Once We Were Us

My Rating

7.5/10

Review

This is an offering in the friends-to-lovers category, which is usually one of my favorite romance tropes. I like happy endings. That's just me. Some people prefer stories that are more dramatic and feel more "real." If that's what you enjoy, you may like this movie a lot more than I did.

The film hits all the high points of a strong romantic drama. The characters are well developed, the story is compelling, and the relationship feels authentic. I was invested in both Han Jeong-won and Lee Eun-ho from the beginning. Their friendship was easily my favorite part of the movie. They were great friends, and I had very high hopes for them as a couple.

Visually, I loved the choice to have the present-day scenes in black and white while the past was shown in color. It was a beautiful way to reinforce the idea that Jeong-won brought color and life into Eun-ho's world. It was also pretty obvious that she was the inspiration for Jane in his video game.

Unfortunately, I found the overall experience sad rather than romantic. Once Lee Eun-ho and Han Jeong-won became a couple, Eun-ho became increasingly moody, and it didn't always feel consistent with the character we had come to know earlier in the story. By the end, I didn't feel like the movie delivered a satisfying payoff for everything the audience went through with them.

I wouldn't watch it again, and I would only recommend it to viewers who enjoy emotional dramas and realistic endings rather than happy ones.

Spoilers

I really loved the friendship between Han Jeong-won and Lee Eun-ho. Their chemistry as friends was fantastic, and I was rooting for them the entire time.

I found it heartbreaking when they broke up. It was also sad that Jeong-won seemingly did not maintain a relationship with Eun-ho's father after the separation. Their shared struggles and eventual successes made me want to see them enjoy the rewards of all that hard work together.

One thing that left me confused was the ending. Eun-ho appears to have a son, which made me assume he eventually married, but the film never really confirms what happened. It leaves a lot to the audience's imagination.

I was also unsure about the pregnancy storyline. At one point, it looked like Jeong-won was looking at an ultrasound, but the movie never seemed to fully address what happened afterward.

As someone who is highly empathetic, this movie was honestly a terrible choice for me emotionally. It completely dragged me down. Their ending felt incredibly sad. Yes, they reunited, but then they went their separate ways again. The film presents them as the great love of each other's lives, and I've seen plenty of real-life couples work through challenges like theirs and come out stronger on the other side.

To me, it felt like they gave up on each other.

My interpretation is that Eun-ho let Jeong-won go because he believed he was holding her back. I understand that reasoning, but I kept waiting for the story to bring them back together later. After taking the audience through all of that heartbreak, the fact that they aren't even friends by the end felt pointless and depressing.

The movie clearly wanted to make a statement about timing, dreams, and how love isn't always enough. It succeeded. I just didn't enjoy where that message left the characters.

Overview

Air Year: 2025

Run Time: 1 hour 54 minutes (114 minutes)

Country of Origin: South Korea

Genre(s): Romance, Drama

Synopsis

In 2008, a chance encounter on a bus brings Han Jeong-won and Lee Eun-ho together. As they struggle through life in Seoul, they become close friends, support each other's dreams, and eventually fall in love. However, the realities of life and ambition pull them apart. More than a decade later, the former lovers unexpectedly reunite on a flight back to Korea and are forced to confront the memories of the relationship that shaped both of their lives.

Major Characters

Lee Eun-ho (Koo Kyo-hwan)The male lead. An aspiring game developer with big ambitions who dreams of finding success through game creation. His relationship with Jeong-won forms the emotional core of the story.

Han Jeong-won (Moon Ga-young)The female lead. A scholarship student from a small town who dreams of becoming an architect. Independent, ambitious, and determined, she becomes the person who brings warmth and color into Eun-ho's life.

Eun-ho's Father (Shin Jung-geun)Eun-ho's supportive father. He serves as an important emotional anchor in Eun-ho's life and provides some of the film's most heartfelt moments.

Kang Min-jae (Lee Sang-yeob)Jeong-won's former boyfriend whose presence adds emotional complexity and conflict to the story.

Oh Gyeong-seok (Im Jae-hyuk)One of Eun-ho's close friends and a fellow gaming enthusiast. He provides friendship and support throughout the story.