Film Out (“Signal: The Movie” OST) Review
On April 2, BTS released a new OST track called Film Out for the Japanese drama-thriller film “Signal: The Movie,” which came out in theatres on the same day. The film is a continuation of the drama series “Signal: Long-Term Unsolved Case Investigation Team”, broadcasted on Fuji TV in 2018, for which BTS had also recorded the OST Don’t Leave Me, later included in their third Japanese studio album Face Yourself. Film Out will appear on BTS’ upcoming Japanese album BTS, THE BEST, slated for release on June 16, 2021.
First time for a Japanese single, Film Out is a collaboration between the rock band Back Number and BTS. The two groups met in 2017 during promotions for DNA and Love Yourself: Her, and they gifted each other their own respective albums. According to BTS’ Japan Official Fanclub, Jungkook and Back Number’s vocalist Iyori Shimizu worked together on the production of the song.
Film Out is an emotional ballad about an unforgettable person who will always remain in one’s heart and mind, no matter what. The lyrics talk about feelings of loss and longing and missing a loved one. It is clear that the members yearn to be with the one they lost. RM’s rap is memorable as it sounds particularly poetic with the use of metaphors and personification for a broken heart.
The MV is perfectly fitting to the song and has a somber but emotional feel to it. In terms of color, it starts monotonous but ends in bright and vivid colors, signaling the journey taken throughout the song. The room is brighter when the whole group is together, evident in the first chorus onwards, compared to when they are alone. The song and lyrics have the ability to touch the listeners’ hearts. This time, SUGA and j-hope’s raps are more melodic than their other tracks. Toward the climax of the song, the room bursts into messy chaos, possibly signifying the intensity and outburst of their feelings portrayed in Film Out. As a perfect conclusion, the vocalists take turns harmonizing at the end.
The MV has brought forth more theories about the Bangtan Universe, one of them is that it seems to portray the journey of Jin’s character, SeokJin, as he tries to stop the time loop. The multiple doors in the MV could then represent the memories that SeokJin has with the others and the time spent trying to close the time loop. The dark room that Jin is in might symbolize the night, which indicates the location of his character’s soul. As the members start appearing as projections and the room appears brighter, Jin is unable to reach them because of a barrier that continues to separate them; perhaps because the members represent the most intimate part of his soul.
Digging further into that one theory among many, Jin/SeokJin is reminded of the time when he made the wrong choices and the ego (represented by j-hope) and the shadow (represented by SUGA) encountered each other - hence, they are sitting back-to-back in the middle of a desert that Jin/SeokJin had to endure going through. Just before Jungkook disappears from the screen, one could argue that he was able to reverse time for a short while and give Jin a warning before the room breaks into chaos. By the end V might have infiltrated the time loop to remind Jin of the memories he has with the other members.
ARMY has reacted positively to the song and the MV’s cinematography has also gained traction. BTS has been lauded for continuing to deliver high-quality music and visuals and trying out different concepts while maintaining their unique sound. Some fans have pointed out that the group has captured the essence of the fleetingness of life in a mature way.
Film Out has left a strong impression as a soothing and emotional song that does a great job at storytelling, complementing the movie it was produced for. ARMY can’t wait to see what BTS will come up with next.
Written by: Lindsay Wong
Edited by: Lisa
Designed by: Lira
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