The Ultimate in Realistic Horror for Summer 2025! A Complete Guide to 'Noise': Plot, Cast, and Chilling Details of Apartment Noise Horror (Directed by Kim Soo-jin, Starring Lee Sun-bin)

The Movie 'Noise': The Dawn of Hyper-Realistic Horror, Starting in the Safest of Spaces

In the summer of 2025, the most familiar conflict of daily life is reborn on screen as a suffocating horror. This is 'Noise,' the realistic horror thriller, the feature debut of director Kim Soo-jin, starring Lee Sun-bin. Using the universal social issue of noise complaints between floors as its core material, the film deeply explores the anxiety and disconnection of modern people, gathering intense interest from the film industry at home and abroad even before its release.

The film achieved the remarkable feat of being pre-sold to 117 countries at the Cannes Film Market and was officially invited to seven international film festivals, including the Sitges Film Festival, earning early recognition for its quality and originality. 'Noise' will vividly show how the 'home,' the space that should be our greatest comfort, can transform into the most threatening stage for horror.

1. 'Noise': Basic Information & Core Synopsis

Genre: Horror, Thriller
Release Date: June 25, 2025
Director: Kim Soo-jin (Feature Film Debut)
Main Cast: Lee Sun-bin (as Choi Joo-young), Kim Min-seok (as Ki-hoon), Han Soo-ah (as Choi Joo-hee), Ryoo Kyung-soo (as the Downstairs Neighbor)
Running Time: Approx. 90 minutes
Rating: 15+
Distributor: By4M Studio
Production Company: Finecut
Key Features: A film that translates the everyday issue of inter-floor noise into horror, shedding light on modern anxiety and disconnection. Invited to 7 international film festivals, including Sitges, and pre-sold to 117 countries. It has also garnered significant attention as Lee Sun-bin's first venture into the horror genre.

2. Plot: The Moment a Dream Home Turns into a Nightmare

The narrative of 'Noise' begins as sisters Joo-young (Lee Sun-bin) and Joo-hee (Han Soo-ah) move into an old apartment complex in Seoul slated for redevelopment. Their hopes for a hard-earned home are short-lived, as a mysterious and unbearable noise from the neighbors begins to invade their daily lives. Joo-hee, who is particularly sensitive to the noise, becomes so stressed that she installs soundproofing materials on the ceiling and begins to exhibit hysterical anger.

Her older sister, Joo-young, who works at a provincial factory and lives in a dormitory, had only heard about her sister's complaints from a distance. Then one day, while at work, Joo-young receives a shocking call from the police: "Your sister has disappeared and hasn't shown up for work for days." Rushing home, Joo-young discovers a chilling note taped to the door of her sister's apartment, #604, that reads, "I'm in pain. Please be quiet."

As she searches for the reason behind Joo-hee's disappearance—who vanished leaving even her phone behind—the downstairs neighbor (Ryoo Kyung-soo) confronts her, hissing a murderous threat: "Please, just be quiet. Before I rip that mouth of yours apart."

Joo-young, along with her sister's boyfriend Ki-hoon (Kim Min-seok), desperately begins to track Joo-hee's whereabouts. However, strange noises heard throughout the apartment and the bizarre behavior of the residents begin to close in on them. Where did Joo-hee disappear to? And what is the secret hidden within this apartment and the true source of the noise? The film combines a mystery structure, tracing the source of the noise, with horror elements, delivering relentless psychological tension through unfolding secrets about the apartment and its characters' hidden facets.

3. The Unique Setting and Direction of 'Noise': Maximizing the Horror of Sound

One of the key features that differentiates 'Noise' from other horror films is that the protagonist, Joo-young, is hearing-impaired. From the perspective of Joo-young, who can't hear without her hearing aid, scenes where a voice-to-text app on her phone transcribes bizarre and disjointed words deliver a unique and fresh sense of fear to the audience. Director Kim Soo-jin explained this choice: "It came from contemplating how to use the voice recognition apps, frequently used by the hearing-impaired, in a genre context. I thought meaningless strings of text would be even scarier."

This setup makes the film's sound design stand out even more. "Since the title is 'Noise,' we put a lot of effort into expressing sound well," the director stated. "We tried to better utilize the horror that exists in moments of silence." The contrast between the extreme inter-floor noise and a muffled quietness creates an anxiety that feels like it's scratching at the audience's eardrums, allowing sound to function not just as a background element but as a hidden protagonist.

Everyday sounds like footsteps, dragging furniture, and knocking—recorded in a real apartment—are transformed into terrifying weapons within the film's context. The production team maximized realism by researching actual noise complaint cases and having the sound designer spend weeks on location recording sounds. Thanks to these efforts, critics and audiences praised the film, with some remarking that "sound is the hidden protagonist." It earned a Potato Index of 79%, with experts lauding it as "a horror film that effectively portrays the anxiety of modern people."

4. Character Deep Dive: At the Center of the Horror

The characters in 'Noise' amplify the tension as they navigate realistic conflicts and mysterious events sparked by the noise complaints.

