Presented by Nongshim America INC,Korean Cultural Centre in Canada

North American premiere
Selection 2023

My Worst Neighbor (Binteumeotneun Sai)

Directed by Lee Woo-chul

Credits  

Director

Lee Woo-chul

Writer

Lee Woo-chul

Cast

Han Seung-yeon, Lee Ji-hoon

contact

K-Movie Entertainment

South Korea 2023 113 mins OV Korean Subtitles : English
Genre ComedyRomance

Seung-jin moves into a shabby new flat, seeking one last chance to fulfil his dream of breaking into the tough world of popular music through a talent contest. Finally, a place to compose his melodies and practice singing. However, are were two important details that were left unmentioned. Firstly, the walls are made of cardboard. Secondly, his neighbour Rani, a character designer working from home, has more than one trick up her sleeve that could drive even a monk completely mad, in order to eliminate any source of annoying noise. A war of attrition begins between the two. Since they don’t live in the same building and Rani suffers from agoraphobia, no face-to-face negotiations are possible. Having to learn to live side by side with only a thin wall between them, a relationship gradually develops.

The romantic comedy MY WORST NEIGHBOR by Lee Woo-chul (CELLO) stars K-pop superstar Han Seung-yeon, of the group Kara, and actor Lee Ji-hoon, a constant presence on the Korean soap-opera scene. Despite the fact that they are never in the same place together, their chemistry is fantastic and they make this unlikely relationship completely believable, touching, and funny, thanks to a well-timed and effective sense of comedy. A memorable sequence in a gym and its impact on certain detestable characters will leave no one indifferent. This reinterpretation of Clovis Cornillac's French film UN PEU, BEAUCOUP, AVEUGLÉMENT is deeply satisfying — it’s not just cute, it’s also a healthy pressure valve that tackles pertinent themes such as mental health, and the exploitation of talent and vulnerability in the name of profit. Anyone who's ever lived in a cheap apartment will identify with these thoroughly endearing characters, who make you smile thanks in no small part to the magnetic charisma of their performers. – Translation: Rupert Bottenberg