Koo Kyo-hwan and Moon Ga-young’s ‘Once We Were Us’: The Korean ‘La La Land’? A Modest Yet Brilliant Connection of Youth

[Financial News] “This is a film about the deep love and messy breakups that everyone experiences at least once.”
Director Kim Do-young, who quietly yet powerfully depicted the realities faced by Korean women in her feature debut ‘Kim Ji-young, Born 1982’ (2019), returns with a new story about the dreams and love of ‘dirt spoon’ youth. The romantic film ‘Once We Were Us,’ featuring the unique pairing of Koo Kyo-hwan and Moon Ga-young, is set to premiere on the 31st.
At a press conference held on the 18th at CGV Yongsan I PARK MALL in Seoul, Director Kim described the film as “a story about people chasing their dreams, and also about weary lovers.” She further explained, “It’s a record of connections made in our youth.”
‘Once We Were Us’ follows a couple who, after breaking up, unexpectedly reunite ten years later. The story shifts between past and present, recalling a time that was humble yet dazzling. Visually, the present is depicted in black and white, while the past is shown in color.
Eun-ho (Koo Kyo-hwan), an engineering student whose dream is to make ten billion won through game development, meets Jung-won (Moon Ga-young), a college student raised in an orphanage, by chance on a bus to their hometown. The two quickly become friends, providing each other with warmth and comfort amid the hardships of life in Seoul. Their friendship soon blossoms into romance. They laugh, argue, reconcile, and love each other passionately as if they own the world. However, harsh realities begin to weigh on their lives, putting their relationship to the test.
Rather than romanticizing first love or idealizing reunions, the film closely observes the process of building and losing love. It not only captures the sorrow of unfulfilled love, but also portrays the struggles of youth torn between dreams and romance, and extends empathy to those enduring such hardships.
The early episodes detailing how the two become a couple may feel somewhat drawn out. Nevertheless, viewers will find themselves smiling at their love and eventually shedding tears at their poignant farewell. Although they give up love for the sake of their dreams, the film lingers on the regret of what was lost, evoking memories of the Hollywood film ‘La La Land,’ which used flashbacks to imagine what might have been had the lovers made different choices. Unlike ‘La La Land,’ however, the two protagonists in ‘Once We Were Us’ meet again and bring a beautiful closure to a farewell that was never properly said. As Koo Kyo-hwan remarked, audiences may also find themselves recalling someone from their own past after watching the film.
Eun Hee-sang, the art director who worked on ‘12.12: The Day,’ meticulously recreated the Y2K aesthetic of the 2000s. Additionally, music director Kim Jang-woo, known for ‘You and Everything Else’ and ‘Do You Like Brahms?,’ contributed a stylish soundtrack.
Meanwhile, another youth romance film will greet audiences at the end of the year. Based on the bestselling novel of the same name, ‘Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight’ will premiere a week earlier, on the 24th. The film stars Choo Young-woo, recognized for his roles in ‘The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call’ and ‘Head Over Heels,’ and Shin Si-ah, known for ‘Resident Playbook.’ The story follows Seo-yoon (Shin Si-ah), who loses her memory each day, and Jae-won (Choo Young-woo), who stays by her side, recording her memories for her. The film is directed by Kim Hye-young, who won the Best New Director award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for her debut, ‘It's Okay!’
jashin@fnnews.com Shin Jin-ah Reporter