Fun, easy and enjoyable slice of life watch
So, to start off, the main reason I’m reviewing this is that I’m a film lover and I like TWICE, but mostly it’s because one of the stills from the drama was really pretty. And yes, I do judge shows by their covers (posters).
STORYLINE:
This movie is nothing groundbreaking, but it’s also not trying to be. It has a nice, concise, and simple storyline with a well-delivered, fitting message. The film is very character-driven, as most of the enjoyment comes from the relationships between the characters—especially the high school trio. This is clearly deliberate, as the story switches between Ha Seok Jin’s character and the youthful, funny high school trio.
The balance between the youthfulness of adolescence and the doom-and-gloom of adulthood is really well done in this movie, and therefore the third act feels fitting and manages to hit you emotionally. To summarize, the storyline is nice and simple. It’s not going to have you bawling your eyes out or questioning reality, but it’s also not going to leave you bored and wondering when the movie will end.
I also want to give props to the twist in this movie. I know what you’re thinking: *“A twist? How can this movie have a twist if you just described it as a slice-of-life?”* Well, it does have a pretty well-executed twist that actually caught me off guard—I genuinely didn’t see it coming. It’s hard not to write spoilers here, but I’m trying my best to stay vague.
ACTING:
As stated previously, since the movie is quite character-driven—especially in the beginning—the relationships between the characters are very important. Overall, the cast really nails it. Dahyun, Lee Shin Young, and Yoon Seo Bin (who I’ve been referring to as the high school trio) have great chemistry, and their interactions feel natural and fun.
In contrast, Ha Seok Jin’s character is much more serious and determined to achieve his goal. Ha Seok Jin’s performance is really strong—you truly feel his determination and how his goal means more than anything else in his life. His character singlehandedly provides the more serious, “depressing” side of the movie, and he was great in the role.
Lee Shin Young’s character is very fun in this movie: outgoing and mostly responsible for the comedy and lightheartedness. I also thought he and Dahyun’s characters had nice chemistry. Dahyun and Yoon Seo Bin were also great in the movie.
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
One thing I really enjoyed was the cinematography, which isn’t surprising since what initially drew me to the movie was a still from the film. In my opinion, the cinematography is excellent. The contrast between the high school trio and the adult characters is strongly supported by the visual style.
When the high school trio is the focus, the bright, fun, and colorful look is very present. In contrast, the adult characters are shown with less saturation, duller colors, and a more “dim” atmosphere. As we approach the third act, even the high school scenes become less colorful and more muted. The locations chosen are also great: high school scenes are mostly outdoors, sunny, and surrounded by nature, adding to the sense of youthfulness, while the adult scenes are mostly indoors, poorly lit, and set against less colorful backgrounds.
OVERALL:
An enjoyable watch. It felt like the director knew exactly what they were going for and did a good job delivering it. Some of you may think it’s weird that I gave this a 7/10 if I can’t really find major faults with it, and that’s fair. For me, though, movies like this—where not a lot happens and the focus is simply on following the lives of a few characters—never rank that high personally.
If you’re a fan of slice-of-life stories, you might really love this. For me, it’s a solid 7/10.
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