'Final Interview' delivers psychological thriller about prejudice, human nature

Director Kim Jung-hoon’s psychological thriller Final Interview centers on six job applicants locked in a room in Seoul as they compete for one position and confront one another’s secrets. Based on Akinari Asakura’s mystery novel Six Lying University Students, the film explores prejudice and the danger of judging people from partial truths. Kim said he focused on the actors’ changing emotions and facial expressions. The film opens in local theaters on Nov. 4.

The applicants face a 5,000-to-1 acceptance ratio and must vote among themselves to select one successful candidate.

The applicants discover mysterious envelopes containing each other’s hidden secrets and past revelations during their two hours in the room.

Final Interview premiered in the Panorama section of the 31st Busan International Film Festival.

Cho Yi-hyun plays Moon Hye-in, Kim Jae-won makes his big-screen debut as Han Jin-woo, and Bae Gang-hee makes her feature-film debut as Cha Ju-won.

Published Oct 28, 2026 10:39 pm KST

Actor Cho Yi-hyun, right, in a scene from “Final Interview” / Courtesy of NEW

Director Kim Jung-hoon emphasized that his upcoming mystery thriller film "Final Interview" focuses on capturing the changing emotions and facial expressions of its six main actors as their characters engage in a high-stakes psychological battle.

"Rather than just depicting the tense atmosphere inside the interview room, I wanted to focus on the emotional lines of the applicants striving to pass," Kim said after the premiere of the movie at a theater in Seoul, Wednesday.

"Even if the overall background looks simple, I tried not to miss a single facial expression of the actors because their faces are the real visual center of this movie."

Based on the mystery novel "Six Lying University Students" by Japanese author Akinari Asakura, "Final Interview" follows six job applicants who reach the final round of a corporate recruitment process with a 5,000 to 1 acceptance ratio.

Trapped in a room for two hours, the applicants are forced to vote among themselves to choose a single successful candidate after discovering mysterious envelopes containing each other's hidden secrets and past revelations.

The film premiered in the Panorama section of the 31st Busan International Film Festival, garnering praise for its suspense and sharp social commentary.

The director, known for commercially successful movies including "Petty Romance” (2010), "The Accidental Detective” (2015) and "The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure" (2022), explained that he aimed to stay true to the core themes of the original novel, including prejudice.

"People often make quick judgments about others based on contextless pieces of truth," Kim said. "I believed the novel was questioning whether we judge people too easily by looking at only one side of them."

The film features an ensemble cast of rising young actors whose characters clash in a high-stakes psychological battle. Cho Yi-hyun plays Moon Hye-in, a calm observer who analyzes the situation with a composed mind.

"I wanted to show that trusting and loving oneself deeply leads to making wiser decisions," Cho said.

A poster for the movie "Final Interview" / Courtesy of NEW

Kim Jae-won, making his big screen debut, portrays Han Jin-woo, an idealist who approaches the world with an open mind.

"While reading the script, I realized that what we believe to be the ultimate truth might have another side," the actor said. "I hope the audience reflects on the danger of stigmas and prejudices."

Bae Gang-hee, who also makes her feature film debut as perfectionist Cha Ju-won, shared her excitement about meeting cinema audiences for the first time.

"Seeing my face on the big screen felt unfamiliar and surreal," Bae said. "I hope this film serves as a memorable starting point for me to connect with the public."

Kang You-seok plays Lee Hee-chan, an easygoing character who keeps peace among the group, while Shin Seung-ho portrays Baek Seung-bin, a strong leader who moves quickly. Kwak Dong-yeon plays Jeon Yo-han, a smart strategist whose real intentions stay hidden.

"Final Interview" is scheduled to hit local theaters on Nov. 4.

金正勋导演的心理惊悚片《最终面试》讲述了六位求职者被困在首尔一间房间里，争夺一个职位，并被迫面对彼此的秘密。影片改编自浅仓秋成的推理小说《六个说谎的大学生》，探讨了偏见以及仅凭片面之词就评判他人的危险。金正勋表示，他着重刻画了演员们不断变化的情绪和面部表情。该片将于11月4日在韩国各大影院上映。

申请者面临着 5000 比 1 的录取比例，他们必须投票选出一名成功的候选人。

在房间里的两个小时里，申请者们会发现一些神秘的信封，里面装着彼此隐藏的秘密和过去的爆料。

《最终访谈》在第31届釜山国际电影节全景单元首映。

赵怡贤饰演文慧仁，金载沅首次登上大银幕饰演韩镇宇，裴江熙首次出演电影饰演车珠媛。

发布于2026年10月28日晚上10:39（韩国标准时间）

演员赵怡贤（右）在电影《最终采访》中的剧照 / 图片由NEW提供

导演金正勋强调，他即将上映的悬疑惊悚片《最终访谈》着重捕捉六位主演在角色进行一场高风险心理战时不断变化的情绪和面部表情。

“我并不想仅仅描绘面试室内的紧张气氛，而是想着重刻画应聘者努力通过面试时的情感，”金在周三首尔一家影院的电影首映式后说道。

“即使整体背景看起来很简单，我也尽量不错过演员们的每一个面部表情，因为他们的脸才是这部电影真正的视觉中心。”

根据日本作家浅仓秋成的推理小说《六个说谎的大学生》改编，《最终面试》讲述了六名求职者进入公司招聘流程最后一轮的故事，录取率仅为 5000 比 1。

被困在房间里两个小时后，应聘者们被迫投票选出一名成功候选人，此前他们发现了一些神秘的信封，里面装着彼此隐藏的秘密和过去的爆料。

该片在第31届釜山国际电影节全景单元首映，因其悬念迭起、社会评论尖锐而广受好评。

这位导演曾执导过《小罗曼史》（2010）、《意外的侦探》（2015）和《海盗：最后的皇家宝藏》（2022）等商业上成功的电影，他解释说，他的目标是忠于原著小说的核心主题，包括偏见。

金说：“人们常常根据一些不带背景的信息就对他人妄下判断。我认为这部小说质疑的是我们是否过于轻易地只看到一个人的一面就妄下结论。”

这部电影汇集了一批冉冉升起的年轻演员，他们饰演的角色之间展开了一场扣人心弦的心理战。赵怡贤饰演的文慧仁是一位冷静的观察者，她以沉着冷静的头脑分析着局势。

“我想表明，深深地信任和爱自己会导致做出更明智的决定，”赵说。

电影《最终访谈》海报 / 图片由 NEW 提供

金载沅首次登上大银幕，饰演韩镇宇，一个以开放心态看待世界的理想主义者。

“在阅读剧本的过程中，我意识到我们所认为的终极真理可能还有另一面，”这位演员说道。“我希望观众能够反思偏见和歧视的危害。”

裴江熙在片中饰演完美主义者车珠媛，这也是她的电影处女作。她分享了自己第一次与大银幕观众见面的激动心情。

“在大银幕上看到自己的脸，感觉既陌生又不真实，”裴斗娜说。“我希望这部电影能成为我与公众建立联系的一个难忘的起点。”

姜有锡饰演性格随和、维护团队和平的李熙灿，申承昊饰演行事果断、雷厉风行的白承彬，郭东延饰演心思缜密、意图不明的智谋家全耀汉。

《最终访谈》定于11月4日在当地影院上映。