Movies about human relationships have a charm and relatability that draw us in every time. The themes of love, friendship, hardship, and human bond triumphing over the harsh realities give us hope to march on. Then there are some movies that address topics that seem taboo but are very much a part of our society. These taboo topics are often explored in a kitchenette-style drama, offering a close view of each character’s actions and reactions. One such kitchenette-style drama is The People Upstairs, directed by Ha Jung-woo. The movie is a remake of a 2020 Spanish film of the same name. It stars Gong Hyo-jin, Kim Dong-wook, Lee Hanee and Ha Jung-woo in pivotal roles. It talks about sex and marriage in ways that most of us haven’t seen happen often. It is available on Netflix for the audience in the US and South Korea.
The People Upstairs: Plot
The People Upstairs tells the story of a couple in their 30s, Jeong-ah and Hyun-soo, who live an estranged life despite having been married for a long time. Their lives are rocked when their upstairs neighbors, Mr. Kim and Soo-kyung, disturb their nightly activities. Like clockwork, the noises from above seep into Jeong-ah and Hyun-soo’s abode every night. One day, Jeong-ah lends a dinner invite to the upstairs couple, hoping they can talk about the nightly noises. Soo-kyung is a life coach and psychologist who runs a popular channel focused on relationships and communication.
When the couples meet for dinner, what follows is an uncomfortable, awkward, explicit, yet honest discussion about marriage and intimacy. Mr. Kim and Soo-kyung reveal that they have an open marriage and often indulge in intimacy with multiple partners. They extend an invitation to Jeong-ah and Hyun-soo as if they were inviting them home for dinner.
Study of Characters & Setting In The People Upstairs
The four main characters, Jeong-ah, Hyun-soo, Mr. Kim, and Soo-kyung, are stark contrasts to each other. Where Jeong-ah is shy and docile, Soo-kyung is bold and unapologetic. Where Hyun-soo speaks a sarcasm-addled language, Mr. Kim is quite straightforward. The contrasts come off beautifully in each character and add to the beauty of their conversations.
Mr. Kim and Soo-kyung also mention four other people who have been their regular intimacy partners. They go into such details that Jeong-ah and Hyun-soo (and the audience) are stunned that such things can exist and, in fact, exist right next door (or right above the floor in this case!). The descriptions are so vivid that you would not need a visual cue to imagine what it would be like with the people upstairs. The movie was given a 19+ rating in South Korea, making it an adult film due to its sensitive and vivid subject matter.
The entire drama takes place inside Jeong-ah and Hyun-soo’s house. Their apartment is cluttered with furniture and knick-knacks, mirroring the decorative clutter in their mind and marriage. The characters move from the dining area to the bedroom, taking the viewers’ attention with them. The confined space barely leaves room for Jeong-ah and Hyun-soo to breathe (figuratively) amid the chaotic, intense conversation about intimacy and marriage. The result is an explosive showdown in which both speak their truth and realize the harsh reality they had blissfully ignored until now.
What happens At The End Of The People Upstairs?
As the movie heads to its proverbial climax, Hyun-soo cracks and ends up kissing Mr. Kim. In the ending scenes of The People Upstairs, Jeong-ah’s and Hyun-soo’s relationship is not as rocky as before. The chaotic dinner brought them closer and opened the way for communication between them. It is not a happy ending in the stricter sense of the word, but the dinner opened a window of honesty that had been veiled behind a curtain of polite pretense.
The awkward dinner helped Jeong-ah and Hyun-soo rip the proverbial band-aid of polite pretense on their marriage and face the issues at hand. The buildup to the dinner was quite explosive, shaking the couple’s monotony. Jeong-ah and Hyun-soo faced some harsh realities of their relationship. The buildup suggested that Jeong-ah might be the first to crack, but it was Hyun-soo who cracked in the most unexpected manner.
One day, as Jeong-ah and Hyun-soo are leaving, they spot Mr. Kim and Soo-kyung with all 4 guests mentioned earlier. Jeong-ah tries to get in, but the elevator doesn’t move because it’s at max capacity. Hence, Jeong-ah exits the elevator. It is an interesting move as it symbolizes that the Upstairs Couple and their guests continue to have their rendezvous. Jeong-ah and Hyun-soo were once tempted to join but chose to step away. Her exit from the elevator symbolized this decision.
Despite the talk of open marriage and multiple sexual partners, the movie ends up reinforcing the idea of monogamy and traditional marriage values. Jeong-ah’s and Hyun-soo’s rejection of the invite somewhere reaffirms the idea that having multiple sexual partners outside of your marriage is still taboo.
The People Upstairs is not a raunchy comedy. But it is quite explicit in the descriptions. It mirrors the loneliness that modern couples face in these times due to hectic work schedules and an imbalance between work and personal life.
Watch the trailer for The People Upstairs here:
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