Jerome Yoo’s Mongrels is a meditative exploration of grief and uncertain new beginnings. The film is divided into three parts—god, cowboy, and blonde—each segment focusing on one of the three main characters. The father, son, and daughter had migrated from Korea to start their life anew in Canada. This was supposed to be the good life they were promised, but coping with the unfamiliar was quite the challenge. At the core of the film is the feeling of aching grief and the reaction of each character to this constant agony. Sonny had a strange connection with animals, particularly dogs—it was almost as if he could communicate with them. He was employed by Scott Larson to take down the mongrels living in the area. He considered the animals a threat to livestock, crops, and humans. Sonny was tasked to kill the wild dogs, and he experienced a sense of contradiction because, in a way, he related to those creatures more than anything else in the foreign country.
Spoiler Alert
What resulted in Sonny’s contradictory feelings?
The only way Sonny could make a living in Canada was by getting his hands bloody. Instead of using his ability to communicate with the mongrels, his whispers were used to convince them to surrender, and he used his razor-sharp dagger to take their lives in one swift move. Sonny could relate to the dogs more than the people around him. The dogs were infiltrators that the landowners wanted to get rid of, and as an immigrant worker, Sonny knew that he was at the mercy of men like Larson, who might as well someday consider him an encroacher. The title of the film not only refers to the wild dogs but also hints at the connection that Sonny and his family shared with the mongrels. They too had been uprooted and brought to a foreign land and their biggest fear was perhaps forgetting the place they’d come from.
After the first kill, Sonny found the howling cry of the dogs unbearable. Perhaps it was his guilt that reminded him that he was the reason behind their pain. But Sonny had to be emotionally strong for the sake of his children, who depended on his income. Scott offered Sonny a huge sum of money to hunt down an alpha mongrel living in the mountains that he could use as a trophy to decorate the walls of his house and whose spirit he believed would protect his family from mongrel attacks. Sonny agreed to the challenge; he needed the money.
Sonny didn’t want his children to adapt to the white ways. He didn’t approve of them praying before their meals and eating their food with a fork and knife. He could already sense that they would not always stay true to their culture, and that bothered him, possibly because he felt he had failed as a parent to teach his children the ways of his ancestors. Since he was mostly busy with hunts, the only time he got with his children he used it to exert dominance. Sonny wanted them to obey him and follow the rules of his house since that was the only space that was still in his control. He didn’t appreciate Hajoon’s growing friendship with Larson’s son, Noah. When Hajoon tried to sneak out in the evening, Sonny made it very clear that he was not in favor of their friendship. He reminded Hajoon that even if they seemed friendly, they didn’t actually care for people like him, and that self-interest should be their only driving force. Hajoon didn’t understand his father’s beliefs; he was a lonely teenager, and hanging out with people his age helped him temporarily forget about all the worries and loss.
During the hunt in the mountains, Sonny shot an alpha male dog. Though later, he came across a collar, and he likely figured out that the dog he’d killed was domesticated. Scott and his team celebrated the moment, and they were particularly in awe of Sonny’s skill, but their celebration was interrupted by the wailing cry of a woman. She had lost her dog, and she found its dead body among the heap of mongrel bodies that the hunters had collected. She was devastated, and when Sonny apologized to her, she slapped him on his face and accused him of being a dog killer.
Why did Sonny kill King Kong?
Sonny didn’t like the person he’d become, and he struggled to fall asleep, fearing that the spirit of the dead would haunt him. He cleansed his house, and he performed rituals to keep the spirits away, but the guilt was impossible to overcome. He only found solace during the imaginary phone calls he made to his wife—describing how he’d successfully fulfilled their dream of moving to a Western country. Drunk and defeated at night, Sonny found King Kong (Larson’s dog) at his doorstep. The dog had been repeatedly barking and howling, and Sonny tried to understand the reason. He wondered if the dog was begging him to release him from his pain or if it was his way of praying to his gods. Sonny had convinced himself that King Kong was in pain because it had become unbearable for the dog to watch his kind get killed. As a man who’d lost his wife to death, Sonny could almost relate to the dog’s agony. He knew how unfair it was that the ones who walked on four legs were considered beasts, while those that walked on two legs were often seen as gods. Living with a constant sense of conflict and contradiction had started to get to Sonny. He wondered if in exchange for releasing King Kong from his misery, the dog would also take his pain away. Sonny broke down after he buried King Kong—his desperation had gotten the better of him, and he no longer knew what he was doing anymore. He curled into a fetal position, implying that he craved to be looked after, to be protected—he was tired of being the strong man who pretended to have his life in order. He was flawed and broken, and only the wild dogs saw him for who he was. Scott figured that Sonny was responsible for his dog’s disappearance, but he was ready to give him a second chance if he continued to hunt the mongrels. Sonny wasn’t too grateful about the whole situation, but he knew he didn’t have much of an option.
