Kim Minhee Shines in Hong Sangsoo's 'Nowhere to Lay My Eyes' — SkimNews
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- Hong Sangsoo's 35th feature, the 72-minute "Nowhere to Lay My Eyes," premiered in Locarno competition and will next play in the New York Film Festival's main slate alongside his earlier 2026 release "The Day She Returns."
- Kim Minhee stars as Sanghee, a Seoul snack importer and experimental YouTube filmmaker visiting her mother on Jeju Island after a decade apart — her most rewarding showcase in several years after a string of supporting and off-camera roles since 2017.
- Choi Myeonggil plays the passive-aggressive mother, with Kwon Haehyo (a Hong regular) as her second husband, a mild-mannered documentary filmmaker the review describes as "a proxy for the auteur himself," and Shin Seokho as Sanghee's brother.
- The film's conversation ranges from European furniture quality to opposing documentary styles to a rare topical discussion of the war in Gaza — described as an unusual topical diversion for Hong.
- Kim Minhee's voiceover narration, a "less usual Hong feature" the review calls a successful departure, reveals a lyrically wounded interior beneath her outwardly composed face.
- The Cinema Guild, Hong's regular North American distributor, will release both "Nowhere to Lay My Eyes" and "The Day She Returns" stateside.
Why it matters: Hong's 35th feature marks a return to his most classically welcoming form after the experimental 'The Day She Returns,' delivering Kim Minhee's strongest showcase in years alongside dual festival berths at Locarno and NYFF — though the review concedes the director 'may not be minting that many arthouse converts' beyond his loyal following.
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