the script’s ambitious scale, the film’s emotional fabric makes up for it. In the end,
‘Decibel’ is a solid human interest story that is more about the sacrifices of the boys in uniform than bombs.