The main character in Farkhat Sharipov’s previous film The Secret of a Leader enters a world enslaved in capitalism; however, the lead characters of 18 Kilohertz enter the world of drug addiction. In the chaos and darkness of the 1990s, money took the place of socialist ideologies in the newly independent Kazakhstan, and youth without hope fell into drug use in a rapidly developing capitalist society. 18 Kilohertz shows how Sanjar and Jaga enter the world of drug addiction and meet a tragic end. “18 Kilohertz” refers to a sound frequency that adults cannot hear in representing Sanjar who faces a painful reality due to a drug addiction that can only be escaped through lonely silence. Sanjar’s dreams within dreams particularly emphasize his tragic reality. (HONG Sang-woo)