‘Melo Movie’ Starring Choi Woo-shik and Park Bo-young Drops This Valentine’s Day
Poster for ‘Melo Movie.’ Photo: courtesy of Netflix.
Melo Movie is a mix of varied emotions, comedy, romance, and heartbreak, teasing an unpredictable relationship between two protagonists played by Choi Woo-shik and Park Bo-young. A bit reminiscent of Choi’s previous Our Beloved Summer (2021) alongside Kim Da-mi, this new K-drama hints at a bittersweet love story between him and Park that asks, “Will there be a happy ending?”
A curtain-raiser to Melo Movie, the official teaser explores how lovers become enemies as they contemplate complex feelings and the fragility of their relationship, thus raising doubts about a reunion and whether love will eventually prevail.
Melo Movie looks like a promise to tug at heartstrings; that goes without saying, given the leads are Chungmuro stars Choi Woo-shik and Park Bo-young. Any artist worth their salt will admit it, leaving you to ponder the fate of their characters in the story.
The narrative delves into the lives of youngsters aspiring to fulfill their dreams in cinema. Ko Gyeom (Choi), is a movie buff and an actor who evolves into a movie critic. Parallelly Kim Mu-bi (Park) works as a junior director who harbors a strong relationship with the film industry, stemming from her father’s passion and past involvement in movies as a technician and her own deep sentiments towards the medium.
Their paths cross, and the chance encounter disrupts Mu-bi’s life. The preview shows how it immediately warms Ko Gyeom’s heart. While Mu-bi takes time to reciprocate, he openly admits having feelings and urges her to like him back. Just as things get serious, Ko Gyeom disappears. Years later, when Mu-bi’s film, a Melo movie she had intended to make, is released, they meet again, and regardless of Mu-bi being upset over this turn of events, Ko Gyeom says, “Let’s try to get along like the enemies that we are.”
Melo Movie also has Hong Shi-jun (Lee Jun-young), a genius composer yet unnoticed, and his ex-girlfriend, Son Joo-a (Jeon So-nee), a screenwriter, whose respective journeys intertwine with those of Ko Gyeom and Mu-bi, further going over the theme of young dreamers navigating the challenges of love, personal growth, and the pursuit of their aspirations in the dynamic space of the entertainment industry.
Melo Movie is slated as an addition to the impressive body of work of director Oh Chung-hwan, acclaimed for his iconic dramas, including My Love from the Star (2013–2014), The Doctors (2016), While You Were Sleeping (2017), and Hotel del Luna (2019), as well as his hits, including Start-Up (2020), Big Mouth (2022), and Castaway Diva (2023).
A modern romance, Melo Movie explores the intricate details of Ko Gyeom and Mu-bi’s lives, their pursuit of love, fulfillment, and dreams, and the possibility of a reunion in their relationship. It likewise evokes moral dilemmas found in melodramas alongside the relevance and significance of happiness that comes after sadness—often an essential component of romantic comedy dramas.
Melo Movie is releasing this Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.
