Deranged

The story unfolds in contemporary times, with a modern pharmaceutical industry, stock markets, and media that shape public perception. Characters navigate rapid information flow, regulatory pressures, and urgent health warnings. The time frame underscores real-world scientific capabilities and governance tensions between safety and profit. The events mirror current concerns about how societies respond to emerging biological threats.

Seoul, South Korea serves as the central setting where the outbreak unfolds within a bustling modern metropolis. The Han River and other major waterways become focal points as the parasite spreads, drawing the public, hospitals, and authorities into a race against time. The crisis expands across cities and rivers nationwide, reflecting systemic vulnerability in public health and governance. The ending scene shifts to New York Harbor, signaling a global dimension to the crisis.

🧬 Biotech Ethics

Biotech research raises questions about responsibility when science outpaces regulation. Decisions about disclosure, profit, and patient safety sit at the heart of the plot. Secrecy around drug development can endanger the public, especially when corporate interests override transparency. The narrative argues that ethical stewardship is essential to ensure science serves humanity, not shareholders.

💰 Corporate Greed

Stock manipulation and profit-driven motives drive the crisis as the company pursues a buyout and hides crucial data. The CEO's plan to monetize the drug's active ingredient leads to public harm and erodes trust in institutions. Government and media pressure prove insufficient against a powerful corporate machine until investigators expose the scheme. The film critiques how greed can weaponize scientific progress for financial gain.

🌍 Public Health

Public health systems are overwhelmed as patients flood clinics with hunger and thirst symptoms caused by Yeongasi. The shortage of effective treatments tests hospitals, regulators, and public patience. The crisis reveals governance flaws and highlights the need for rapid, ethical decision-making. The story ends on a note of collective action, with new treatments emerging to save lives.