Reviews

From Curls to Confidence: A Heartwarming 90s Nostalgia Trip

A feel-good, coming-of-age movie set in the nostalgic late '90s, with a wonderful cast that truly shines. As teens, we’ve all had insecurities—wanting to fit in, wishing for straight hair instead of curls. This film captures those relatable moments perfectly, bringing back memories of youth. It’s reminiscent of "20th Century Girl," but thankfully skips the unnecessary sad ending.

Shin Eun Soo is spot-on for her role, and I was shocked to learn Gong Myung is over 30—he nails the high school vibe effortlessly. It’s not a masterpiece, but it doesn’t need to be. This movie is a lighthearted, easy watch that’s not meant to be overanalyzed—just sit back and enjoy it!

I would have loved to learn more about how the main lead overcame his struggles with moving to America or his relationship with his dad, but I understand that might have dragged the movie out too long.

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Love Untangled: Chronicles of First Love

I watched this movie yesterday and was absolutely thrilled — it’s been a long time since I’ve seen something like this, and I realized how much I needed and missed a film that’s light, cute, and fun, yet carries deep meanings and symbolism in its storyline. It’s a way of addressing delicate topics in a softer, more accessible way.
I’ll admit, at first I was nervous about what might happen because I was really disappointed by You Are the Apple of My Eye (2024), which I think was the last high school film that tackled themes like first love. I tried not to get my hopes up, but when I saw Shin Eun-Soo in the cast—oh my God—I got excited (and a little scared they might mess it up haha).

In Love Untangled, set in the 1990s, surrounded by beautiful, nostalgic, and identity-rich scenery, we closely follow the dilemmas of Park Se-Ri, a high school girl struggling with her curly hair. I believe the message becomes especially meaningful for women like me who, as children, felt ashamed of their hair when straight hair was the standard. I spent a lot of time with my hair tied up, didn’t like wearing it down because of the volume, and just like Park Se-Ri, I tried straightening it a few times—only to end up back at square one LOL.
Despite her love-hate relationship with her hair, Park Se-Ri decides to change it permanently to win over Kim Hyeon (played by Cha Woo-Min), the most popular boy in school, whom she met while diving in a spot she thought only she knew. From that moment, her heart is flooded with a typical teenage crush that sees everything through the lens of “love”—all those little coincidences feel like signs from fate.
While trying to find Kim Hyeon naturally, she meets Han Yun-Seok (played by Gong Myung), a transfer student with a difficult life, and that’s when things start to get even more interesting. Personally, I’m enchanted by films that explore the definition and difference between infatuation and love.
Another detail in the movie is that, despite Park Se-Ri’s struggles with her hair, she has a support network—friends she can count on for anything, even her wildest ideas. They’re always in! She’s not a lonely girl at school or at home.
Overall, Love Untangled includes familiar tropes that are executed well. The story is light, sweet, and fun in just the right measure, where small gestures become huge when done with love—and where love doesn’t always arrive like a storm turning everything upside down. Sometimes, it’s as gentle as a sea breeze.

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Satisfies the cravings!

I went into this movie wanting an easy, funny, nostalgic high school romance with low angst and this movie delivered it perfectly. Was I expecting something along the lines of parasite or some renowned movie? Nope! The trailer promised an easy breezy nostalgia with some funny moments and this movie delivered it all.

I liked the characters... i liked their friendship. I always dig whenever a movie is set in the past... 15 years or back. Before the internet boom. It always gives a melancholic feeling of the bygone era. This movie is about a high school teenager navigating her heart through a crush on a fellow high school mate and ends up following in love with someone else totally.

I was surprised by how mature she was to know what her heart wants so quickly rather than dating her crush and then realizing she was always in love with someone else.

If you are looking for a deep, twisted and dramatic ending... this is not for you! This is just a simple teenage romcom with funny moments here and there of two teenagers falling in love and being there for each other.

I really thought this would have a sad ending with how quickly these two ended up together, but the drama really did not go that route and gave us a lovey dovey ending... which I was so happy with.

The movie has its faults, sure... the secondary characters are just there as a prop... we don't get any other story about them, than they being friends of the leads or family... So ya... that is negative aspect, but this movie is all about the main characters!

All in all, I wanted a simple rom-com with a predictable ending and that's exactly what I got! So yaa I got no complaints....

