The original title of the movie used to be Untraceable, yet it changed to a more provocative name of Kill with Me when it was released in Korea. Kill with Me is the name of an Internet site that displays scenes in which people are being tortured and killed. It has a rule: “the more they watch, the faster he dies.” One incident begins with the death of a kitten. At first, people condemn the atrocious acts, saying, that it is a crime against humanity.

 

However, when the criminal brutally tortures and murders people, the reaction of the public turns enthusiastic, as if they are watching a show. The number of visitors of the website increased, and the kidnapped suffers and become murdered in many cruel ways. The criminal ridicules the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which fails to come close to apprehending him. He committed crimes precisely and finally kidnapped two FBI agents.

 

This movie gives us some issues to think about. It reveals people’s unethical behavior in the cyberspace. The Internet brings many benefits. However, problems are caused by the immature manner in which people behave in cyberspace. In the movie, the criminal commits the crime through Internet hacking, privacy invasion, and private information leaks.

 

The crime scenes from the movie are based on reality. The movie has only extended the current situations to the extreme. This is because spreading false information, posting vicious comments online and spreading videos taken by hidden cameras also occur in real life. Thinking of how people act when they sit anonymously behind their keyboard can make one believe our society is actually quite creepy and terrifying.

 

It is worth noting that the criminal, who has good computer and Internet skills, mentions that he loves Korea. It shows that Korea is advanced in IT and that the Internet culture of Korea can be quite unethical. The movie also sharply criticizes our present social conditions such as suicides caused by irresponsible and malicious comments and witch hunting via media manipulation.

 

Human cruelty is often derived from our instinctual curiosity. People in the movie visit the website because of their curiosity, which causes the victims to die faster. In the end, someone’s painful death becomes a mere gossip. In the movie, Marsh, an FBI agent, says, “Do not call them fans. They are accomplices.”

 

The viewers have silently answered yes to the criminal’s question, “Kill with me?” Their cruelty is amplified because of the anonymity that exists on the Internet. They have hidden behind the shield of anonymity and irresponsibly cooperated in the murder. If they have suppressed their dangerous instinct and decided not enter the site, the bloody murder would not have occurred.

 

The public in the movie forgets about feeling guilty for those who are suffering. They have instead become excited about the murder, and some have even supported it. This shows the inhumanity of people. The film shows people who have lost their humanity, the ability to empathize with and have compassion for others.

 

In addition to unethical behavior in cyberspace and human immorality, the media’s cruelty is shown as well in the movie. At the beginning and the end of Kill with Me, the sound of news broadcasted from a radio is heard. This implies the cruelty of the media which profits from the misfortune of others. For example, the suicide scene of a man is broadcasted live and repeatedly played to get high viewer ratings. The reporter that filmed the suicide scene later tells his coworker that he was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. One man posted the scene on many portal sites under the title “The Best Scene of This Month.” Moreover, after the victim dies, many reporters rush to his wife, not to express grief, but to quietly benefit from the situation. The media has transformed someone’s tragic death into an interesting sideshow.

 

The movie is a warning about immorality in the era of the Internet, as people may also become accomplices of a crime. Many people write hateful comments without hesitation to people whom they have never met; they also irresponsibly spread malicious rumors. Simultaneously, there are other problems such as not being capable of sympathizing with others’ pains. It is entirely possible that something similar to the situation in the movie could occur. Kill With Me says that people have to reflect on their behavior in cyberspace and act responsibly.