The Box

Yang Jung-woong's 2021 Korean film follows Ji-hoon, a young man who wants to sing. He cannot perform in front of people; Min-soo, a former producer, notices him and the two set off together. The film builds a road story. Songs sung in the street, at bus stops and in small venues sit inside the narrative; Min-soo contends with his own exhaustion while Ji-hoon tries to get past his fear of performing. Chanyeol leads and sings himself. The narrative does not enter criticism of the industry and follows a simple structure; the musical passages carry the film's weight. Who it's for: those who like Korean music films. Who it's not for: viewers expecting dense plotting; the film follows a familiar pattern.