Love In The Big City

Jae-hee (Kim Go-eun) was never like the others and, in a collective, uniform culture like South Korea’s, embracing her individuality has triggered endless gossip. One day, she meets Heung-soo (Steve Sanghyun Noh), another misfit lost in the big city. But unlike Jae-hee, Heung-soo hopes to hide his true identity. When Jae-hee finds out his secret by chance, the two form an unlikely relationship. Misunderstood by many, the young adults navigate growing pains in search of love and self in Seoul.

Based on the novel of the same name by Park Sang-young — longlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2022 — the cinematic version by filmmaker E.oni is easily approachable and speaks to a wide audience, exploring more than just the hardships Heung-soo faces as a young, gay man. Watching Jae-hee and Heung-soo is like looking at snippets of our own lives, reflecting the turbulence and chaos of youth regardless of their backgrounds.

E.oni is a rare female commercial filmmaker from the region. Her highly received debut feature …ing (03) was seen as a high-water mark during the heyday of Korean romance cinema. Since then, she has explored various genres including suspense, crime, and comedy. Love in the Big City takes her back to her romance roots. Kim Go-eun — who recently won the best actress Baeksang Award for the box-office hit Exhuma — shines in the role of Jae-hee.

GIOVANNA FULVI

Content advisory: sexually suggestive scenes