What a movie. Even days after watching it I’m still thinking about it. When I tell you my eyes were GLUED to the screen from start to finish they were. The big question was, was it really all an act, or was did real feelings cause the lines between the actor and idol to getting blurry? I think this film is interpretational and leaves you to draw your own conclusion on what was really going on. The movie wasn’t necessarily romantic but rather than implementing a romantic theme it relies more on the performance of the actors to draw you into the events. I found the movie unpredictable as to when the climax happened I was so eager to see what would happen next. Since the film was about to actors in a play, many parts of the movie felt like you were watching a movie in a movie which was really great. I get that this movie can be a little controversial given the subject matter but damn does it need more recognition!
The acting is phenomenal, especially from Oh Seung Hoon. That dude needs to be in more films and the ones with the veteran actors because he’s that good! He did an amazing job as Yeong-Woo. Ngl I thought he was cast because they needed a cute guy to play an idol but damn he did not need to go that hard acting. He channeled the character so genuinely and not once did he come off as awkward or out of place. Actually, both actors were purposeful and very natural in the more intimate scenes. The kissing scenes were so sensual and felt so real. They were so convincing that you would think they were romantically involved in real life!

Personally, I think Yeon-Woo did develop feelings for his co-star as he discovered his liking for acting through the play, however, there were moments where he would tease and toy with Jaeha which makes me think that a part of his behavior was an act, but not completely. The last scene with him gave me a sense that he liked Jaeha, or did he dread returning to the repetitive and restrictive life of an idol? It was clear from the beginning of the movie that he was tired of his life, so that is maybe why he seemingly enjoyed working on the play so much. He didn’t care much for it at first but after Jaeha prompted him to get into character I think he began to feel a form of freedom and self-expression that he never felt before. So I could argue that his time spent with Jaeha didn’t awaken romantic feelings in him but ignited his newfound passion for acting. But then again those steamy kisses and overt sexual tension were hard to overlook. As for Jaeha, I think for the most part it was merely method acting, but that scene in the shed made me think he started to fall for his acting partner. In his last scene, he seemed satisfied with both his and Young-Woo’s performances and walked away with no visible sign of regret or longing. These are the reasons that I doubt that it was all just acting.
Overall this movie is just excellent all around. 9.5/10. The only reason I’m not giving this a full ten is that I’m unsure about the ending. It wasn’t bad but it left me wanting more.