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| ▲ A poster for "Pretty Crazy" is seen in this image provided by CJ ENM. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
By Woo Jae-yeon
SEOUL, Aug. 13 (Yonhap) -- After quitting his job, Gil-gu (Ahn Bo-hyun) spends his days aimlessly, often trying his luck at crane machines and loitering at a convenience store late at night.
His mundane routine is disrupted when Seon-ji (Im Yoon-ah) moves into the apartment below his, and he is immediately smitten by her.
However, he soon discovers there is more to Seon-ji than meets the eye. While she is a polite and well-mannered baker during the day, she transforms into a completely different person in the wee hours, complete with heavy makeup, vivid-colored nails and strange, wild behavior.
One night, Gil-gu encounters Seon-ji's father, Jang-su (Sung Dong-il), who seems to shadow her during these nightly episodes. Having earned Jang-su's trust, Gil-gu is asked to watch over Seon-ji for a few hours daily.
Gil-gu readily accepts the offer, embarking on an unexpected wild ride, through which he begins to unravel the truth about the "demon" that seems to possess her each night.
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| ▲ A still from "Pretty Crazy" features Gil-gu (L) and Seon-ji in this photo provided by CJ ENM. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
"Pretty Crazy" is the second feature film from director Lee Sang-geun, whose 2019 debut "Exit" was a box office hit that drew over 9.4 million moviegoers. His new project ambitiously aims to blend a variety of genres, including romance, drama, comedy, mystery and even occult.
But for audiences with high expectations for the director's follow-up, this genre-mixing approach could be a risky endeavor. If not balanced carefully, this approach risks struggling to satisfy fans of any single genre.
Unfortunately that seems to be the case with Lee's latest project.
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| ▲ A still from "Pretty Crazy" is seen in this photo provided by CJ ENM. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Above all, for audiences seeking romance, the film's central relationship is a letdown. The lengths Gil-gu goes to protect Seon-ji are only compelling if his emotional attraction to her is firmly established. But the film fails to build this crucial foundation, leaving his motivation unconvincing.
While Im Yoon-ah delivers a commendable performance navigating Seon-ji's dual aspects, her efforts are hampered by the disappointingly shallow depiction of her character's transformation.
The script reduces her transformation to superficial shifts in makeup, clothing and attitude, robbing the character of complexity and leaving her feeling two-dimensional. It would have given more depth to the transformation if her possessed behavior was based on the demon's actual personality from its past life.
Despite the narrative shortcomings, the film worked as a launchpad for Ahn Bo-hyun in his leading man debut. The star of "Itaewon Class" (2020) and "My Name" (2021), Ahn's charm and screen presence shine, marking him as a promising romantic lead. It is a considerable achievement given his character is as thinly written as his counterpart.
"Pretty Crazy" opened in local cinemas Wednesday.
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