Why did Sonny consider Hajoon a disappointment?
Hajoon couldn’t relate to his father, and his sister was too young to understand him completely. There were days when Hajoon felt extremely lonely, and all he craved was his mother’s affection. He enjoyed spending time with Noah and his friends. Even though they were not quite alike, at least he could still be a teenager with them. He tried to help his father by prepping meals and looking after the house, but none of it was ever enough for Sonny. When one day, Hajoon accompanied Sonny for a hunt, he struggled to kill the mongrel he’d caught. Sonny insulted him for being weak, but Hajoon didn’t think there was anything wrong with not being just like his father. He knew that his mother would’ve never approved of his father’s job because she believed in caring for lives and not taking them. Sonny continued to humiliate Hajoon, possibly because he knew his son was right and he could already sense how little respect Hajoon had for his job. He felt the need to establish that he was the authority, and instead of opening up to his son, Sonny created walls around him so that he would not be perceived as ‘weak’ by his children. While Sonny wanted his son to contribute to his business, Hajoon had realized he was not like his father, and he had no interest in hunting mongrels. The guilt of not doing enough for his family started to subside with the joy of being with like-minded people. One night, Hajoon sneaked out of his house and partied with Noah and his friends. This was a completely new side of life that he’d only started to explore. He knew his father would’ve never approved of it, but as a teenager, Hajoon was open to adapting to a new lifestyle and figuring out who he was as a person. Hajoon had grown affectionate towards Noah. He felt a little envious when he watched Noah dance with a girl but was relieved when he came back to have a word with him. That night when Hajoon and Noah were in the woods, he broke down. Noah was confused at first, but Hajoon explained that he felt lost most of the time. His father’s expectations contrasted with his own desires, and at times he struggled to adapt to the new environment. He found comfort in the moon, because it had been a witness to his past and his present. Noah kissed Hajoon, and he didn’t pull back. But the moment Hajoon realized the implication of the kiss, he grew fearful, and he ran away.
What brought Sonny and Hajoon close?
When Hajoon returned home, he found his father waiting for him. He begged him to forgive him, but clearly Sonny was disappointed in his son. He slapped Hajoon and challenged him to speak his mind instead of whispering behind his back. Hajoon didn’t hold back; he blamed Sonny for King Kong’s disappearance because he knew that his father always lost control of himself when he ran out of patience. Hajoon went on to say something that he perhaps had thought of multiple times, but he never had the courage to state it out loud. He accused Sonny of taking away his mother’s happiness because he’d lost his patience with her. While the film does not delve into the reason behind their mother’s death, she was possibly abused (emotionally or even physically), and she spiraled into depression. Sonny could see that his son was disgusted by him, and it enraged him all the more. He repeatedly slapped Hajoon; he’d pinned him to the ground and was about to punch him hard when suddenly he realized he was doing exactly what his son had accused him of. He was once again choosing rage to establish control. When Sonny’s grasp loosened, Hajoon punched and slapped his father, but Sonny took the blow without any protest. He knew he’d wronged his son and that they were both hurting. The truth was that he didn’t have anything in control—his son saw his flaws through the thick walls, and Sonny finally felt vulnerable enough to break down in tears. The father and son embraced each other, and they cried to their heart’s content.
How did Hana figure out the truth?
