Hélène

Hélène
Directed by	Kang Min-ji
Screenplay by	Hélène, the Secret Legacy
Produced by	Jeanne Martin
Starring	Seo Chae-won, Charles Avrard, Emi Dufour, Lucien Barbier, Amandine Clement
Production company	Four Square Studios
Release date	24 October 2024
Running time	124 minutes
Country	Haesan
Languages	French/Haean (English, French, or Haean subtitles available)
Budget	£34 million
Box office	£58 million

Hélène is a feature length 2024 Haesanite psychological thriller film inspired by film noir, directed by Kang Min-ji and released by Four Square Studios.

Plot

Nayeong (Seo Chae-won) has always been the type of person to handle life on her own, or rather, she's been forced to by cruel twists of fate. If she stopped to think about her situation, she may come to the conclusion that she's cursed, but fortunately for her, she's too busy balancing a career, a social life, and a relationship to pause and process her abysmal luck. That is, until one day she receives a heavy parchment envelope with an initialed red wax seal, containing an obscure invitation urging Nayeong to head to an estate in order to "finally uncover the truth", signed merely with the name Hélène. Equal parts intrigued and terrified, Nayeong heads north in search of answers.

Upon her arrival, Nayeong is stunned by the estate's grandeur and is summarily scrutinized by seemingly everyone in the stately manor; it is visibly apparent she does not belong here. It is not long before she meets the enigmatic Hélène (Amandine Clement), a dowager and the caretaker of the estate. Giving Nayeong a key to the estate's attic, Hélène tells her that the dusty room may contain insights to her past, and answers to the questions that have long plagued her. An unexpected houseguest, Nayeong encounters the dapper financier Michel (Charles Avrard), the idle heiress Yvette (Emi Dufour) and her dour father Claude (Lucien Barbier), who treat her as a stranger seemingly out of spite, yet possibly to conceal a hidden vendetta.

As Nayeong begins her search through the archives, she starts to find a trail of clues, and the further she reads, sifting through the abandoned news clippings and diaries, the more her thirst for answers grows. The seed of madness is planted, and as dark forces both real and imagined threaten to derail her search, she relies on the urgings of an increasingly invested Michel to continue pressing on, gradually severing connection with her friends, her boyfriend, and her past self. Gradually, the conspiracy is revealed: her father was the true heir of the Lemaire estate but journeyed south in search of love and reinvention and was consequently ostracized from the family. The fire she barely survived as a child, but which her parents were unable to escape, was set by those who sought to eliminate his rival claim, and was mercilessly covered up by the now remorseful matriarch. As her rage grows, Nayeong knows what must be done to right a bygone wrong.

The film ends in a montage of flames blanketing the mansion, engulfing the betrayed Michel, the hapless Yvette, the villainous Claude, and the repentant Hélène. Nayeong stands on a balcony, surveying the grounds of the estate, her estate, as smoke billows from the windows behind her and flames flicker along the curtains. She is finally at peace.

Accolades

Event	Date of ceremony	Category	Recipient(s)	Result	Ref.
National Movie Awards	30 November 2024	Best Picture	Hélène	Won
		Best Director	Kang Min-ji	Nominated
		Best Actress	Seo Chae-won	Won
		Best Supporting Actress	Emi Dufour	Won
		Best Supporting Actor	Charles Avrard	Won
		Best Musical Score	Hélène	Won
		Best Original Screenplay	Hélène	Won
		Best Cinematography	Hélène	Won
		Best Film Editing	Hélène	Won
		Best Sound Mixing	Hélène	Nominated
2024 IDU Film Festival	24 January 2025	Best Film	Hélène	Nominated
		Best Actor	Seo Chae-won	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actor	Charles Avrard	Nominated
		Best Musical Score	Hélène	Nominated