Movie Digest
A producer in the music industry who was formerly known to make hits Min Soo, one day discovers a new artist whose voice and style rope him in. Upon realizing the potential of this artist, he began to manage Ji hoon. What Min Soo however did not expect was that Ji Hoon has an extreme stage fear and refuses to perform in front of people at any cost. As a previously famed hit producer Min Soo saw potential in JI Hoon and wanted to make him the singer he so deserves to be with his talents. The Producer-singer duo then enters a contract that binds Ji hoon to perform in 10 locations but he does so in a refrigerator box, not in person. This film portrays how Min Soo tries to get Ji hoon and his talents out in the open in the due course of a nationwide tour to kick off their career.
The Feel Good Part
The auditory elements in this movie were exceptional, and that is a given considering we have the member of EXO as the main lead in the movie. But that is not all, in this movie we also hear remixes of pop songs such as Bad guy by Billie Eilish. There were some familiar faces cast in the movie as well. One of the most refreshing parts of this movie is its cinematic and visual direction. Released during a time when the general population had to mask up and remain indoors to prevent contracting the globally destructive corona, this movie had scenes of street performances, and crowds enjoying music outdoors. The efforts that went into producing these scenes are evident in how they were executed. The crowd was directed beautifully in this film. As for our main lead Chanyeol from EXO, he has proven his mettle in the industry by being in the boyband as a rapper. He yet again amazed everyone with his voice as a singer. This movie can be enjoyed by international fans as well and not just consumers of K-pop. The movie scores high due to how simple its background is, and its musical scores are amazing. We get to witness some remixes of the American pop scene that are phenomenal. The film’s direction is very much on the scale of musical shows or Broadway material.
The Disappointing Factor
The premise of the movie and its intention are very clear from the start. We see Hoon and Min Soo tour around the provincial areas of South Korea to get Hoon used to performing. It’s extremely montage-like scenes that jump from one performance to another. The overall plot of this film is extremely simple and hence it would become predictable in the second half of the movie. Chanyeol however did well with the limited experience he has had in the film industry. He yet again proved to the masses his mettle after showcasing his vocals in the music of this movie. The plot of the movie is simple and has no diversion from the beginning to the end. This movie would be enjoyable for those who enjoy the rise to fame tropes, most filmography based on those tropes is very predictable as is the case with this one.
In-Depth Analysis
The movie plot seems derivative of the setting we see in reality tv shows such as the masked singer or the voice, this was refreshing to see the concept adapted to a movie. The character backgrounds are established early on in the movie. Chanyeol as Ji Hoon was good in the movie but as an idol foraying into the film industry, he still has a lot to prove. This movie was an easy transition for someone like Chanyeol who comes from an acclaimed boyband EXO. The movie did not demand any extraordinary acting skills and was well in the line with what Chanyeol had been doing so far as an idol. We will have to wait it out and see how he performs in a much more diverse role before putting out a verdict on his acting mettle. The musical scores of this film were however very catchy and I would recommend everyone to give it a listen outside of the movie viewing as well.
Star Power
We have Chanyeol as Ji Hoon in this movie and Cho dal Hwan who plays the role of Min Soo.
Overall Opinion
This movie was well anticipated by EXOLs and others who were looking forward to seeing Chanyeol on the big screen. The director is quite new as well as this is the first movie he has directed and for that, he should be appreciated. For a first-time filmmaker, this movie has done well. I would suggest you watch this movie for some light-hearted viewing during the day or after a draining week. It does not require you to expend too much energy as the plot is very simple and easy to follow. Plus, we see Chanyeol acting and singing.
