‘Stay After’ is one thrilling film! A man wants his revenge, and for this, he is willing to wait a long time, as the moment should be perfect and the timing should be right. Gregory Blair, the main character of this movie, portrays the ultimate fighter who tries to avenge the death of a loved one. Blair is what we would imagine Bryan Mills from ‘Taken’ would be if he went to hell and came back for revenge.
The movie begins with the main character preparing his outfit for a special day in complete silence. He looks determined to do something, but at this moment, it is hard to understand what and when that will happen, director Jonghee Kim making sure this is kept a secret until later on. He goes out, and then we realize he is an Uber driver ready to take a passenger. From this moment on, the story truly gets interesting as at first, not knowing where this whole story would go, we thought it would be something in the style of Red Hot Chili Pepper’s music video ‘By the way’ when a taxi driver kidnaps one of the members for a crazy ride. The outcome proved to be different as they approached the ‘destination’.
For us, the most exciting thing in this short is how director Jonghee Kim created the main character. It may be the typical average person who seeks revenge, a type of character we are familiar with especially when it comes to the movies of the ’90s and 2000s, but there is something about him that’s indeed particular. The protagonist acts like a professional hunter who takes his time to take the perfect shot. He stalks his prey, understands its every move, he knows the habits, fears, actions, and most importantly, he is patient. When the coast is clear, he takes a chance. Hunters often do that – they follow their prey for a long time, and right after they feel like they know the victim well enough... they take the shot.
Kim Jonghee’s masterfully created short is a throwback to the core of the good old action movies, comprising the whole essence of this genre in less than ten minutes.
Written by Vlad A. G.