The Rat in the Kitchen
One of the first unsettling moments in the film is when Myung-sook catches and kills a rat with her bare hands. It is shocking because of how she does it, and also what it suggests. The rat is a sign that something darker is already creeping into the house.
Her reaction is what sticks. She doesn’t scream or run. She handles it with cold efficiency. This tells us she’s comfortable with violence and capable of doing what others won’t. The rat becomes a symbol of the hidden decay in the home, and Myung-sook is the one who isn’t afraid to confront it directly.
The Staircase as a Descent and Ascent
The staircase inside the Kim family’s home becomes a powerful image throughout the film. It connects the downstairs living space to the more private upstairs area, but it also reflects the emotional rise and fall of the characters.
One of the most painful scenes is when Myung-sook is forced to walk up and down the stairs repeatedly to induce a miscarriage. What should be just a part of the house turns into a space of suffering and control. Later, she’s often seen standing at the top of the stairs, watching the family, holding a strange kind of power.
A two-story home means the family is moving up in the world. But as things spiral, it begins to feel more like a slope into chaos. Instead of representing progress, it ends up reflecting how quickly everything can fall apart.
Myung-sook Sleeping Outside the Bedroom Door
At one point in the film, Myung-sook is shown sleeping just outside the couple’s bedroom. It’s a quiet moment, but deeply unsettling. She’s physically close, right up against their most private space, and she refuses to leave.
This is about how completely she has inserted herself into their lives. The bedroom should be a place of safety and privacy, especially for a married couple. But her presence on the floor just outside the door creates a feeling of constant surveillance and unease.
It’s one of those moments that makes you realize how trapped the family has become. They’re not just dealing with someone living in their house. They’re being watched, cornered, and emotionally smothered in their own home.
The Lovers Drinking Poison Together
At the end of the film, Dong-sik and Myung-sook sit together and drink poison. It’s a calm and eerie scene, more like a performance than a violent act. They don’t scream or struggle. They just accept what’s coming.
What started with one mistake — a moment of weakness between a man and the housemaid — ends with them sitting side by side, waiting for death. It’s not about love or passion anymore. It’s about defeat, guilt, and being too far gone to fix anything.
This moment brings everything full circle. The poison that was once hidden in the shadows is now willingly consumed. There’s no more pretending. It’s a quiet, final acknowledgment that their choices have ruined everything.
