Next Sohee

This movie is about the exploitation of minors (high school students) and how the whole liberal system crushes individuals and how a toxic workplace can ruin many lives. This movie Is about the dark side of the Korean labour market, and touches on many important subjects.

Bae Doona's performance Is absolutely breathtaking, as always. She's one of the best actresses of this generation.

Being close to burn-out myself, I couldn't hold back my tears during this move. It brought back many memories and made me rethink my life. Not many movies can have that effect ... It's a masterpiece. You should watch it m.

Writer/Director July Jung was in attendance to present her film after over 20 hours flights to Montreal, Canada. She was humble and pleasantly surprised to receive the Best Director Cheval Noir Award in front of a packed Audience for the FantAsia Film Festival closing film.

NEXT SOHEE (Da-eum-so-hee) stars international star Doona Bae in probably her best performance as a determined detective and relative newcomer on the big screen Si-Eun Kim as a distraught dance-dreaming, hard-hitting high school student stuck in an inhumane system. Si-Eun Kim also shines in her difficult portrayal and we can imagine Jung's direction was crucial for both.

July Jung uses a true story to illustrate flaws in the system, in people, culture and mentality that are specific to South Korea, yet resonate with international audiences. She states that the purpose of the film is not necessarily to create reform, yet to start awareness and an awaking process of what I would call warped societal and personal values.

Is high performance more praiseworthy than peace or purpose? Where is the qualitative in the mostly quantitative economy and politics? Where do we have agency instead of acceptance, avoidance, anger and despair?

The movie is envisioned in two distinct parts with the second one being much better in my view, yet exploring aspects of the first one in new light. All 134 minutes are necessary in the end to tell the story of a person, of a generation, of a system and society in all its universality.

The final shot is primed with primal emotion, as well as intellectual realisation. Analysis concludes a very well constructed and executed narrative. This is a high achievement from South Korea cinema once again.

I feel privileged to have witnessed this hard yet crucial artistic creation in fine company.

FANTASIA FILM FESTIVAL 2022 SOUTH KOREA KOREAN W/ ENG SUB 134 MIN DIR.: JULY JUNG.

July Jung's "Next Sohee" (2022) delivers a profoundly impactful and emotionally resonant social drama, immersing viewers in the tragic realities of corporate exploitation and systemic indifference. The film excels in its unflinching portrayal of a young woman's struggle, building a narrative that is both meticulously detailed and deeply heartbreaking. Kim Si-eun's performance as Sohee is raw and captivating, while Bae Doona anchors the second half with a powerful, empathetic portrayal of a detective seeking justice. Its strength lies in its courageous exploration of a critical societal issue, feeling authentic and contributing significantly to a vital conversation. Instead of a mere procedural, it offers a searing, unforgettable cinematic experience that demands attention and empathy.

Is it worth watching? Absolutely. "Next Sohee" is a must-watch for those who appreciate powerful, thought-provoking cinema that tackles important social issues with honesty and emotional depth. It's a truly memorable and essential film.

Korean director once again used concise and powerful shots to criticize a certain kind of difficult-to-solve structural defect in society.

The first half of the film is a bit tedious, but the story progresses gradually and vividly reflects common workplace culture. The second half of the film turns sharply, and the film begins to question relevant departments sharply. The shots in this section are powerful and inspiring. Interestingly, when you look back at it, all kinds of trivial descriptions in the first half are indispensable and extremely vivid. The whole movie is seamless and neat. There are no superfluous scenes, and each character is designed appropriately and full of details.

Someone can use this as a topic to expose the universality of corporate trampling on labor laws, which is a brave and admirable behavior in East Asia where governments often fail to protect workers' rights. I am very pleased with this.

Jung's attempt to expose South Korea's externship program for the self-serving and labor-exploiting enterprise that it is, is a noble one; and while I'm sure she invested a great amount of emotion and effort into the research and making of this film, for the greater part of its two-hour-plus runtime, Next Sohee fails to create a compelling appeal.

The first half is bogged down by its setting, which depicts the sole-sucking listlessness of a call center with incredible authenticity. A mid point climax then severs the film in halves, forcing itself to retrace the arduous steps taken in the first hour, as a detective goes to all the places we've already been and asks all the questions we already know the answers to.