Beautiful Audrey (2024)

Audrey May Be Beautiful, But the Movie’s Another Question

i honestly think the movie had such an interesting plot set up but it just very quickly turned from a good concept into a poor execution. and it suffers from a huge exposition problem, combined with many plot points which are just minor and never given much thought.

kihoon, played by jihoon, is arguably the character with the most depth. from a viewers pov, he’s likely to be the one you connect with the most or only connect with. jihoon is an absolutely phenomenal actor as we already know and he gave a fantastic performance during the movie even within all the absurdity.

the other characters don’t have much depth to them at all, having no arcs or really minimal depth to them. my main arc problem is with jieun, the idol daughter. there are no real apologies to her mother or to her brother about the way she has acted, and the ways in which they cover this feels like the exposition problem most movies suffer with. it’s all dumped at once as stated in my first paragraph.

instead of turning this into a full blown rant about the shallow writing of characters, the plot was pretty… interesting. and not in a great way.

despite troubles being shown within her group, jieun’s *rude* members and the whole thing with her company fall flat. there’s barely anything to it. for most of the movie jieun has practically no depth.

the only time there is some form of depth given to her is in the last, maybe, thirty minutes of the movie?

if you thought you were watching a movie about alzheimer’s, buckle up because all of a sudden jieun has got a form of leukemia.

yes, you heard me right.

by this point i wasn’t paying as much attention. for starters, it was almost midnight, and also for the fact that the movie had essentially pulled what i know as shooting itself in the foot.

at the end of the movie, jieun, miyeon, and kihoon all appear as a happy family. confusing, after how crappy of a daughter jieun has been.

where’s the dad you’re wondering?

i forgot to mention he gets the classic kdrama stunt pulled on him. hit by a truck. regina george style.

by the end of the movie i was left wondering what i had just spent the last almost two hours watching.

all my kudos and all stars to jihoon, he gave an otherwise flat story the necessary depth it needed.

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a misplaced main character

I recently watched the movie, and while it was a touching story, it seemed to me that the focus of the plot was rather misplaced.

Mi Yeon aka Audrey, a graceful, middle-aged woman, leads a peaceful life running a small neighborhood noodle shop with the help of her devoted adopted son, Ki Hoon. Their bond is warm and supportive, with Ki Hoon proving to be a caring and dependable presence in her life. In contrast, Mi Yeon's biological daughter, Ji Yeon—a popular Kpop idol remains estranged from the family due to a troubled past marked by rebellion and unresolved grief. A pivotal moment in their fractured relationship stems from the early death of Ji Yeon’s father, who was tragically struck by a truck during a heated argument with her.

Despite Audrey (Mi Yeon) and Ki Hoon’s sincere attempts to reconnect with Ji Yeon, she keeps them at arm’s length. As time passes, Audrey begins to exhibit signs of memory loss, eventually receiving a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Rather than fully exploring the emotional weight of this development in the story, the narrative introduces another dramatic twist: Ji Yeon is diagnosed with leukemia. Ki Hoon is unable to be a donor to her due to their lack of genetic relation. In a moment of clarity amidst her cognitive decline, Audrey consents to the procedure, becoming the donor who ultimately saves her daughter’s life.

The film concludes with a poignant scene where both Ji Yeon and Ki Hoon sit on a bench with Audrey in the middle, now in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s, sharing a tender moment of connection and love with the woman who shaped both of their lives.

The movie was okay, but it seemed like, yes, Audrey is framed as the main character, especially given her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, plus the movie title is Beautiful Audrey, but Ki Hoon receives more screen time, character depth, or narrative focus—making him feel like the actual protagonist.

Ki Hoon’s story was, in many ways, far more captivating. Orphaned at a young age, he was taken in by Audrey’s family and raised with care. As he matures, he becomes a kind-hearted and devoted son, choosing to forgo college, despite his intelligence, to dedicate himself fully to supporting his mother. Throughout the hardships, especially when both Audrey and Ji Yeon fall ill, Ki Hoon remains their steadfast pillar, quietly carrying the emotional weight of the family. His character felt incredibly relatable; I could genuinely sense his pain, admire his perseverance, and appreciate the quiet strength he showed in the face of so much adversity. Honestly, it felt like the film should’ve been titled Beautiful Ki Hoon instead!

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