How does the dream of a perfect crime fascinate us so irresistibly? Eun-su (Jeon So-nee), a luxury department store clerk, hides deep scars beneath her competent exterior. Unable to free herself from the trauma of childhood domestic abuse, she wishes happiness for her friend, a children’s book author Hee-su (Lee You-mi), yet discovers that Hee-su’s husband, Jin-pyo (Jang Seung-jo), is violently abusive. Determined to save her friend, Eun-su devises a flawless murder plan. Meanwhile, a CEO So-baek (Lee Mu-saeng) who is hanging around Eun-su, silently observe her suspicious behaviors. Believing she has finally rescued Hee-su, Eun-su soon realizes that the vicious cycle of violence, where one must either kill or be killed, will not easily release its grip. Adapted from Naomi & Kanako by Okuda Hideo, As You Stood By is a suspense drama distinguished by its immersive narrative and finely tuned direction. Rather than being swept away by the provocative subject matter of domestic violence and murder, the film keenly observes the characters’ psychology and the tangled complexity of their relationships. Above all, the actors’ perfectly balanced performances—never excessive, never lacking—fill in the story’s final blank with precision. (SONG Kyung-won)