What Does That Nature Say to You (2025)

Flowers blooming in the night

Another day, another Hong Sang-soo film. This time, the story revolves around a young man meeting his girlfriend's parents, along with many of the familiar themes that naturally come with such an occasion. The style remains true to the director's signature approach: minimalist scenes without cuts, relying on a static or gently panning camera that quietly follows the characters through their conversations and everyday activities. Those activities mostly consist of eating, drinking, smoking, and occasionally spending time in nature.

That is also where the title, What Does That Nature Say to You, comes from. The main protagonist is deeply moved by two trees that catch his attention, as well as by a flower that continues to bloom even at night (look at the poster for the film). These moments involving nature give the film a sense of spirituality, philosophy, and poetry.

Otherwise, there is nothing particularly new comparing this to other films of the same director. The performances are very good, although there are moments when the actors seem slightly detached from the scene, despite the conversations and encounters feeling spontaneous and natural. Anyone who has introduced a partner to their parents will find plenty to relate to. At the same time, the film encourages all viewers to pay closer attention to nature and to appreciate how it can enrich and beautify our lives, while also inviting us to reflect on what we truly need in life.

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Quiet, everyday cinema, in which real human knots appear behind the most ordinary story.

In this seemingly inconspicuous story, I saw a closed introvert - a man who is always somewhere deep in his thoughts. It's like he's stuck in one place and going with the flow. He doesn't take a step forward not because he doesn't want to or can't, but somewhere inside he's just afraid to do it. His comfort zone is not laziness or weakness, but a place where it is safe. And, perhaps, that's where it's most important for him to be now. The hero may seem immature to many, but I see in him not insolvency, but vulnerability - and that's why he seems really alive to me.

The daughter's parents are equally important: they want the best for the child, and there is no malicious intent in their care - just their idea of the "best" inevitably faces someone else's life. They can also be understood.

It seems to me that this is exactly what the film is trying to convey: not to give ratings, but to show how everyone is right and vulnerable in their own way.

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