Entertainment
20th Century Girl review: Netflix’s romantic drama belongs to the Twenty Five Twenty One universe of heartbreak and pain
Published
5 months agoon
By
ironity
Netflix’s latest, 20th Century Girl is deceptive. The film has all the shades of a sweet, emotional romantic comedy set in a high school where one loyal girl wants her close friend to end up with the boy of her dreams. Of course, needless to say, the girl herself falls in love with the boy and bittersweet confusion ensues. And then, in a rather diabolic sweeping manner, all that joy is suddenly crushed in a way that’s eerily reminiscent of Twenty Five-Twenty One (those wounds will never heal), but what hurts here, is that it doesn’t quite have the same impact. You just come away feeling slightly let down.
Set in the 90s, Kim Joo-yung’s Na Bo-ra and Roh Yoon-seo’s Yeon-du play the two close friends in question. Before Yeon-du heads to the US for a heart surgery, she confides in Na Bo-ra about the new boy she is in love with, whose name she believes is Baek Hyun-jin (Park Jung-woo). Na Bo-ra promises to investigate the boy thoroughly, only to fall in love with his best friend, Poong Woon-ho (Byeon Woo-seok). There are the actual wholesome and enjoyable moments of the film—the scenes of high school activities like debating clubs, sneaky drunken escapades, the recollections of high school crushes, and the innocent first dates. The film emphasises on the purity of teenage love, without leaning into any toxic traits. None of the kids are a bad lot — they actually seem like teenagers, with their own set of perplexing concerns, mainly concerning exams and crushes.
However, as luck would have it, Yeon-du is actually in love with Woon-ho, leading to events a la Mujhse Dosti Karoge, where Bo-ra plays every quintessential Bollywood sacrificial heroine and decides to give up her crush for Yeon-du. But friendship and sisterhood is too strong and Bo-ra, Woon-ho have a sweet reunion at the train station before he leaves the country. Till here, the film is charming and wholesome.
What follows is a diabolic twist—like someone just viciously threw water at you, just as you were enjoying a warm and comfortable nap. We all wanted to see the happy ending and a romantic reunion, but clearly that was not the idea behind the conclusion, and you’re meant to draw your own conclusion.
While I’m all for the good pain and tears in films and shows, moments in this film felt like I was being deliberately prodded to sob, even though I was just a little sad, not to mention rather perplexed. It seemed like a forced reminder of Twenty Five Twenty One, a show that followed a similar path of first love, only to see the lead couple not reunite at the end, except that was a story that was filled with far more subtlety, nuance, which is probably why the ending hurt a lot more.
Nevertheless the last few moments of the film were a reminder of why it had been enjoyable in the first place. An adult Bo-ra watches an old video of Woon-ho, his little collection of clips that feature her as well. That had an emotional punch, more of an impact that Bo-ra’s scene with his younger brother. Even if it was supposed to have an unhappy ending, the conclusion could have been much tighter, with a lot more subtlety and less heavy exposition—which somehow ruined the effect the film intended to have.
20th Century Girl isn’t a bad film by any means, even if the last 30 minutes were rather disappointing. It had all the rushes of the 90’s, the close friendships, the thrills and fears of first love, and wholesomeness one would want to see depicted in televised high schools (We’re the generation that had Gossip Girl, The OC, One Tree Hill and now Euphoria). The acting is impeccable, and Joo-yung brings out all the complexities of Bo-ra and her little quirks—like Woon-ho, we love them too.
Ironically, most of us turn to Korean shows and films when we look for comfort, so it feels rather unsettling when we don’t see the happy ending that we want. Sigh, whatever works for good storytelling.
Share this:
- Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
- Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
Related

You may like
-
‘The Last of Us’ season 2 will be shot in Vancouver | Globalnews.ca
-
3 people arrested in alleged Tekashi 6ix9ine gym attack, robbery – National | Globalnews.ca
-
Gwyneth Paltrow not liable in Utah ski collision, jury says – National | Globalnews.ca
-
Jennifer Aniston says ‘Friends’ offensive to ‘a whole generation of kids’ – National | Globalnews.ca
-
‘Ducks,’ Kate Beaton’s graphic memoir about Alberta’s oilsands, wins Canada Reads | Globalnews.ca
-
Jeremy Renner shares haunting 911 call of snowplow accident in emotional 1st TV interview – National | Globalnews.ca
Entertainment
‘The Last of Us’ season 2 will be shot in Vancouver | Globalnews.ca
Published
23 hours agoon
April 1, 2023By
ironity
As first reported by Deadline, The Last of Us will be filming season 2 in the west coast province.
“We’re incredibly excited to have one of the largest shows on television choose to film in Vancouver,” Mayor Ken Sim told Vancouver’s Economic Commission Friday.
“Vancouver is Hollywood North – this announcement is a demonstration of our city’s continued strength in the film and television sector. As we look to the future, I’m confident that we will see even more productions decide to make their home here.”
Global News has reached out to HBO and Creative BC for comment.

