The Quiet Family

The Quiet Family

Year: 1998

Runtime: 98 mins

Language: Korean

Director: Kim Jee-woon

CrimeComedyThrillerHorrorCrude humor and satire

A ruthless comedy about a family who purchases a remote lodge in a hiking area. When their first guest unexpectedly commits suicide, they secretly bury the body to dodge scandal. As more bodies begin to accumulate, the family spirals into frantic attempts to cover up the deaths and restore order.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen The Quiet Family yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – The Quiet Family (1998)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Quiet Family (1998). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Mountain lodge

A large house perched in the mountains, converted into a lodge for hikers. It sits remote, surrounded by forests and unpredictable weather, creating a claustrophobic, quiet atmosphere. The family runs the lodge like a fortress, hiding misfortunes behind a veneer of hospitality. The environment amplifies tension as guests arrive and leave under the watchful eye of the tightly bound clan.

🏔️ Mountain lodge 🪵 Rustic setting 🗺️ Isolated retreat

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:32

Main Characters – The Quiet Family (1998)

Meet the key characters of The Quiet Family (1998), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Young-min (Song Kang-ho)

The eldest son who grows increasingly desensitized by the family's murderous routine. He intervenes to stop an assault, but his actions trigger more deaths and cover-ups. He endures injuries and returns with a chilling, distorted sense of humor that hints at moral erosion.

🛡️ Protective 🔄 Conflicted 🕯️ Morally compromised

Dae-goo (Park In-hwan)

The patriarch who governs the family’s actions with pragmatism and a willingness to bend or break rules to protect the inheritance. He orchestrates cover-ups and resists outside interference, maintaining control through calculated deception and force.

🧭 Patriarch 💎 Inheritance 🪨 Calculating

Soon-rye (Na Moon-hee)

The matriarch who keeps the facade intact and participates in the plan to suppress outsiders. She remains calm under pressure, organizing efforts to dispose of evidence and manage the family’s dangerous secrets.

👪 Matriarch 🗝️ Secrets 🧊 Calm under pressure

Mi-soo (Lee Yoon-seong)

The adult daughter who becomes entangled with visiting men and whose presence accelerates danger. She navigates danger with street-smarts and a willingness to adapt, contributing to the family’s fragile balance between survival and morality.

🎭 Survival 🔥 Attractiveness 🧭 Risk-taker

Mina (Go Ho-kyung)

The youngest daughter whose curiosity and actions inadvertently trigger events, such as turning circuits back on and triggering the storage fire. She embodies a mix of innocence and inadvertent complicity in the family’s crimes.

🧒 Curious 🕯️ Naive 🌀 Catalyst

Chang-goo (Choi Min-sik)

The uncle figure who embodies the opportunistic, scheming side of the family. He pushes for the inheritance plan and embodies a ruthless pragmatism that underpins the lodge’s deadly dynamics.

🪨 Schemer 🗺️ Inheritance 🔪 Ruthless

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:32

Major Themes – The Quiet Family (1998)

Explore the central themes of The Quiet Family (1998), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕯️ Family Secrets

A quiet mountain home becomes a shelter for a web of lies. The family hides corpses and schemes to protect their inheritance, revealing how secrecy can sustain wrongdoing. The calm, domestic setting makes the violence feel more menacing, underscoring the hollow calm of the 'quiet' family.

💀 Murder and Guilt

A chain of killings—from suicides to murders to a hitman plot—unfolds within the family circle. Each act of violence heightens fear and guilt, blurring lines between perpetrator and victim. The family's unity fractures as crime piles up and the motive of inheritance drives their actions.

🔥 Destruction and Fire

Incinerating the corpses becomes a recurring tactic to erase evidence and escape accountability. A storage fire erupts, forcing the family to confront the consequences of their actions. The flames symbolize the collapse of order and the descent into chaos.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:32

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Unlock the Full Story of The Quiet Family

Don't stop at just watching — explore The Quiet Family in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what The Quiet Family is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

The Quiet Family Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The Quiet Family, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

The Quiet Family Summary

The Quiet Family Timeline

Track the full timeline of The Quiet Family with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

The Quiet Family Timeline

The Quiet Family Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of The Quiet Family that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

The Quiet Family Spoiler-Free Summary

More About The Quiet Family

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about The Quiet Family: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About The Quiet Family

Similar Movies to The Quiet Family

Discover movies like The Quiet Family that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.