Aloners 2023

As the crown jewel of a call center operating as a proxy for a bank’s credit card arm, Jina exudes confidence and poise, yet beneath her polished exterior lies a fragile psyche reeling from the weight of unresolved grief. The unspoken tension between her and her boss belies their cordial relationship, while Jina’s mental state continues to deteriorate, rendering her increasingly withdrawn from social interactions. Her days are spent in a haze of isolation, punctuated only by the mindless escapism of TV dramas at home or mukbang videos on her commute.

The monotony is shattered one fateful evening when Jina returns from work to find a distraught woman pacing outside her apartment, surrounded by police officers. As she intervenes, asking why the woman’s distress has reached such a fever pitch, she’s rebuffed for not recognizing the significance of a peculiar noise she’d heard days prior - the sound of her neighbor meeting his untimely demise beneath a pile of adult magazines. Jina’s confusion is compounded by memories of their brief encounter outside his apartment, where he’d showcased a clever trick with a matchstick and cigarette.

The following Monday, Jina’s boss, acting on orders from the company’s human resources department, assigns her an unexpected new task: mentoring a young newcomer named Sujin. Despite being aware that she’s not the ideal candidate for this role, Jina reluctantly accepts, knowing that her own emotional baggage may impact her performance.

Sujin’s training proves to be a challenging exercise in patience and understanding, as the young girl struggles with clumsiness and an over-reliance on Jina. Her first morning shift ends abruptly when exhaustion takes its toll, and Sujin’s inability to navigate phone conversations or respond properly to clients only exacerbates her difficulties.

As Jina’s frustration with her circumstances reaches a boiling point, she begins to deliberately distance herself from Sujin, opting for isolation over human connection. This decision has a ripple effect, causing Sujin to cease coming into work altogether; their boss, while open to the possibility of Sujin’s return, is under no illusions that this would fundamentally alter her prospects, given her struggles with passing initial training. Meanwhile, Jina’s emotional state continues to deteriorate as she resorts to a drastic measure: tossing Sujin’s personal belongings into an office bin and disposing of her chair and headset.

In the midst of this turmoil, Jina finds solace in monitoring her father’s activities through a wireless home camera installed in her parents’ house. She witnesses him extending hospitality to his new acquaintances - individuals who may hail from a genuine Korean Protestant church or, perhaps, pose as such for their own gain - and observes intimate moments between them, including scenes of quiet contemplation in the bathroom where her mother passed away. Additionally, Jina catches glimpses of her father practicing dance moves in the living room, a stark contrast to his usual reserved demeanor.

As Jina navigates this complex emotional landscape, she crosses paths with Seong-hun, a man struggling to come to terms with a broken leg and a pending move into the apartment previously occupied by Jina’s late neighbor. This chance encounter is marked by an eerie sense of familiarity, as it becomes apparent that Seong-hun is the same individual who had berated Jina for her perceived selfishness in the past.

Upon returning to work, Jina’s emotional state reaches a fever pitch, and she begins to exhibit telltale signs of stress that eerily mirror those displayed by Sujin prior to her departure. One particularly demanding caller, who requests Jina read out her monthly expenditures over the phone, takes umbrage with Jina’s response and threatens to file a report, insisting on knowing her name. As Jina’s composure begins to fray, she momentarily zones out before making a hasty exit from the building.

As she navigates the streets, Jina reaches out to her father, unleashing a torrent of anger and frustration upon him, demanding an apology for past wrongs. This outburst prompts her father to abruptly terminate the call and temporarily block Jina’s number. Feeling defeated and disheartened, Jina collapses onto the sidewalk, surrounded by the evening shadows, before eventually mustering the strength to return to her apartment.

The move-in process of Seong-hun and his family into the adjacent apartment serves as a stark reminder of Jina’s lingering emotional scars. As she struggles to come to terms with this new development, she discovers that the cabling mishap caused by the moving company has disrupted her TV signal, further exacerbating her frustration. In a moment of desperation, Jina turns to Seong-hun, imploring him to lend his expertise in resolving the issue as soon as possible.

As the day unfolds, Jina (Jina) makes a conscious effort to slow down, opting for a temporary reprieve from the demands of her professional life. With a heavy heart, she requests a leave of absence from her boss and reaches out to Sujin, tenderly apologizing for her distant demeanor as their superior at work, prompting tears of remorse. That evening, Jina witnesses an intimate gathering at Seong-hun’s (Seong-hun) newly renovated apartment, where he honors the memory of his predecessor by offering homemade delicacies and wine to the lingering spirit. Watching from the doorway, Jina remains outside, hesitant to join in. As Seong-hun steps out into the night air, he shares a profound revelation with Jina, confirming the authenticity of her neighbor’s enigmatic smoke signal. Returning to her own apartment, Jina discovers that her TV’s signal has finally stabilized.

As she prepares to depart her workplace, Jina’s intentions remain shrouded in ambiguity – is she resigning or taking a temporary leave? Her boss inquires whether she’ll seek new employment, expressing regret at the relentless pace of their workdays. Jina responds uncertainly, suggesting they share a meal once she’s clarified her plans.

Jina boards a bus and takes a call from her father, who feigns ignorance about blocking her number. She candidly confides in him that she’s installed a camera in her living room, planning to keep tabs on him from afar, if needed.