Rating: 9/10

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It's 2007 giving 1997 vibes.

If this script was created in 2025 I'd guess it was ChatGPT generated - it's the most copy paste typical Japanese ghost horror you can imagine, with typical AI generated mistakes.

Ghost in the background, ghost in the photo, ghost in the corner of the screen. Killing black hair, creepy kid,unresolved grudge and medicare investigation from the female lead. That's the whole movie. You had your mandatory plot twists at the end, one that was obvious from the start. You have that "open ending" vibe that is supposed to make the movie more "eerie" since no closure always gives the feeling of discomfort, but somehow it just made me roll my eyes.

The acting was fine? With a plot like that I don't think the actors even had a space to flex their skills.

Overall, just rewatch Ring or Ju-on.

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It was okay, that's it!

I just curious on this film. I am not really fan of films but lately I tried watching them because I got the chance to finish the story in just one episode. I tend to lose interest for some Kdramas that's not appealing anymore at some point of the series so I somehow watch films already.

This series was okay. it was cute. The story was there. It was slow pacing and just fine. There was nothing special that I really dropped it 30mins before it ends. I stop because I am sleepy.

And browing on Tiktok there was an edit that made it looks like the same feels of the 20th Century Girl so I decided to continue it to watch it. It was different actually, very different. I just felt sad on the hospital scene but ending was a closure for everyone.

It was okay, and I agree with the first review I read that there's nothing special. That's it!

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Major Disappointment

The overall plot pretty much follows a very standard predictable sports movie formula. That in itself isn't necessarily bad if you can identify with the characters enough to root them on. This film falls flat because there is pretty much no character development that might make you care what happens to our poor overmatched volleyball team. I was also outright dissapointed in Song Kang Ho. He may have been an award winning lead actor in several of the most notable films in Korean movie history, but here he seems to simply be going through the motions. Even much of the humor falls flat.

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Love is a beautiful Thing

A romantic comedy at its best – thank you, Korea, for reminding us how love stories should be told. I mean, this movie is nothing revolutionary or new; it repeats a story already told a hundred times, but it is done in an honest and pure way that makes you remember what love is really about. It is more about friendship than about butterflies in your stomach.

The main protagonist, Park Se-ri, is adorable in her silly attempts to find the love of her life. All the characters are cute and believable. I don’t know how modern students will react to it, but for me, as a 40-year-old guy, this movie was very nostalgic for my high school days. From my experience, the events in the movie are quite realistic.

The production of the movie was also great. I appreciate how much effort people put into making it. This is so much better than your average Netflix movie, but thanks to Netflix many will be able to enjoy it and be inspired to write their own love story.

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Hot NCs but a Messy Plot

I came to this movie after watching An Jeong Gyun in Love Class 2, and he was absolutely hot here. His chemistry in the NC scenes was off the charts, and the two sisters also delivered some of the best intimate scenes I have seen in a Korean movie. Those moments alone are unforgettable and definitely the highlight of the film.

That being said, the overall plot is quite weak. The timeline feels messy and confusing at times, and the story struggles to keep its focus. The summary from MDL sounds more exciting than what actually plays out on screen.

Hint. Skip straight to the NC scenes, you do not really need the plot to enjoy this one.

Still, the intensity of the NC scenes, combined with the strong screen presence of An Jeong Gyun, makes it worth checking out if you are curious. For that reason, I give it 8 out of 10.

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A devastating and beautiful anti-war film about friendship

Ever since I watched Squid Game and Beyond Evil, I've become a big fan of Lee Byung-Hun and Shin Hakyun respectively and I've been digging up their filmographies. Imagine my surprise when I saw that not only they played in the same movie but Song Kang-Ho, another actor whom I came to respect after Parasite, was one of the main leads too. And guess what, the film was directed by none other than Park Chan-Wook!

Just to clarify some things: apart from my general knowledge of the conflict between North and South Korea, I am not very educated on this subject. If any parts of my review are worded controversially or do not reflect reality, please inform me.

I went into this movie pretty blindy. The only thing I knew from the blurb was that it was about an on-going investigation about the death of two North Korean soldiers by a South Korean. I initially expected to watch a political crime thriller which would play with my mind, making me guess whether Lee Soo-Hyeok had done the murder or not. But I got much more than that. For this movie was not a simple a political crime thriller. It was about a forbidden friendship and how war ruined it.

