K-Movie "Love Untangled" - A ’90s Confession, the Courage We Loved, and the Line Between Nostalgia and Cliché

"Love Untangled"

 I'd like to write a review of the new Korean film "Love Untangled" (Korean title: A History of Confession) that's just been released on Netflix. It's a typical youth film and a great light-hearted watch.

Plot / Synopsis

Set in 1998 in Busan, the film focuses on Park Se-ri, a 19‐year‐old high school student who has long been insecure about her natural, very curly hair. She believes that having straight hair would boost her confidence and help her confess to her crush, Kim Hyun, who is one of the most popular students at school.

A new transfer student, Han Yoon‐seok, comes into her life. Se‐ri rescues him from a near-drowning incident, and later learns that his mother runs a hair salon, which gives her hope that maybe she can get her hair straightened. She befriends him partly out of this hope, but also because Yoon‐seok ends up being someone who opens up her world. 

As she works toward making her “transformation,” Se-ri also enlists help from friends (including her classmate Baek Seong-rae, and rival/friend Ko In Jeong) in various schemes to get close to Kim Hyun. But over time, her feelings for Yoon‐seok deepen, and things get more complicated. 

Without giving away every twist if you haven’t watched it, the story explores Se-ri’s personal growth: confronting what it means to change one’s appearance, learning what she really wants, and realizing that the object of affection might shift as people change.

Main Characters

• Park Se-ri (played by Shin Eun-soo) — Bright, earnest, insecure about her curly hair. Wants her first confession to be “perfect.” 
• Han Yoon-seok (Gong Myung) — Transfer student whose life is somewhat complicated; his mother is a hairstylist, which ties into Se-ri’s plan. He becomes close with Se-ri and influences her perspective. 
• Kim Hyun (Cha Woo-min) — Se-ri’s crush, the popular boy at school. Represents, to her, an ideal she thinks she needs to achieve in order to confess. 
• Baek Seong-rae (Yoon Sang-hyeon) — a classmate and friend who supports Se-ri; helps with her plans. 
• Ko In-jeong (Kang Mi-na) — Se-ri’s friend/rival; has her own relationship with Se-ri’s insecurities and goals. 

Themes & Tone

• First love & confession: The title History of Confession hints at this — the film is about what it means to “confess” in more than one sense (confessing feelings, identity, etc.). 
• Appearance, self‐image & transformation: Se-ri’s curly hair functions symbolically. It’s part of her identity but also a source of shame/pressure, representing how physical appearance (and societal notions of beauty) can affect self-esteem. 
• Nostalgia / ‘90s setting: The film leans on late‑1990s Korean high school life: cultural markers, music, fashion, etc. This nostalgic element shapes the mood. 
• