Elementary school student Jun Young goes to the playground in the apartment complex with his younger sister Won. There they meet his classmates who live in the same complex. They are not friendly toward Jun Young, and his excited sister is no help to embarrassed him. “Jun Young, do you live in this complex?” Without putting much thought, Jun Young quickly responds, “Yes.” His classmates dare him to go to the basementto prove that he lives in the complex. To avoid intimidation, Jun Young grabs his sister’s hand and heads to the basement. There, he witnesses something unbelievable. What is scarier than the basement scenery is the reality outside the basement. The Floor Below apathetically depicts Jun Young’s world ? bearing a heavy burden with no adults and no social safety net. The film also captures the present world where words like “Hugar (Humansia apartment beggar)” or “rentroach (rental apartment residents)” are used like no big deal. In the horror created by the film, the audience faces a question. Who are they referring to as ‘the silent one’? It may be us, the audience.
(Source: JIFF)