'Handsome Guys' showcases potential of comedy
"Handsome Guys" depicts the events that unfold when Jae-pil and Sang-gu, who dream of a peaceful rural life, move into a haunted house. Still from "Handsome Guys"
There is a perception that comedic films often struggle to succeed. Although the comedy film "Extreme Job" attracted over 16 million viewers and achieved the second highest box office success in Korean film history, such cases are extremely rare.
Amidst this, curiosity arises as to whether "Handsome Guys" will contribute to the survival of cheerful films.
Released on June 26, "Handsome Guys" depicts the events that unfold when Jae-pil, played by Lee Sung-min, and Sang-gu, played by Lee Hee-joon, who dream of a peaceful rural life, move into a haunted house.
"Handsome Guys" raised the expectations of prospective audiences with the tagline, "There has never been a comedy like this before! Come and have a laugh!"
The unveiled film is filled with charming B-movie appeal. Jae-pil and Sang-gu bring laughter as they are mistaken for villains amidst numerous coincidences.
The romantic subplot between Sang-gu and Mina (Gong Seung-yeon) also caught attention, and the dog Bong-gu played a notable mascot role. The actors showcased sound performances, delivering even potentially exaggerated dialogue very naturally.
A scene from "Handsome Guys" / Still from "Handsome Guys"
Word-of-mouth powers viewership
"Handsome Guys" is achieving quite meaningful results. It topped the Korean movie box office and had the highest seat sales rate. Audiences praised the film for its delightful charm.
According to the Korean Film Council's integrated computer network for movie tickets, on June 8, the cumulative audience for "Handsome Guys" surpassed 1 million people.
Its meaningful box office run this summer cinema, which is filled with new releases, is due to the positive reviews and word-of-mouth of cinemagoers.
In this context, "Handsome Guys" has proven that even when the popularity of comedies wanes, entertaining content can still succeed.
With the attention on "Handsome Guys," another comedy film, "Pilot," is set to be released on July 31. This film portrays the story of Jung-woo, who becomes unemployed overnight and successfully re-enters the workforce after a drastic transformation.
Jo Jung-suk plays the role of Jung-woo. The still cuts of "Pilot" are already striking, showing Jo dressed as a woman with a beautiful appearance.
"When something becomes a trend, it gets followed by many similar things, and if too many of them appear, the public gets tired, and the heat cools down," said culture critic Ha Jae-geun. "For instance, in the early 2000s, gangster comedy films gained popularity, leading to a slew of similar content, and the trend continued for a while before eventually fading away. If many people are satisfied with 'Handsome Guys,' they may naturally seek out another comedy film."
The presence of "Handsome Guys" is welcomed in the world of cinema, which has been dominated by blockbusters and provocative genres. Attention is now focused on whether the public will fall for the charm of comedies courtesy of "Handsome Guys" and "Pilot."
"Pilot" tells the story of Jung-woo (played by Jo Jung-suk), a star pilot who becomes unemployed overnight and successfully finds a new job after a dramatic transformation / Still from "Pilot"
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times.