What initially started as a mystery thriller, quickly changed into a completely different route. The moment the story focused on the flashbacks, my attention shifted immediately. I applaud this choice for the direction of the film. Jumping from the present to the past and then going back to the present not only made me connect with the characters even more but added more salt to the wound once the final conflict took place.

Four soldiers, two nations. Kyeong-Pil and Woo-Jin from North Korea, Soo-Hyeok and Sung-Shik from South Korea. Four men divided by war. Four men divided by borders, politics or something more simple, like a line. And yet, among these soldiers, a friendship managed to bloom. Despite their differences, they helped each other, laughed with each other, joked with each other - and even saved each other. The middle section of the movie was devoted to them and their bond and I am being very serious when I say that they could have added three more hours about their interactions and meet-ups and I still would want more.

When the story went back in time and I saw how Kyeong-Pil and Woo-Jin had saved the life of Soo-Hyeok, I felt numb because I realised that what I was going to witness would be the downfall of a doomed friendship. It was so bittersweet for me to watch the friendship among these four men unfold before my eyes. Distrust and pity made way for respect, respect made way for trust and trust made way for fondness. It was so bizarre to watch these adults who had been training to kill and serve their country act like younglings and make immature jokes with people whom they considered as enemies until very recently. I laughed and on the inside I cried. At one point, I was delusional enough to hope that the outcome would be different. But alas, that was never the case.

This was the first Park Chan-Wook movie I watched and it was a grand introduction to his filmography. The cinematography and direction of the movie elevated the atmosphere and highlighted the bond between the four men. One of the most painful things in the movie was the amount of parallels and foreshadowings. Soo-Hyeok's quote about bravery that he learned from Kyeong-Pil. Woojin's drawings. Kyeong-Pil's last whistle. Park Chan-Wook pulled at my heartstrings and I was unable to do anything else besides watching the beauty and tragedy unfold before my eyes.

If I had to think of any "faults", I would say that the scenes with the investigation team were my least favourites. They didn't add much and they toned down the emotional atmosphere. There was an important historical piece of information that added more context and depth into the conflict between South and North Korea but it was delivered with poor English and the actor did not put the required amount of emotions in his performance to highlight how significant this information was. Thankfully, the movie didn't have many scenes with the investigation team so my overall experience was not affected.

The last shot is by far one of the most heartbreaking moments I've ever witnessed in a movie. Throughout the last half hour, I had been crying my eyes out but the last shot was my final straw for I became a mess. The ending was powerful, emotional and with it arose a big " what if".

Joint Security Area is a desperate plea for unity between North and South Korea. An emotional anti-war film that everyone should watch. A painful reminder that whole borders and politics can seperate us, people can still find form close bonds with each other, defying those differences. Beauty mingled with tragedy and the result was this palpable political thriller that will continue to haunt me for a very long time. I kid you not when I say that I am a different person after watching this movie. I can't stop thinking about it and every time I bring back in my mind the friendship between the characters, tears gather in my eyes.

"What's important in battle isn't speed. It's carrying yourself with composure and bravery. That's everything"

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I liked the story. And i liked the cast that was taken both were really good and their acting looked really real and sweet the chemistry between was also really sweet.

The film balances emotional depth with lighthearted moments, keeping the audience hooked throughout. The cinematography adds a soft and romantic touch, making every scene visually pleasing. While some parts felt predictable, the sincerity of the performances and the way the story unfolds make it a memorable watch. Overall, it’s a movie that leaves you with a warm feeling and a reminder of how love can find its way even through unexpected paths.”

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Light hearted

I just know for a fact that the second you saw the trailer to Love Untangled, you had 20th Century Girl war flashbacks. I understand your sentiment because that happened to me, but I’m happy to inform you that you will not be weeping at the end of this film, instead you might find yourself giggling your way through the whole thing.

If you’ve previously seen high school Korean dramas or films, it’s likely you already know exactly how things turn out in Love Untangled. It could basically be the most predictable film of 2025, but that’s okay, because not everything needs to be a shocker or give you a love triangle so intense that you don’t know who to choose. This film clearly has a main lead, and you can’t even call the other guy a second lead, so don’t go in with high hopes of something intense here.

But, if you want something truly adorable and you like y2k youth-romcom type of film, then I recommend this to you.

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