▲ A still from "Before We Knew" is featured in this image provided by JNC Media Group. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
▲ A poster for "Before We Knew" is seen in this image provided by JNC Media Group. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
▲ A still from "Before We Knew," provided by JNC Media Group, shows Yeo-ul (Kim Sae-ron) (R) and her longtime friend Ho-su (Lee Chae-min) (L). (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(Movie Review) 'Before We Knew'

(Movie Review) 'Before We Knew': Kim Sae-ron's last film captures familiar love, if imperfectly

By Woo Jae-yeon

SEOUL, Feb. 25 (Yonhap) -- The coming-of-age film "Before We Knew" centers on two childhood friends who go through emotional shifts and awkward stumbles of first love.

Just before middle school graduation, Yeo-ul (Kim Sae-ron) is caught off guard when her longtime friend Ho-su (Lee Chae-min) confesses that he has liked her all along.

The unexpected admission leaves Yeo-ul in a spin, putting their cherished friendship on uncertain ground. To her, Ho-su is as close as family, and that is precisely what makes her so afraid of losing him.

The film quietly traces the ordinary teenage lives of the two and their mutual friends -- incomplete, anxious yet brimming with fresh and youthful excitement. Their shared world is built on small, familiar things: a mutual love of basketball, cooking ramyeon after school and confiding in each other about family troubles.

There are no dramatic twists or grand gestures. What draws audiences in is precisely that ordinariness, the kind of everyday moments that feel so familiar, because everyone has lived them or will.

Yet the film's rough edges leave something to be desired.

Its execution stumbles at times, with some scenes feeling abrupt and underdeveloped. For example, Ho-su's sudden physical advance toward Yeo-ul feels out of character. Equally jarring is the unexplained change of heart by Ho-jae (Ryoo Ui-hyun), Yeo-ul's crush since middle school, whose shifting behavior feels baffling, and whose appearance looks too mature for the teenage role.

Based on the popular webtoon of the same name, the film is Kim Min-jae's directorial debut. It also serves as the final film release of the late actress Kim Sae-ron.

Originally filmed in 2021, the film's release was put on hold following Kim's drunk driving in May 2022, and was further overshadowed by her sudden passing in February last year.

For fans of actor Lee, the film offers a rare glimpse into his early days as a young, aspiring actor. Since the filming wrapped, he has risen to stardom through his role as a tyrannical ruler in tvN's 2025 hit "Bon Appetit, Your Majesty" and has since expanded his range with his first villain role in Netflix's superhero drama "Cashero."

"Before We Knew" is set for release next Wednesday.

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[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]