Han Gong-ju (2013)

Han Gong-ju (2013)

A bitter story about school, friendship, and life

7.7

Movie

South Korea
Korean
Drama
2013
LEE SU-JIN, SU-JIN LEE
Baek Ji-won, Baik Ji-won, Beom-taek Kwon
112 min

What it's about

After being involved in a traumatic incident, 17-year-old Gong-ju is forced to change schools. Uncared for by her parents, her previous teacher arranges for her to hide away at his mother's place. It takes time for her past to catch up with her, but when it does the revelation is devastating.

The take

This South Korean coming-of-age story, an award-winning debut from Lee Su-jin, is centered around a high school student named Han Gong-ju. There's a dark aura surrounding our teenage protagonist, as she avoids making new friends and closes herself off from the world. More than anything, she is afraid that people will discover the secret behind her shy persona, and the past events that changed her life forever. This is an intricate and truly devastating tale, sensitively told, and is likely to leave even the most hardened viewers filled with rage at those who have wronged Han Gong-ju.

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