Travel Alberta hopes ‘The Last of Us’ success leads to boom in tourism
Read more:
‘The Last of Us’: All the Alberta locations that got a dramatic makeover
The blockbuster hit’s first season was shot exclusively in Alberta starting in 2021 and used an astonishing 180 locations around the province, from Grande Prairie all the way down to Waterton Lakes National Park.
Trending Now
The City of Calgary said in a statement that it was notified Friday morning of the decision to move production to Vancouver.
Global News reached out to one of the unions whose members worked on the show in Alberta and a spokesperson said a producer confirmed the news to them.
They were not surprised, however, as the season two storyline is dependant on marine-based locals, which Alberta does not have.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Share this:
- Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
- Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
Related
Entertainment
3 people arrested in alleged Tekashi 6ix9ine gym attack, robbery – National | Globalnews.ca
Published
1 day agoon
March 31, 2023By
ironity
Rafael Medina Jr., 43, Octavious Medina, 23, and Anthony Maldonado, 25, were taken into police custody on Thursday. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement the three suspects “have been located, arrested and are currently being booked/processed into the Palm Beach County Jail.”
Read more:
Jennifer Aniston says ‘Friends’ offensive to ‘a whole generation of kids’
PBSO Detectives arrested three suspects for Assaulting and Robbing Daniel Hernandez on March 21, 2023. All three suspects; Rafael Medina, Jr., Octavious Medina, and Anthony Maldonado, have been located, arrested and are currently being booked/processed into the Palm Beach County… https://t.co/ix5k6BxXr7
— PBSO (@PBCountySheriff) March 31, 2023
Jail records show the suspects are all being held on preliminary charges of felony battery and robbery.
Tekashi 6ix9ine, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, was allegedly attacked without warning inside a sauna at an LA Fitness on March 21. (Ed. Note: The preceding link contains violent footage.)
One person filmed the attack on Hernandez, 26, who can be seen lying on the ground shielding his face as two men kick him. In the video, one attacker pulled Hernandez’s hair and taunted, “Take a picture. I want to be famous now.”
Read more:
Gwyneth Paltrow not liable in Utah ski collision, jury says
Hernandez was taken to hospital. His lawyer said he obtained “cuts to his face and bruises.” TMZ reported the rapper also suffered injuries to his jaw, ribs and back.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said all three attackers would make their first court appearance on Friday morning.
Suspects Rafael Medina, Jr., Octavious Medina, and Anthony Maldonado were arrested on March 30, 2023, in connection to an alleged assault and robbery of rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine.
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office
In April 2020, Hernandez was released from federal prison, where he served a two-year sentence for charges including racketeering, drug trafficking and firearm offences, all in connection with the Nine Trey Bloods gang.
Trending Now
Read more:
Jeremy Renner shares haunting 911 call of snowplow accident in emotional 1st TV interview
He was given a shorter prison sentence after he co-operated with federal officials and provided names of his associates. The deal earned him leniency from charges that could have subjected him to a mandatory minimum of 37 years in prison for crimes that included orchestrating a shooting in which an innocent bystander was wounded.