Sonny didn’t know how to tell Hana that her mother was gone. Hajoon insisted that they had to tell her the truth, but Sonny was afraid of breaking Hana’s heart. With her father mostly busy with work and her brother hanging out with his new friends, Hana felt lonely. She wondered where her mother was and why she hadn’t come along with them. Her mother had told her that if she swallowed a hundred airplanes, she could make any wish come true. The little girl had been carefully grabbing the planes in the sky into her tiny palms and putting them in her mouth. She had been keeping a count and was waiting for the hundredth plane to pass. Scott’s wife, Laura, was her only companion. Hana was the daughter Laura never had, and she started to project all her wishes and desires onto the little girl. Hana felt out of place most of the time. Even though she was told that they were almost family, she knew that she didn’t belong there. Hana didn’t know where she belonged anymore. The microwaved food always made her miss her mother a little more. She noticed how her father referred to the blonde women on television as ‘angels.’ She didn’t look anything like them, and possibly the immediate comparison left her a little disappointed. When her brother said that the airplane story was just a fairy tale, Hana was deeply offended. It was the only way she thought she could reunite with her mother, and now even that possibility was shattered. But Hana didn’t give up. She caught the hundredth plane and made a wish. She turned around hoping to see her mother, but instead she saw the body of a dead mongrel hanging by a rope (the mongrel had fallen into the trap). This image can be interpreted as symbolic, possibly suggesting that Hana’s mother died by suicide. That night, Hana overheard her father speaking to her mother on the telephone, and she noticed that the wire was cut off. He described the day when Hana uttered the word “mother” for the first time. He remembered his wife breaking into tears of joy. They couldn’t stop smiling on their way through the sunflower fields, and they even got scolded for picking a sunflower for Hana.
Why did Hana end up in the woods?
Deep down Hana had figured out that her mother was not going to come back to her. The fond memory of the past felt a little less distant when she sniffed the hanbok her mother had made for her. She decided to wear the dress, and Laura painted her nails red to match the outfit. She also decided to color Hana’s hair blonde. While initially Hana didn’t hesitate, she ultimately rebelled against fitting into a box. She knew blonde hair was considered beautiful, but it also meant losing a part of herself, and she wasn’t ready to do it. She ran to the woods, swallowed another plane, and played the flute her father carried, hoping that nature would guide her to her mother. She refused to believe she was gone, and all she wanted was to see her mother one last time. Laura informed Sonny and Hajoon about Hana going missing. Sonny found his little girl in the woods staring at the vastness. She refused to leave until she was reunited with her mother. She expressed her disappointment in her father and her brother for not talking about her mother anymore. She didn’t understand why everyone around her had suddenly seemed to have forgotten her, but she couldn’t stop thinking about her, and she was tired of pretending that her absence didn’t affect her. Sonny didn’t know what to say to his daughter anymore; her belief that her mother would show up if she called out to her made Sonny feel strangely hopeful. He wanted to believe in Hana’s simplistic logic; he hoped that his wife would walk out of the woods and meet them one last time. Sonny joined his daughter, and they both hopelessly called out to her. Hana finally accepted defeat, stating that it all felt like a terrible dream. The wild dogs gathered around them, but none were aggressive, suggesting that the calm demeanor of the father and daughter made them feel safe. Sonny promised his daughter that everything would be alright from henceforth. He had come to realize how grief had affected his children, and not addressing the elephant in the room wasn’t really the solution. It was honest conversation that helped him bond with his children, and he knew that he had to be a better parental figure. He couldn’t replace his wife, but at least his children would have a father they could rely on. Hana, at times, picked up the dead telephone to speak to her mother, just like her father.
Did the family cope with the loss?
Mongrels ends with the celebration of Hana’s birthday. Scott gifted Hana a bike, and it seemed Sonny had come to accept the presence of the Larsons in the lives of his children. Hana drove the bike to the sunflower field; perhaps the day was quite like the one (where Hana uttered the word ‘mother’ for the first time) Sonny had described over the phone to his wife. Sonny, Hajoon, and Hana finally gathered at the nearby lake to scatter the ashes. Sonny remembered his wife always describing a place near the lake quite similar to the countryside they were living in. He strongly believed that she was watching over them, and his children agreed. They all howled together, expressing their sorrow in the most primitive way, hoping to reach out to the soul of the one they’d lost, when Hana turned back she saw a dog standing by the lake, and perhaps in her mind she took it as a sign that their mother had come to bid them farewell. The family was finally ready to move on, of course, they would often miss her but they were in a position to become each other’s support system and stick together as a family.
