The film Toxic (original title: Gonggisalin) closely borrows from and furthers the ecological disaster genre of South Korean films. While films like Okja and The Host concern themselves with human-made ecological monsters, Toxic is centered around the ecological disbalance caused by something so innocuous as a humidifier. The film portrays a massive humidifier disinfectant disaster, supported by a thesis of the Korean Society of Environmental Health. A disaster this gargantuan, which was completely corporation-made, destroyed the lives of millions.
Toxic (2022) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
Jung Tae-Hun is the chief doctor of the trauma center of Hankook Hospital in South Korea. He lives with his wife and their son. Han Young-ju, Tae-Hun’s sister-in-law, is a Supreme Court prosecutor who makes headlines for pinning down a sexual assaulter. One day, Tae-Hun’s son passes out and drowns in a swimming pool. He is quickly rushed to Tae-Hun’s hospital, where it is found that a part of his lungs has hardened and solidified into a stony substance.
However, in a tragic turn of events, Han Gil-ju, Tae-Hun’s wife, is found dead by Young-ju in their apartment. An autopsy ensues, headed by Tae-Hun, where it is found out that her lungs, too, had hardened, resulting in her death. It is believed that the interruption of a foreign agent into the respiratory system caused the lungs to harden. Tae-Hun decides to pursue a doctor who has investigated cases in this same vein. Dr. Oh Jong-hak terms it acute pulmonary fibrosis, which has a pattern of resurfacing in the spring seasons and disappearing in the rest of the year.
Tae-Hun and Young-ju begin their investigation with surveys. A common thread between all the homes with patients of acute pulmonary fibrosis is the presence of humidifiers. All these humidifiers, in turn, had a common component named PHMG, which works as a disinfectant. Another conclusion of the investigation suggested the prevalence of lung disease among young children, pregnant women, and housewives.
The team filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer company, O2. Fearing that their side will be at a disadvantage, Young-ju pursues her mentor, Jung Kyung-han, to co-chair the plaintiff. However bewildering Young-ju, he arrives at the court as the main chair attorney defending O2. In the court, the defense attorney manages to buy time, citing that certain victims have entered into an unconditional settlement with the company.
It is revealed that Woo-sik, CEO of O2, had bribed the man who had lost his wife and twins to release the list of victims. Tae-Hun finds this out and challenges Woo-sik to come after him instead of the poor victims.
What happens in the trial?
At the trial, Young-ju interrogates Professor Jang Tae-sung, who confirms the deadly nature of PHMG when inhaled. However, Kyung-han made him read out a review published by the Ministry of Environment, which states that the substance is not harmful. This is immediately followed by the summoning of Professor Chu Sung-mo, who is then asked to present his lab’s inhalation toxicity report. His report states that the level of PHMG in the Spotless humidifiers is at a safe level for the human body. He stresses the reliability of the report as it has been overseen by an observer whose position is neutral and untainted.
The observer is revealed to be Tae-Hun. The revelation does not go down well with the ‘Spotless’ victims. His statement, “Spotless has nothing to do with pulmonary fibrosis,” reverberates in the courtroom. The victims break down, and Woo-sik walks away unfazed. The scene ends with a flashback, which shows Woo-sik asking Tae-Hun to side with O2, and that would ensure him what he wants.
The house of O2 throws a big bash to celebrate their success. In this same bash, Woo-sik is endowed with the role of CEO. When Woo-sik offers to destroy the stock that is worth $30 million, the erstwhile CEO rebukes him and asks him to push it out in the market in a month. He asks him to swap out new components and sell the remaining stock as new products. The ex-CEO, Cho, proclaims that since he is a British citizen, Korean deaths do not bother him. He also hints at leaving for Malaysia, but the police arrive and debar him from flying.
Toxic (2022) Movie Ending Explained:
Can a humidifier kill people?
Although the court declared O2 clean from all allegations, the news broke out that the toxicity report of O2 was fabricated. The news leaves Woo-sik howling. What appeared to be a collusion between Tae-Hun and Woo-sik to hide the hideous agenda of O2 actually turned out to be a greater plan to dismantle the facade of O2 in front of the world at large. As there was no legal restriction on the production and sale of the disinfectant, Woo-sik was aware that the civil trial would be ineffective and inadequate. Therefore, opening the cupboard full of skeletons was essential, with the whole world as a witness.
It is revealed that Woo-sik took the help of Tae-Hun to bust his own company. Woo-sik lost his daughter to the same lung disease. The disease leaves his wife comatose. He offers a lung transplant for Tae-Hun’s son and asks him to join him in exposing the company. Later, Woo-sik is taken into custody, and Young-ju agrees to appear as his attorney.
On the completion of 10 years of the scandal, the government formed a bipartisan committee to uncover the truth. Tae-Hun is nominated as the representative of the victims. He asks the Technology and Standards Agency to admit their fault and that they were all in cahoots. However, the agency shifts the blame to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
From them, the blame shifts to the Ministry of Environment and then to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. At the end of the fiasco, the group asks to depart for lunch. Their insensitivity and apathy enrages Tae-Hun so much that he throws the disinfectant on all of them. Outside, Woo-sik gathers a large, revolting crowd and chants, “We’re here! We’re the proof”.
Read More: 10 Disease Outbreak Movies Worth Watching
Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6UiEJ-gGZY
