Hor-Com Is the New Rom-Com! A K-teen Film That Wipes Tears With Laughter — Review of 〈Gyosaeng Silsup〉 & Press Conference Snapshot

In K-teen films, there are no worries about students preparing for the college entrance exam. K-teen films remove shadows and present only sunshine and freshness. But are real Korean high school students like that? At 10 p.m. students flood out of cram-school districts, social order is ranked by mock exam scores, and, literally, when it comes to grades they would give up their youth — that is the reality of Korean high schools. It's no wonder the drama 〈SKY Castle〉 is jokingly called a 'Korean-style K-teen.'

Opening on May 13, 〈Gyosaeng Silsup〉 confronts that reality head-on. The film is the new work from director Kim Min-ha, who sparked a 'girls' night movie' phenomenon among female viewers in their teens and twenties with 〈Ameba Girls and School Ghost: School Opening Day〉, and, like its predecessor, it describes itself as a badass horror-lovely comedy. On the surface it looks kitschy and light, but beneath that shine lies the director's serious awareness of broken teacher authority, an oversized private education industry, and grade-obsessed culture. As with the previous film, the director's gaze toward students and education remains warm and humane.

〈Gyosaeng Silsup〉 is a 'kind' horror-comedy for timid viewers who wouldn't even dare try something like 〈Salmokji〉. The film follows in the lineage of 〈Ameba Girls and School Ghost: School Opening Day〉 and tells the story of passionate MZ-generation trainee teacher Eun-kyung (Han Sun-hwa) and the girls from a black-magic club who are forced to take a deadly mock exam against college-entrance-exam apparitions. The film retains the same gentle, benign B-movie absurdity that makes you snort on the way home. At the same time it avoids the usual pitfall of feeling repetitive: the direction cleverly varies the tone with pixel-game sequences and animation. It makes you root for the series that began with 〈Ameba Girls and School Ghost: School Opening Day〉 to continue without losing momentum.

However, compared to the previous film the ghost makeup has become more realistic and the set design more lavish, so some of the raw edge of the fun is somewhat muted. Additionally, because the film attempts to encompass issues like teacher authority, private education, and grade-obsessed culture all at once, the message sometimes takes precedence over the comedy, which is a disappointment. Even so, it's a K-teen film perfectly timed for Teacher's Day that wipes tears with laughter for students who 'would give up their youth for grades' and the teachers who stand by them.

On the 29th, at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall, a press conference was held following the press distribution preview of 〈Gyosaeng Silsup〉, attended by actors Han Sun-hwa, Hong Ye-ji, Lee Yeoreum, Lee Hwa-won, Yoo Seon-ho, and director Kim Min-ha. The actors and the director responded to questions from domestic reporters who had watched the film.

The film leans heavily on the bright, popping character that actor Han Sun-hwa brings. Playing the fiery MZ trainee teacher Eun-kyung who drives the story, Han Sun-hwa recalled that when she was offered the role she thought, 'What is this?' — the screenplay was that unique, intriguing, and full of personality. She added that during meetings with the director she felt a concrete and clear intention regarding the direction and message. Personally not someone who likes scary things or can easily watch them, after seeing 〈Ameba Girls and School Ghost: School Opening Day〉 she recognized that the director wasn't trying to make something terrifying for terror's sake but a film with meaning and fun, which gave her the confidence to take the role.

The chemistry of the black-magic club 'Kuroi Sora' trio played by Hong Ye-ji, Lee Yeoreum, and Lee Hwa-won also shone. Making her screen debut, WJSN (Cosmic Girls) member Lee Yeoreum said that her fellow WJSN member Eunseo, who appeared in the director's previous film, told her the atmosphere on set was really great, and added, 'My character Riko is the cutest and most lovable of the black-magic trio. I wanted my first screen appearance to portray a lovable character.'

Lee Hwa-won, who appeared in a minor role in Kim Min-ha's previous film and returns here as the lead Haruka, said, 'The previous work was distinctive and unique. This project is even more diverse and fun than expected.' Meanwhile, Yoo Seon-ho, who took on the strikingly visual 400-year-old monster Idainashi, performed all his lines in Japanese. Yoo said, 'I didn't know any Japanese at all. I think I was memorizing Japanese until dawn. I practiced by exchanging voice messages with my language coach, and I even found myself speaking Japanese in my dreams,' describing the intense preparation process.

Director Kim Min-ha said he wanted to create a 'horror-comedy' version of 〈Whispering Corridors〉 — a new-generation 〈Whispering Corridors〉 — explaining why, after 〈Ameba Girls and School Ghost: School Opening Day〉, he decided to direct a girls' high-school horror comedy. He also expressed his ambition: 'If detectives' favorite film is 〈Veteran〉, I hope 〈Gyosaeng Silsup〉 becomes teachers' favorite film.'

Kim Min-ha spoke quite seriously about the background to planning the film: according to him, the starting point for 〈Gyosaeng Silsup〉 goes back to September 2023. On the day Kim's short film 〈Burger Song Challenge〉 screened as the closing film at an education film festival, it was also the 49th-day memorial week for the teacher from Seoi Elementary School. Kim said, 'Burger Song Challenge features a teacher who protects an underprivileged class president. A teacher who saw that film told me they felt comforted and tearfully thanked me,' explaining that encounter as the reason he wanted to make a film addressing teachers' sorrow. Layered onto that were the history of 'seodang hunting' during the Japanese colonial period and an awareness of the bloated private education market that has surpassed 27 trillion won, which together completed the story of 〈Gyosaeng Silsup〉. Kim added, 'Box office matters, but above all I want teachers who are protecting schools right now to know there is a film that empathizes with and stands in solidarity with their sorrow,' speaking to the film's significance.

The film 〈Gyosaeng Silsup〉 opens exclusively at CGV on May 13.