The big picture
- Relive the exciting whirlwind of first love
Girl of the 20th century
a Korean film full of relatable teenage emotions and nostalgic vibes. - Kim Yoo-Jung shines as Bo-ra, perfectly capturing the mix of endearing and embarrassing traits of a teenager navigating first loves and friendships.
- The film's 90s setting adds to the nostalgic atmosphere, with vibrant undertones, iconic pop culture references and romantic chemistry between the cast members.
There is nothing more bittersweet than the feeling of nostalgia. Go back to a time when life was less complicated and relive that rush of emotions again, especially when you think about your first love. Teen crushes in the media tend to target the teen demographic, however Girl of the 20th century – one of the best Korean movies on Netflix – harnesses the powerful feeling of nostalgia to deliver this timeless teenage love story, making the thrill of first crushes accessible to all generations. The film perfectly captures the joyous and over-dramatic moments of a first love, building on small relatable habits and ensuring tantalizing chemistry between the cast members. Although the film is set in the 90s, the creepy teenage protagonist and the world-ending teenage drama are nostalgic enough to lull anyone into a state of reminiscence. Nostalgia becomes the defining tool of the film that skillfully guides us through a rollercoaster of comical emotions, until the unexpected ending.
'20th century girl' captures the nostalgia of a first crush
Girl of the 20th century momentarily opens with an adult Na Bo-ra (Kim Yoo-jung) prepares for his trip back to Korea and quickly melts into the past, where Bo-ra was still in high school. It's 1999 and Bo-ra's best friend's heart is pounding, not because of the heart condition she's about to fix with out-of-town surgery, but because she met a boy. As Kim Yeon-du (Roh Yoon-seo) prepares to leave town, makes Bo-ra promise to investigate every detail about this mysterious boy named Baek Hyun-jin (Park Jung-woo) as he will attend the same school as her. As a loyal and protective best friend, Bo-ra agrees, and so the borderline creepy bullying that every high school girl is guilty of occurs, but is somehow justified with youth and true love
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It signals the first plot twist: as Bo-ra diligently studies the object of her friend's affection, ends up getting dragged into her own puppy love story with Hyun-jin's best friend, Poong Woon-hoo (Goodbye Woo-seok). Every plot of the movie is full of nostalgic theatrics that we can almost imagine, sneaking out what your crush is into, feigning interest in those hobbies, maybe joining the same clubs to get closer to them, or feel a catch in your throat whenever they occupy the same space as you. Even the abundance of twists and turns in the plot becomes relatable, as each discovery is met with an overly dramatic response and questionable decisions that we know all too well from our teenage years. It's very easy to get lost in the frivolity and nostalgia of the film's atmosphere, making us forget the mature note at the beginning and leaving us vulnerable at the end.
Kim Yoo-Jung dominates the teen related to '20th Century Girl'
There is no better person to guide us through this nostalgic story than a protagonist who encapsulates the endearing and embarrassing traits of a teenager. Bo-ra's excitement at falling in love is palpable, from her initial reluctance to like someone who was a little nasty and a little rude, to happily spiraling into amorous bliss as she watches the window of his parents' store in Woon-ho. On the other hand, when devastatingly discovers that Yeon-do likes Woon-ho, not Hyun-jin, she makes the well-intentioned but totally enraged decision to lie to her best friend about her feelings. Even though he eventually learns that Yeon-do is perfectly capable of making his own decisions, his protectiveness makes his misguided actions feel poignant anyway. The idea of making ridiculous plans about trivial things lends itself to how teenagers generally try to find independence and navigate ethics by making these baffling decisions, making it uncomfortable yet ridiculously relatable.
The fast pace of Girl of the 20th century it also enhances Bo-ra's relationship as a teenager, especially since Yoo-jung's performance moves quickly from one emotion to another, as each rapid plot twist occurs every ten minutes. It mimics the way we're likely to remember our teenage past, in quick snapshots that encompass all the major events and breakthrough emotions, rather than in a cohesive flow. Yoo-jung handles each changing moment effortlessly, wild expressions etched on her face to dramatize the teenage experience, as exaggerated as we're likely to remember it.
'20th Century Girl' keeps the '90s within reach
With the film set in 1999, there's no avoiding the 90s paraphernalia and iconic Korean pop culture references scattered throughout the set. VCRs, pagers and outdoor phone booths grace the screen, embellished with references to the Y2K crisis this was a hot topic at the turn of the century. Naturally, this misstep contributes deeply to the film's nostalgic atmosphere, with some of us growing up in this exact environment. This also comes down to the rich, vibrant hues of each scene, where saturation and contrast are heightened to create the technicolor nostalgia of a whirlwind first love. It's also this clarity that makes us forget we're simply witnessing Bo-ra's memory, emphasizing how she's essentially reliving every cascade of emotion and drama.
Despite the open atmosphere of the 90s, 20th century girl it does not feel limited to those who have grown up in this era, and it still feels open to all generations. While much of this is attributed to the timeless romance of first love, the cinematography also plays into it. The camera becomes an extension of Bo-ra as it is her memory that we are reliving. Consequently, the camera is as enamored with Woon-ho as Bo-ra, often panning into his indiscernible expressions as gently and delicately as Bo-ra does. Another memorable moment is the wide shot of Bo-ra and Woon-ho's silhouettes against vivid blue sky during cherry blossom festival. This marks the point where Bo-ra realizes her feelings for Woon-ho as he teaches her how to film, with the wide shot making the emotional moment feel suspended in time, almost capturing it as a snapshot of a memory. It's the emotions wrapped in these visuals that make the film timeless and accessible, allowing anyone to enjoy the nostalgia of feeling those butterflies for the first time.
The romantic chemistry between the cast is nostalgic
Nostalgia is also brought about by the chemistry between the cast members, especially within Bo-ra's relationships. Bo-ra and Yeon-do perfectly encapsulate their childhood bonds as they grow up, from the playful, obsessive chatter about crushes to the more mature discussions about the boundaries we inevitably face. We then also have the pleasure of watching Bo-ra's frustrating arguments with Hyun-jin as she steadfastly fends off his advances and eventually cultivates a tentative friendship with him. And we can't forget ours two romantic leads, as their little banter gradually transforms into affectionate gestures and romantic intensity under a plum tree Their relationship radiates a tenderness and gentle innocence that fits perfectly into Netflix's growing catalog of wholesome romances, allowing us to enjoy their cozy chemistry.
As such, Girl of the 20th century uses nostalgia to harness our emotions, taking full control of them to lead us to a conclusion that has been a source of debate among critics. It has been criticized for its “incompleteness”, as details of many characters' futures are left out. But it has also been praised for its ambiguity, with critics saying it reflects the final stages of a coming-of-age story, where life takes everyone down separate paths. Either way, The movie certainly does a wonderful job of making us woefully unprepared for the finale's curveball.emphasizing the power that nostalgia and memories can have over the audience and letting us remember our own first love.
Girl of the 20th century is currently available to stream on Netflix in the United States
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