Refuse

Summary

“Refuse” (2023) is an intimate horror film about a Korean American man who finally confronts the squalor of his filthy, neglected room. What begins as a seemingly mundane attempt to clean and regain control of his living space gradually becomes a disturbing encounter with something sinister hidden among the accumulated trash. As the room’s clutter is disturbed, the boundary between ordinary mess and something far more threatening starts to dissolve. The film centers almost entirely on its unnamed protagonist, whose isolation and unease make the room feel like both a refuge and a trap. With limited emphasis on a large supporting cast, “Refuse” uses his physical surroundings—and the unseen presence suggested within them—as the primary sources of tension. His struggle is not simply against dirt or disorder, but against the fear and emotional weight embedded in what he has allowed to pile up around him. Blending psychological dread with more visceral horror, the film explores themes of avoidance, shame, loneliness, and the consequences of refusing to confront what has been repressed. The protagonist’s identity as a Korean American man adds a personal dimension to the story’s sense of alienation, while the decaying room becomes a potent image of inner turmoil and unresolved baggage. Rather than relying solely on spectacle, “Refuse” builds its unease through confinement, repetition, and the creeping suspicion that discarded things may not remain safely discarded.