Movie Digest
‘K-School’ is set in an elite fashion school where students study hard to accomplish their dreams while also finding love and friendship along the way. A modern-day Cinderella tale where Soo-Ah (Nam Da Won) tries to find her place in this elite school. Playing the antagonist’s role is the girl group April’s Yena, whose character, Amy is the daughter of the school’s chairman. Her celebrity-like figure on campus, dubbed ‘Korea’s Paris Hilton,’ thanks to her stylish design expertise and remarkable attractiveness. She constantly keeps Soo-Ah on her toes and is her female counterpart in this movie.
A fun fact is that ‘K-School’ has been advertised as “the world’s first 8K Ultra High Definition musical film”!
The Feel-Good Part
At the core of it, this movie is a teen drama which makes it easy to watch. All the elements of a typical teen movie with the rivalry and the drama to the cheezy romance are present in K-School. And what’s better, it is all in the form of a Musical! The actors are new on the scene but you can see that they put in the effort. The fashion is obviously top-tier in the movie. Of course, there are also all the traditional, cliche roles of the bullies, the cool kids, and of course the outcasts. The thing about this movie is that it dramatically exaggerates preconceptions while allowing the simple messages of diversity and inclusion to speak for themselves. Now, whether you count it as a positive or a negative – I leave it up to you.
The Disappointing Factor
Here comes the ironic part. All the elements that make this movie light-hearted and fun to watch are also the same reasons why this movie falls short in so many aspects. A modern Cinderella twist on a High Musical but just make it an all–Asian school. That is exactly what “K-School” is. The actors, although they try their best, are unable to bring out the full potential of their characters. As a result, the scenes become a little robotic and forced. Moreover, the film looks a little low budget because the production quality can really use a little extra help. The story is like every other run-of-the-mill teen movie without any defining factor except the “8K Ultra High Definition Musical” part.
In-Depth Analysis
K-School as a project is an endearing idea, but overall there is nothing much to write home about. Of course, K-School must ultimately be judged (as a musical) on the quality of its musical pieces, the one category in which it excels spectacularly. Soo-Ah’s final triumph in accomplishing a successful high school life is the ultimate plot goal of the entire movie. Yet, there is no character growth/development for the others, so it falls a little flat in terms of all-around plot progression. If it was the early 2000s, this movie would have been a huge success but considering the year it is being released you would expect something different to come out of the bag. As much as the film tries to bring in edgy and somewhat-different characters, they all still fall under the same stereotypical categories.
Star Power
The cast for this movie is filled with idols, as it should, given the glamorous premise of the film. First up is the lead of this movie, Nam Da Won, often known as Dawon, is a member of the South Korean girl group ‘Cosmic Girls’ (WJSN). She takes on the role of Soo-Ah. Next up is her antagonist counterpart Amy, played by Yang Ye Na, a former member of the dissolved girl group ‘APRIL’. Both these ladies do a decent job for their first Musical. Finally, come the two leading men Baek Gyeol, playing Ray, and Ui Yeon, playing Teddy. Both of them are from the South Korean boy group ‘GREATGUYS’.
Overall Opinion
Despite all the many shortcomings of ‘K-School’, I would still say that it is a good watch if you have nothing else to see. It passes in a flash and it makes for great conversation with friends! After all, sometimes you want to watch something where you don’t have to give it your all to understand the plot and this is that movie.