Choi Joo-young (played by Lee Sun-bin): The film's protagonist and the older sister searching for the missing Joo-hee. She is a strong character who has been taking care of her sister while working at a factory, but she is gradually consumed by anxiety due to the noise and her sister's disappearance. Despite this being her first horror film, Lee Sun-bin received praise for her delicate portrayal of Joo-young's sensitive and deteriorating emotional state. She reportedly prepared thoroughly, practicing in noisy environments and rehearsing emotional expressions in complete silence before filming.
Choi Joo-hee (played by Han Soo-ah): Joo-young's younger sister and the character who provides the central mystery. She has a bright but somewhat anxious disposition and is the first to suffer from the noise, leading to hysterical outbursts of anger. Han Soo-ah's early performance was lauded for heightening the film's tension.
Ki-hoon (played by Kim Min-seok): Joo-hee's boyfriend, who risks danger to help Joo-young find Joo-hee after her disappearance. He appears affectionate on the surface but his suspicious actions make him a person of interest to the audience. Kim Min-seok naturally portrayed this two-sided nature.
The Downstairs Neighbor (played by Ryoo Kyung-soo): The neighbor who threatens the sisters out of fury over the noise. His unstable and violent tendencies are a primary source of the film's horror. Ryoo Kyung-soo's intense performance highlights the character's menacing nature, leaving a chilling impression on the audience. He reportedly referenced interviews with actual victims of noise conflicts to express his character's suppressed rage.

5. Behind-the-Scenes: The Obsession with Creating Real Horror

The production of 'Noise' is filled with fascinating stories that amplify the film's realistic sense of dread.

The Director's Eerie Experiences: Director Kim Soo-jin became a topic of conversation after revealing strange experiences she had during filming. During a late-night shoot, the inexplicable sounds of a shampoo bottle dropping and a hammer banging were recorded, but their source could never be found. Though the takes were discarded, she said they inspired the film's creepy atmosphere.
The Cast's Immersion and Fear: The actors confessed to feeling genuine fear on set. Han Soo-ah felt real dread while filming in the apartment hallway due to the overly realistic set details, calling a scene walking down the hall at dawn "bone-chilling." Lee Sun-bin also mentioned that she was so startled by Ryoo Kyung-soo's ad-libbed performance in a confrontation scene that it caused an N.G. (no good) take. Kim Min-seok admitted to suffering from such severe fear after filming that he had trouble sleeping and had to take sleep aids. These episodes show just how deeply the actors immersed themselves in their roles.
The Obsession with Sound Design: The inter-floor noise effects, the core of 'Noise,' are the result of tremendous effort. The sound designer used noises recorded in a real Seoul apartment to maximize the film's reality. Director Kim Soo-jin stated, "I intended for the noise to feel like a character," adding that the sound team spent weeks collecting noises from residents in a real apartment to perfect the details. The exaggerated sound direction, contrasting with protagonist Joo-young's hearing impairment, was designed as a crucial device to amplify audience anxiety.
The Reality of the Apartment Set: The film was shot on a set modified from a real apartment. The production team recreated the hallways, stairs, and elevator of a dilapidated apartment to emphasize "horror in everyday life." For a scene in the apartment's basement garbage pile, the crew mixed in real trash, forcing the actors to experience the stench to better immerse themselves in the scene. Lee Sun-bin remarked, "The set was so realistic that I felt anxious even after filming was over."

6. Social Message & Reception: Beyond Simple Horror

'Noise' is more than just a horror-thriller; it carries a profound social message about the problem of noise complaints in modern Korean society, the disconnection between neighbors, and the violent conflicts that result. According to the Korea Environment Corporation, noise complaints have doubled in the past five years, and with some cases even leading to murder, it is a serious social issue. The film reflects this reality, providing a powerful sense of immersion by showing how the 'home,' which should be the safest place, transforms into a stage for terror.

Reviews and Reactions:

Praise: Many reviews highlighted Lee Sun-bin's nuanced emotional acting and Kim Soo-jin's direction, with comments like, "The realistic horror of inter-floor noise creates great immersion." At the Sitges Film Festival, it was praised for its "new attempts within a chilling atmosphere" and hailed as showing "the new potential of Korean horror, reminiscent of J-horror." It recorded a Potato Index of 79%, with experts calling it "a horror film that effectively expresses modern anxieties."
Audience Reaction: The trailer and voice-over clips became a hot topic in online communities, with many commenting on how "the horror of neighbor noise feels so real." An anecdote about Lee Sun-bin's real-life partner, actor Lee Kwang-soo, "spilling his popcorn because he was so scared" at the premiere served as a testament to the film's fright factor and greatly contributed to its viral marketing.
Some Criticism: Some critics expressed disappointment, noting that "the plot twist is somewhat predictable." There were also criticisms that the film excessively dramatized the issue of noise complaints or that it handled a sensitive topic sensationally by reminding viewers of real-life violent incidents. However, others countered that the production team's intent was to deliver a social message on "the importance of consideration for one's neighbors in a communal living environment."

7. 'Noise' Opens a New Horizon for K-Horror

'Noise' is more than simple entertainment; it is a work that sharply critiques a cross-section of our society. The behavior of the tenants' association president, who tries to cover up incidents to prevent a drop in property values, shows the cold reality of a modern city that prioritizes economic gain over human life. The hostile attitude of the majority of residents exposes the larger social problems of alienation and the loss of solidarity hidden behind urban anonymity. The true horror the film speaks of is not the unidentified sound, but the chilling realization of how easily the social contract can be broken in a moment of crisis.

Director Kim Soo-jin's ambitious direction, the cast's passionate performances, and the detailed sound design establish 'Noise' as a new possibility for Korean horror cinema. Scheduled for a sequential release in the latter half of 2025 in countries like Japan, Thailand, and France, 'Noise' is set to expand its global fandom and will deliver the most powerful and realistic horror experience at the box office this summer.

How will the uncomfortable silence left by 'Noise' change our daily lives?