Our Movie (2025)

The selfishness and selflessness of human connection.

I’m still in a daze after finishing the last episode. I am not sure how to start writing since I have so many thoughts and feelings existing chaotically in my brain right now.

Our Movie is the perfect example of well executed melodrama that does not rely on excessive angst that borderline crosses to makjang territory. It’s tasteful in it’s emotional torture towards viewers. And it is painful… Even though I knew exactly what I was getting myself into, I knew exactly how it will end, the slowly creeping dread of the finality of the story was exhausting. Exhausting in the most breathtaking and touching way possible.

Da Eum is one of the most beautiful characters I have ever seen. The way she was so full of life, even though she did not have much left to enjoy it. The way she was brave in the situation most would crumble in. But what's most important - the way she cherished herself and people around her. The way she genuinely loved her family and friends, the way she craved the connection and was not afraid to reach for it. Her determination, be it in love, dreams, living, was inspiring.

Was she perfect? No. She was at times childish, stubborn, selfish. There were times when she was irresponsible. And all these moments made her that much more human, that much more lovable, complex and interesting.

While her relationship with Je Ha was obviously the center of the story, I must say I loved her scenes with other characters as much. The conflicting tension between her and her dad - the way he struggled to let her live her life, knowing it will make it shorter. The soulmate bond she had with Gyo Yeong. The complexity of the past and present relationship she had with Jae In. Every interaction she had with any of the characters felt so meaningful.

On the other hand Lee Je Ha did feel a bit underdeveloped compared to her. I still love him, love his story, but somehow I do feel unsatisfied. A lot of things were left to imagine, and it feels like we mostly got the highlights of his story, bullet points of what’s important. That said, even though the title says "Our Movie” I do believe it’s Da Eum’s story so I am not extremely mad about Je Ha not being as developed. Maybe his story was presented in a more subtle way, and with how radiant Da Eum was, I just missed the timing to make the connection to him?

Then we have Chae Seo Yeong - how much I love this woman. The raw flaws and mistakes she made were infuriating, but the way at the end of the day she always managed to make the right choice, to support the right people, to admit to her faults.

I truly appreciate how there were no real villains in the story, or rather - depending on what perspective you take, everyone could have been a villain in someone’s life, even without doing much wrong. The writers made sure to present the same situations from different perspectives, making sure viewers understand that human existence is never black or white. Action you took out of necessity could have scared another person for years. What started as a selfish behavior can turn into selfless conviction. No one is bad, no one is good. We are all just human with flaws, desires, hopes, dreams, fears - they all affect our actions. Many things can be explained, but they should not be excused. We need to know when to apologize and fix what was broken. And this drama presents it all.

Acting… are there even words to describe how amazing it was? These roles could have been so easily under and overacted. It’s a balance game not to make Lee Je Ha emotionless and Lee Da Eum borderline manic. Underacting would make them hard to relate to and feel their emotions, overacting would make the characters seem like caricatures. Both Namkoong Min and Jeon Yeo Been truly put their souls into these roles. I smiled, laughed, and cried watching their performances. It was both beautiful and painful.

What I also want to talk about is the directing and editing. Masterclass. Other directors need to study this show and learn from it. It stands out among all the mainstream kdramas from the past couple of years with its unique styling and creative shots. They truly used everything they had, but with brains and meaning. The transitions used for the storytelling purposes, not just cutting between scenes - perfection. The various filters, screen ratios, camera angles and movements. There were honestly scenes that made me gasp.

The cherry on top was the soundtrack. I am 100% sure I am going to cry when I hear any of the songs. They were so well placed depending on the scenes, creating these memorable moments. If I were to pick my favorite, I’d go with “Love me more”.

So why not 10? There were some plotlines I did not see much purpose of. Example: majority of side romances. The same conversations that were important to present different perspectives could have happened in a more platonic setting, closely related to the filming of the movie. Sadly, some moments just felt painfully detached from the overall drama and the mood.

I also wish we had seen a bit more flashbacks of Da Eum before her diagnosis. I think seeing her interactions with Jae In and Gyo Yeong before her life completely changed would make the future conflict more clear and less one-sided. Technically they did wrap it up well, emotionally I am not satisfied.

All that said, what a heart-stopping and awe-inspiring story it was. It’s a drama that makes you sad, heartbroken even, but somehow not emotionally heavy. I felt exhausted by the last episode, but weirdly thankful. Rather than depressed, I felt motivated. The bitter-sweet taste of life.

Read More

A MEMORABLE MELODRAMA

OVERVIEW:

Our Movie is about love, but not the kind that makes you feel safe. It’s the kind that pulls you apart quietly, piece by piece, until you’re not sure if you’re holding on out of hope or out of fear.

Je-ha, a director suffocating under his father’s shadow, and Da-eum, an actress counting down her last months, fall into something that doesn’t feel like a romance at first, but feels like two broken people standing in the same storm, reaching for each other because there’s no one else.

The show hides its heartbreak in the smallest moments: the way they almost don’t touch, the way they both keep pretending they’re not scared. It’s a story about art and ambition, yes, but mostly it’s about being human when time runs out, about loving someone even when you know you’ll lose them.


COMMENTARY:

This drama didn’t feel like watching a love story. It felt like standing in a hospital room, trying not to breathe too loud, because you’re afraid your feelings will spill over and ruin everything.

Je-ha broke me in a way I didn’t want to admit. The weight of his family’s legacy, his guilt about Da-eum, it’s all over him. There were moments I wanted to shake him, to tell him to stop holding back, to just take the love she was offering before it was gone. But I also understood why he couldn’t. Wanting something that much when you know it might end? That’s terrifying.

And Da-eum. God, Da-eum. She’s sunlight and fear tangled together. The way she films everything with her handycam is not just about making art. It’s about leaving proof that she was here, that she mattered, that she loved and laughed and existed before the clock ran out. There’s this scene where she wonders if she even has the right to fall in love, and it stayed with me for days. Because I’ve felt that before, not because I was dying, but because sometimes love feels like a selfish thing, like you’re asking too much of someone just by wanting them to stay.

And that’s the thing. The real villain here isn’t a person, and it’s not even the illness. It’s time. Everyone is fighting it in their own way: Da-eum is stealing it, Je-ha is trying to freeze it, but no one wins against time. And that’s what makes every moment between them feel so sharp, so precious.

Yes, it’s tragic love, but it’s not hopeless love. Da-eum’s whole point is that life, no matter how short, is worth it if you live it. Their love isn’t clean or grand or perfect. It’s hesitant. It’s two people choosing to hold on even though they can feel the ending breathing down their necks. And that’s what made it feel real to me.

Our Movie doesn’t promise you a happy ending. It doesn’t even try to comfort you. It just sits with you. And maybe that’s why it’s beautiful. Because sometimes, love is worth it even if it breaks you.


Full review coming soon! Stay tuned!

Read More