The movie tells the story of Lee Jung-soo, an ordinary car salesman who is driving through a tunnel when it collapses and traps him in it. In this dark and cramped space filled with darkness and limited food and water, Lee must try to hold on and wait for rescue.
Meanwhile, an outside rescue team, including his wife and a persistent rescue leader, successfully rescues Lee Jung-soo after 35 days of being trapped.
The tunnel in the darkness is not only a physical dilemma, but also a questioning of the human spirit and social system, and what the movie ultimately conveys is that no matter how deep the darkness is, the light in humanity can always guide the way.
2016 / South Korea / Drama / Kim Sung-hoon / Ha Jung-woo Bae Doo-na
Plot Synopsis:
Car salesman Lee Jung-soo (Ha Jung-woo) is traveling through the recently opened Hetu Tunnel as he finishes work and rushes to his daughter’s birthday party when the ground suddenly shakes, leaving him to experience the most isolated thirty-five days of his life, and the only thing he can do at this moment is to call 119 for help.
The news of the tunnel’s collapse attracts attention from all walks of life, including the search and rescue team, the bloodthirsty media who grab the news, and the officials who put on a show just to add to their political achievements.
Search and rescue leader Kim Dae-kyung (Oh Dal-soo) not only has to formulate a rescue plan, but also has to control the reporters on the scene and report to the show-off officials, and the rescue operation is further complicated by the bad weather.
When the tunnel is finally excavated and the victims are ready to be rescued, it is discovered that the tunnel is a shoddy construction.
A series of crushing blows dashed hopes, and to make matters worse, the accidental death of the rescue team leader during the search and rescue operation, and the massive cost to the national treasury, prompted a public trial, forcing Lee Jung-soo’s helpless wife, Se-hyun (Bae Doo-na), to sign a consent form to give up on the rescue operation.
The tunnel is not the only thing that collapses on that day, but also the image scandal of modern society.
