Ellie Loethen

Yonsei GSIS Newsletter, Editor

Since the weather has been getting warmer, I haven’t had much of an urge to sit inside and watch movies or dramas.  Well, I say that, but every evening you can find me curled up with my cat trying to find something good on Netflix.  This month, there were quite a few films that caught my attention.  It was rather difficult to narrow them down, but here are two that are definitely worth the watch!

The first one isn’t exactly a new film, but “21st Century Girl” starring Byeon Wooseok and Kim Yoojung is one that I keep going back to.  It follows a young middle school girl who struggles with choosing between her best friend and her first love.  She’s intensely loyal and has every intention of choosing the happiness of her best friend, though her entire circle can see right through her.  Byeon Wooseok stars as her first love and I definitely have a few thoughts, the main one being: how did they think they were going to get away with a grown man with the insane height of 190cm (or roughly 6’3”) playing a middle schooler?  Though, what matters isn’t his height, it’s his range and his dedication to the character. 

I will say that if you’re looking for a movie with a happy ending, this is not the film for you.  Even though I expected it, it still left me in tears and I am not one to be moved to tears by a film.  The incredible acting of Kim Yoojung and Byeon Wooseok leaves you wanting more.  Their chemistry and adorable characters are a breath of fresh air among the thrillers or true crime stories I’m usually attracted to.  If you want a cute little romcom that will eventually leave you in a puddle of tears, “21st Century Girl” is the film for you.

If you’re looking for something a little more fast paced, the 2024 film “Troll Factory” might be a little more your pace.  This film is full of twists and turns, leaving viewers unsure of what or who to believe.  It follows a journalist played by Son Seoksu who has been forced on a leave after he tried to expose a large corporation for corruption.  During his leave, he’s approached by a young man who claims to have manipulated social media in his favor to affect the opinions of others through his incredible storytelling skills.  Along with his friends, they create dozens of burner accounts on Instagram to influence the life of a young college student in their favor.  The young man explains that they were hired through the large, corrupt company to do tasks like this in order to manipulate public favor.  This leads the journalist to believe that there is a secret and special department within the company that controls public opinion through a team that operates just like the writer and his friends.  The journalist pushes this story, thinking he has all of his sources in order, only for him to be accused of plagiarism.  

The twists and turns in this film had me on the edge of my seat, wondering who to trust, who to believe, and what the truth really is. 

If you’re as big of a movie buff as I am, I’m sure you know how hard it can be to choose just one or two films to talk about!  That being said, I may be recommending films for you but if you have any recommendations for me, I am all ears!  See you next month for a few more of my favorites!