The Time of Fever

Yang Kyeong-hui's 2024 Korean film follows Hotae, back in his home town. He meets his old friend Donghee, who has changed completely since his sister's death and speaks to no one. The film explains that silence late. As Hotae tries to come closer he also faces his own past; the narrative does not name the bond between them and keeps the pressure of the school in the background. The narrative is slow and the setting a small town. The cast is young. The tone is melancholy, the music sparing, and the narrative produces no large event. Who it's for: those who like Korean youth drama and quiet queer narratives. Who it's not for: viewers for whom suicide and grief would sit heavily.