Start-Up

Start-Up (originally titled Sidong), directed by Choi Jung-yol, is a South Korean film adapted from Jo Geum-san's webtoon of the same name. Taek-il, a rebellious teenager fed up with school and home, constantly clashes with his mother before running away and stumbling into a Chinese restaurant, where he meets a chef with an unusual presence, played by Ma Dong-seok, and finds an unexpected friendship and sense of family. This film should not be confused with the unrelated 2020 Netflix series also titled Start-Up, which tells a completely different story; the two share nothing but the English title. The film broke even fourteen days after release and passed three million admissions by its nineteenth day, making it the second most watched Korean film released by the end of 2019. Who it's for: anyone curious about a South Korean film in which a runaway teenager finds unexpected friendship and family warmth at a Chinese restaurant, starring Ma Dong-seok. Who it's not for: those looking for the Netflix series of the same English title, since this is a completely separate film with no connection to it.