This is one of the few films playing at the festival that was shot in Minnesota, specifically in the scenic northern part of the state. What’s especially notable about Abroad is the international cast and crew. The writer/director and the co-writer are of Italian descent, while the two leads are Koreans, playing a South Korean couple who are visiting the US, hence the title.

While the film was shot in Minnesota, the location isn’t exactly specified in the film. We just know right away that the young Korean couple arrives at a US-based airport in the middle of the night. Writer/director Giovanni Fumu collaborates with Maximilian Selim on the script and one immediately gets that fish-out-of-water vibe. The couple literally have to navigate a foreign land, made even more complicated due to the language barrier. The dialog includes Korean (with subtitles) and English.

Upon arrival, the Asthmatic Taemin (Jang Sung-bum) is having a much harder time than his girlfriend Minji (Youngjoo Lim). He’s incredibly groggy from the long flight, so Minji is basically the one who takes care of things to get them to their secluded Airbnb. Apparently, she had booked a shared ride through the app, so there was another passenger already in the car named Sonia (Arden Michalec). The drive through a thunderstorm is quite eerie but the chatty driver (Alan Johnson) keeps the mood light and they even listen to some K-pop music from Sonia’s smartphone. Soon we learn of the reason for Taemin and Minji’s trip, which is to see the northern lights for the first time.

Everything seems okay once they arrive at the Airbnb, though shortly after they get there, Minji suddenly vanishes without a trace. Now, I refrain from saying much more about the plot as this is the kind of movie that’s best to experience on your own. Let’s just say that things aren’t what it seems as Taemin suddenly becomes the main suspect. His search for Minji quickly becomes a struggle to survive as ominous and even hostile things start happening.

This is Fumu’s feature debut and I think he did a terrific job crafting tension and suspense. The sharp script plays with our intuition and expectations, and stark cultural differences add a layer of interest to the story as well. The movie was beautifully shot by MN cinematographer Bo Hakala, making the most of the stunning MN North Shore. It’s fun to see Grand Marais and Two Harbors being featured in the movie. Out of the two Korean actors, Sung-bum gets the most screen time, with talented local talents such as Chris Carlson, Christina Baldwin, Tony Denman, and Paul Cram lending supporting roles.

In a tight 90-minute running time, Abroad is an atmospheric, effective mystery thriller with a twist at the end that I did not see coming. It’s the kind of movie where every little detail matters and is set up brilliantly. I highly enjoyed this one so I’m curious what Fumu and Selim would do next.

Stay tuned for more TCFF reviews in the coming days!

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