“My youth is all I have.” Thoughts on Twenty

Twenty (2015)

Directed By Lee Byeong-heon

Twenty is about a group of 20-year-old friends trying to survive adulthood right after graduating high school. The 2015 South Korean movie stars Kim Woo-bin, Lee Junho, and Kang Ha-neul.

Chi-ho (Kim Woo-bin) is an unemployed player who has no dreams or aspirations. His main concern is sleeping with every pretty girl he sees. Kyung-jae (Kang Ha-neul) is the “smart” one of the group: he is a university student who hopes to join a corporate company. However, he’s very shy when it comes to dating and girls. As for Dong-woo (Lee Junho), his dream is to become a webtoon artist but has to put his dream on-hold when his family gets into financial troubles and he has to take on several part-time jobs to support them.

There isn’t much of an overall objective or main storyline that needs to be resolved at the end of the movie in contrast to most Hollywood comedy movies. The film is focused on the year that these guys are all 20 and each character’s plot is about what happened during that year.  At the end of the film, the three guys don’t necessarily resolve anything but they all discover a little something about themselves.

I have noticed from other films that this is the type of comedy/slice of life style that East Asian films take on in contrast to modern American comedy films. I know that not having an overarching storyline is frustrating for some viewers as you don’t know the reason or purpose as to why you are watching such a movie. However, the joy of a movie like Twenty is for aesthetics and entertainment as viewers can laugh at their silly antics but also be reminded of their youth as well. So if you decide to watch an East Asian film like Twenty, don’t be surprised if there isn’t a satisfying conclusion or end.

One thing that really stands out in this film is how the director and writers depict young adults. They really tried to capture various different lifestyles of people in their 20s and show the hardships that they go through. I can really relate to the hardships that these characters go through in regards to careers and living expenses. Hence, if there’s something that I appreciate in this movie, it is that.

Also, the humor in this movie isn’t for children. There’s quite a lot of adult humor as the three guys are trying to lose their virginity before they turn another year older. I would consider Twenty as a Korean version of American Pie. Twenty has that sort of adult comedy to it.

I really wanted to watch this film because it has some great actors from other dramas I’ve seen, but the storyline wasn’t as engaging as I thought it would be and the ending was a bit of a “WTF!” Yet if you are looking for some laughs, Twenty would be a movie to see.

2/5