Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Korean film ‘Love Untangled’ is all about teen crushes, beaches, friendships, and its protagonist’s quest to get her curls straightened before she can ask her crush out. And that’s because she thinks girls with straight hair are prettier. Of-course the film goes on to give a subtle lesson on ‘you shouldn’t have to change yourself for love’ in the second-half, but until then, it’s all about finding ways to fix the curls.
Directed by Namkoong Sun, ‘Love Untangled’ is set in Busan in the late 1990s and stars Shin Eun Soo (‘Twinkling Watermelon’, ‘Summer Strike’) plays primary protagonist Park Se Ri, a high-school student with a massive crush on Kim Hyun (Cha Woo Min), a popular guy on campus. Her loyal squad of friends team up to help her confess to Kim Hyun, however, new transfer student Han Yun-seok (Gong Myoung) makes her have second thoughts.
Shin Eun Soo’s is the sunshine of this seaside tale, portraying the energetic, optimistic, cheery Park Se Ri with infallible magnetism. Interestingly, she meets both her love interests while swimming in the sea. Although, unlike what the title suggests, ‘Love Untangled’ isn’t big on the love triangle. Cha Woo Min’s (‘Study Group’, ‘Weak Hero Class 1’) screen-time as the school heartthrob is criminally minimal. So those expecting a full-blown romantic rivalry, confusion, might feel a little disappointed.
Instead, ‘Love Untangled’ focuses more on Se Ri’s silly shenanigans with her school squad, and her blossoming friendship with Yun-seok. As soon as Se Ri finds out Yun-seok’s mother runs a hair salon, which an incredible hair-straightening treatment, she starts helping out Yun-seok, whose leg is in a cast, hoping to get a discount. But the best thing? Se Ri assists Yun-seok wholeheartedly, inducting him in her little friend group.
Se Ri’s relationship with her father, Park Hong (Ryu Seung Soo), may not get much screen time, but it’s sweet and memorable. Hong, a photographer, keeps a storage room that doubles as a studio and comic-book library. When Se Ri brings Yun-seok there during a rainy evening to escape the weather, the space transforms into their shared hideout for studying, reading, and just being together. From an aloof, asocial, broody new kid on the block, Yun-seok quickly integrates into the life of a regular teen, participating in campus activities and having fun, all thanks to Se Ri’s infectious positivity.
The likability of ‘Love Untangled’ rests heavily on how much you warm up to Se Ri’s character, and fortunately, I was instantly charmed. Curly hair or not, she is lovable, and the story is heavily focused on her POV. Scenic beach swims, chaotic class chatter, colorful school trips, and hilarious sporting face-offs, the film is drenched in Se Ri’s high school experiences.
Then comes the final act, a familiar, tragic turn that briefly raises the specter of domestic violence. It feels mismatched against the otherwise sunny mood of teen crushes and carefree laughter, though it is foreshadowed well. Still, the shift injects the kind of emotional punch that keeps ‘Love Untangled’ from drifting along as nothing more than pleasant, low-stakes fluff. But you know, low-stakes fluff also has its advantages.
Anyway, ‘Love Untangled’ ends with a small time jump, giving protagonist Se Ri a well-deserved happy ending, and given the overall tone of the story, it shouldn’t have ended any other way. Some more romantic moments would’ve sweetened this tale. If you’re looking for a breezy high-school Korean , this is a great pick for the weekend.
Rating: 8 on 10. Watch ‘Love Untangled’ on Netflix.
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