House of Hummingbird (2018)

House of Hummingbird (2018)

A sensitive, autobiographical triumph on growth and girlhood

The Very Best

8.0

Movie

South Korea
Korean
Drama
2018
FEMALE DIRECTOR, KIM BORA
In-gi Jeong, Jeong In-gi, Jung In-gi
135 min

What it's about

House of Hummingbird is set in Seoul, South Korea, and revolves around an eighth grade girl named Eun-hee. The film shows different sides to Eun-hee's life, from the person she becomes as soon as she steps through her front door, to being the quiet, unintelligent kid her classmates gossip about at school.

The take

It’s 1994, and Seoul is facing massive, rapid changes. The unrest is reflected by a lot of its residents, including Eun-hee, a disaffected teen with a less-than-stellar home and school life. She manages to get by with the help of friends and lovers, that is until they change too, and Eun-hee is forced to grapple with the volatility of it all. 

Sensitively told and genuinely captivating, House of Hummingbird is a stellar debut by writer-director Kim Bo-ra. Her command shines in how young actress Park Ji-hoo dynamically portrays Eun-hee, in how the story meanders but never loses footing, and in how each frame displays a quiet gorgeousness as the primary colors of her youth pop against the faded backdrop of urbanized Seoul. The delicate balance of all these elements is sure to evoke a sincere, profound feeling in every viewer. 

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