Tunnel
A man is on his way home when the poorly constructed tunnel he is driving through collapses, leaving him trapped leaving himself for the unexpected whilst emergency services struggle to help.
Despite its tight budget of $1.0M, Tunnel became a box office phenomenon, earning $52.4M worldwide—a remarkable 5144% return. The film's distinctive approach attracted moviegoers, proving that strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Tunnel (2016) showcases deliberately positioned dramatic framework, characteristic of Kim Seong-hun's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 13-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 6 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.2, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Lee Jung-soo drives home on his daughter's birthday, a typical working man in his ordinary routine, speaking casually with his wife on the phone about being late.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when The Hado Tunnel suddenly collapses while Jung-soo is driving through it, burying him alive under tons of concrete and debris in an instant.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 31 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Jung-soo makes the conscious decision to ration his resources and actively fight for survival, fashioning tools from his car and committing to stay alive for his family., moving from reaction to action.
At 64 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat False defeat: The rescue team drills in the wrong location despite Jung-soo's attempts to signal. His hope of imminent rescue is crushed, and his resources are nearly exhausted., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 94 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, All is lost: Dae-kyung dies beside Jung-soo, and the government officially declares the rescue operation terminated. Jung-soo is left utterly alone with no water and no hope., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 102 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. The finale: Jung-soo uses his last strength to create noise, the drill finally breaks through, and he is pulled from the tunnel after 35 days underground. The救 rescue succeeds against all odds., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Tunnel's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 13 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Tunnel against these established plot points, we can identify how Kim Seong-hun utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Tunnel within the thriller genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional thriller films include Eye for an Eye, Lake Placid and Operation Finale.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Lee Jung-soo drives home on his daughter's birthday, a typical working man in his ordinary routine, speaking casually with his wife on the phone about being late.
Theme
Jung-soo's wife mentions how their family is always waiting for him, hinting at the theme of what truly matters: survival versus the people we live for.
Worldbuilding
Establishing Jung-soo's mundane life as a car dealer, his relationship with his wife and daughter, and introducing the poorly-constructed Hado Tunnel that will become his prison.
Disruption
The Hado Tunnel suddenly collapses while Jung-soo is driving through it, burying him alive under tons of concrete and debris in an instant.
Resistance
Jung-soo assesses his dire situation: trapped in his car with limited water, a birthday cake, and dying phone battery. Outside, rescue operations begin but are plagued by bureaucratic delays and incompetence.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Jung-soo makes the conscious decision to ration his resources and actively fight for survival, fashioning tools from his car and committing to stay alive for his family.
Mirror World
Jung-soo discovers another survivor, Dae-kyung, in a separate car. This relationship becomes a mirror showing different responses to despair and the will to survive.
Premise
The promise of the premise: survival against impossible odds. Jung-soo ingeniously uses limited resources, finds water, survives on cake and dog food, while the rescue effort fumbles outside.
Midpoint
False defeat: The rescue team drills in the wrong location despite Jung-soo's attempts to signal. His hope of imminent rescue is crushed, and his resources are nearly exhausted.
Opposition
Everything worsens: Jung-soo's physical and mental state deteriorates, media turns rescue into a spectacle, government officials prioritize optics over action, and dehydration pushes him toward death.
Collapse
All is lost: Dae-kyung dies beside Jung-soo, and the government officially declares the rescue operation terminated. Jung-soo is left utterly alone with no water and no hope.
Crisis
Dark night of the soul: Jung-soo hallucinates his family, records farewell messages on his dying phone, and contemplates giving up as he faces the absolute certainty of death.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The finale: Jung-soo uses his last strength to create noise, the drill finally breaks through, and he is pulled from the tunnel after 35 days underground. The救 rescue succeeds against all odds.