Im Yoon Ah is diving into wild new territory with Pretty Crazy, her upcoming comedy-horror film, and she’s doing it alongside some very familiar faces.
At a press conference held on Wednesday at CGV Yongsan I-Park Mall in Seoul, director Lee Sang Geun and stars Im Yoon Ah, Ahn Bo Hyun, Sung Dong Il, and Joo Hyun Young gathered to discuss the film and their experiences making it.
This marks the first collaboration between Im Yoon Ah and director Lee Sang Geun since their previous project, Exit. Reflecting on the reunion, Im said, “I have such great memories from working on Exit. I had a feeling I’d be happy working with this team again, and when Lee Sang Geun offered me this lovely role, I didn’t hesitate.”
The film features an ensemble of eccentric, high-energy characters, each brought to life with a unique flair. Ahn Bo Hyun, who plays Gil Goo, shared that he modeled his performance after Lee Sang Geun himself. “Rather than pulling from outside references, I focused on understanding his personality and followed his direction closely. You can see his essence in the character.”
In Pretty Crazy, Im Yoon Ah plays Seon Ji, a charming bakery owner by day who morphs into a fearsome demon by dawn, a role that demanded a total transformation, both physically and emotionally.
“It was important for me to show a clear contrast between the two sides of Seon Ji,” Im explained. “By day, she’s pure, clean, and girlish, kind of like the image people remember from my Girls’ Generation days. But at night, she turns into something completely different.”
To pull off the shift, Im Yoon Ah focused on every visual and vocal detail. “For demon Seon Ji, we went all out, hair, wardrobe, nail art, colored contacts. I even changed the tone of my voice and the way I laughed,” she said. “Like Ahn Bo Hyun mentioned, each of our characters reflects a part of Lee Sang Geun. I used his energy as a reference point.”
Sung Dong Il took a more grounded approach. “Honestly, I didn’t try anything special,” he joked. “The director captured everything about me, except maybe the soles of my feet, so I just gave it everything I had.”
Joo Hyun Young, who plays Ara, Seon Ji’s loyal caretaker, said she focused on bringing out the grit and strength her character needed. “Ara has to deal with Seon Ji in demon mode, so I felt like I needed to dig into my inner toughness and energy.”
Pretty Crazy follows Gil Goo (Ahn Bo Hyun), a down-on-his-luck guy who takes a bizarre overnight job watching over Seon Ji, utterly unaware that she turns into a demon at dawn.
