While undergoing surgery to have an artificial joint implant in his leg, Stan is haunted by the trauma of seemingly waking up mid-operation, gripped by an unrelenting fear that his leg is about to be shattered. To make matters worse, the hospital, citing a shortage of beds, moves an unidentified comatose man into Stan’s room. But once the two are left alone, the man suddenly begins to speak. Caught between the fear of bodily mutilation—or outright destruction—and the anxiety stirred up by this unknown man, Stan begins to spiral into paranoia. What is truly frightening? True fear strikes not when something is seen or known, but when it remains unseen and unknowable. Faithfully following the thriller genre’s longstanding principle that ignorance and the unknown are conditions for fear, the film transforms the narrow, confined space of a hospital room into a stage for relentless suspense. Here, an ordinary injection, routine meals, everyday conversation, a simple walk, even excretion become stepping stones between life and death.
Alexandre Franchi is a Canadian screenwriter, producer, and filmmaker. His feature debut, The Wild Hunt (2009), won Best Canadian First Feature Film at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Slamdance Film Festival. His second feature, Happy Face (2018), received multiple awards at international film festivals and earned critical acclaim from The Hollywood Reporter and The New York Times.
From Busan International Film Festival 2026, No. 31
