Ahead of his fourth feature as a director, Ha Jung-woo explains why the humor in his new film lands with more confidence and bite than ever.
In an interview on Dec. 2 at a cafe in Seoul’s Samcheong-dong, the filmmaker behind "The People Upstairs" called out an unexpected MVP who helped sharpen the movie’s comedy.
As with his previous project, "Lobby", Ha wrote the screenplay himself―then brought in a surprising hand to punch it up.
That would be comedian Kang Sung-beom, a friend Ha met during military service. Kang joined the adaptation process, adding new spark to Ha’s draft. “My connection with Kang goes way back,” Ha said. “I even had a hand in shaping his fast-talking ‘Suda-man’ persona. We emceed events together in the army and even traveled to East Timor for performances. We’re always tossing around ideas. He’s my senior from the theater department, so talking about acting with him feels natural.”
“The collaboration actually started with my directing debut, 'Fasten Your Seatbelt',” he added. “Our rhythm clicked, and we traded a ton of ideas. Since then we’ve worked together on 'Chronicle of a Blood Merchant', 'Lobby', and now this film, teaming up on the adaptation each time.”
A Ha Jung-woo film lives and dies by the snap of its dialogue―the push-and-pull that makes the laughs pop. "The People Upstairs" plays almost like a chamber piece: four actors, two hours, one apartment. With that much chatter, keeping the tempo tight and the characters vibrant was everything.
Beyond co-writing with Kang, Ha tapped some of Korea’s sharpest comedy minds―Um Ji-yoon, Kwak Beom, and Lee Chang-ho―for notes and table reads.
“Comedians are geniuses. Their wit and timing are on another level,” Ha said. “Directors, writers, actors―we all need to self-edit and stay objective. After finishing 'Lobby', I realized I needed to widen my lens and hear from more people. So this time I asked more comedians for feedback and even brought them into the readings. That collaboration made a huge difference.”
"The People Upstairs" follows two couples―the upstairs pair (Ha Jung-woo and Lee Hanee) and the downstairs pair (Kong Hyo-jin and Kim Dong-wook)―who sit down for a tense dinner after a string of noisy late-night “adult” sounds sparks a complaint, kicking off an unpredictable night.
The film opens Dec. 3.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)