What is racketeering? Rapper 6ix9ine pleads not guilty to RICO charges
The deal saw Hernandez labelled a “rat” by the likes of rappers Meek Mill and Snoop Dogg, among others.
It is not known whether the plea deal served as motivation for last week’s attack against Hernandez.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Share this:
- Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
- Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
Related
Entertainment
Gwyneth Paltrow not liable in Utah ski collision, jury says – National | Globalnews.ca
Published
2 days agoon
March 31, 2023By
ironity
A jury dismissed the complaint of a retired optometrist who sued Paltrow over injuries he sustained when the two crashed on a beginner run at Deer Valley ski resort, siding with Paltrow after eight days of live-streamed courtroom testimony that made the case a pop culture fixation.
Paltrow, an actor who in recent years has refashioned herself into a celebrity wellness entrepreneur, looked to her attorneys with a pursed lips smile when the judge read the eight-member jury’s verdict in the Park City courtroom. She sat intently through two weeks of testimony in what became the biggest celebrity court case since actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard faced off last year.
The dismissal concludes two weeks of courtroom proceedings that hinged largely on reputation rather than the monetary damages at stake in the case. Paltrow’s attorneys described the complaint against her as “utter B.S.” and painted the Goop founder-CEO as uniquely vulnerable to unfair, frivolous lawsuits due to her celebrity.
Paltrow took the witness stand during the trial to insist the collision wasn’t her fault, and to describe how she was stunned when she felt “a body pressing against me and a very strange grunting noise.”

‘I did not cause the accident’: Gwyneth Paltrow testifies in ski collision trial
Throughout the trial, the word “uphill” became synonymous with “guilty, ” as attorneys focused on a largely unknown skiing code of conduct that stipulates that the skier who is downhill or ahead on the slope has the right of way.
Worldwide audiences followed the celebrity trial as if it were episodic television. Viewers scrutinized both Paltrow and Sanderson’s motives while attorneys directed questions to witnesses that often had less to do with the collision and more to do with their client’s reputations.
Story continues below advertisement
The trial took place in Park City, a resort town known for hosting the annual Sundance Film Festival, where early in her career Paltrow would appear for the premieres of her movies including 1998’s “Sliding Doors,” at a time when she was known primarily as an actor, not a lifestyle influencer. Paltrow is also known for her roles in “Shakespeare in Love,” which won her an Academy Award, and the “Iron Man” movies.
Trending Now

Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash trial: Terry Sanderson testifies he was hit in the back by skier, went ‘flying’
The jury’s decision marks a painful court defeat for Terry Sanderson, the man who sued Paltrow for more than $300,000 over injuries he sustained when they crashed on a beginner run. Both parties blamed the other for the collision. Sanderson, 76, broke four ribs and sustained a concussion after the two tumbled down the slope, with Paltrow landing on top of him.
He filed an amended complaint after an earlier $3.1 million lawsuit was dismissed. Paltrow in response countersued for $1 and attorney fees, a symbolic action that mirrors Taylor Swift’s response to a radio host’s defamation lawsuit. Swift was awarded $1 in 2017.
Paltrow’s defense team tried to paint Sanderson as an angry, aging and unsympathetic man who had over the years become “obsessed” with his lawsuit against Paltrow. They argued that Paltrow wasn’t at fault in the crash and also said, regardless of blame, that Sanderson was overstating the extent of his injuries.
AP writer Anna Furman contributed from Los Angeles.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
Share this:
- Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
- Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
Related

OPSC Medical Officer Recruitment: Rank holder shares success story

Tamil Nadu: Railway authorities repaint Hindi letters on name board of railway station in Chennai

Saint Seiya: Next Dimension Manga Resumes With ‘Final Series Prequel’ on April 13

Walmart-owned Sam’s Club plans to open about 30 new stores over next five years

22/7 Project’s Reina Miyase Graduates From Franchise

NBUniversal expects Peacock losses to peak this year as streamer slowly adds subscribers

Watch: Bride Arrives At Wedding Venue In Madhya Pradesh Driving Tractor

In September 2022, ‘The Lord of the Rings: Gollum’ will be released for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.

Dhaakad Day 1 Box Office Report: Kangana Ranaut’s film debuts poorly in front of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 by Kartik Aaryan.
Trending
-
Anime & Manga2 months ago
22/7 Project’s Reina Miyase Graduates From Franchise
-
Business2 months ago
NBUniversal expects Peacock losses to peak this year as streamer slowly adds subscribers
-
Odisha News2 months ago
Know the 2023 Padma Shri awardees from Odisha
-
Politics2 months ago
Congress leaders slam Punjab government for not granting R-Day remission to Navjot Singh Sidhu
-
Odisha News2 months ago
Hockey World Cup 2023: India thump listless Japan
-
Anime & Manga2 months ago
Compile Heart Teases New Hyperdimension Neptunia Shooting Game
-
Fashion2 months ago
Aelis Couture Spring 2023
-
Odisha News2 months ago
PM Modi thanks world leaders for their R-Day wishes
You must be logged in to post a comment Login
You must log in to post a comment.