Frightfest 2016 Film # 10

I only really went to see this film because there was nothing else on in the slot that I fancied seeing and I knew very little about it but it ended up being one of my favourite films from the weekend. That's half the fun of a festival like this, seeing something that you otherwise wouldn't bother with and discovering a hidden gem.
A Korean film set around what can loosely be described as a Karaoke Club, a place open late where drunks falling out of clubs can hire a booth and sing their hearts out. The problem with Addiction Karaoke is that it sit's on the edge of town and doesn't get much passing trade, with business in a rut depressed, porn addicted owner Sung-Wook (Moon-Sik Lee) decides to hire a live-in hostess, enter Ha-Suck (Bae So-eun), an equally depressed young woman with no social skills and the icing on the cake is, she can't even hold a tune. Sung-Wook hires her regardless and before long the pair manage to turn business around no doubt in part due to Ha-Suck offering clients sexual favours. As his fortunes pick up Sung-Wook brings in more staff, a deaf-mute cleaner and another hostess, this time one who can actually sing (Na-Ju played by Kim Na-Mi who is a ball of kinetic energy and the total opposite of the rest of the characters) and they form a sort of dysfunctional family unit of damaged and lost souls but with a serial killer stalking the area it won't be long before everything comes crashing down.
This is a really strange film to categorize, although it tackles some really dark themes, for the most part it's a feel good film about characters with harrowing past's who are drifting through life until they find something to live for in each other. It's full of heart, humour, great performances and misfit characters you can invest in. I'm not sure if this film will receive any sort of wide release but if you get the chance to take a punt on it I don't think you will regret it.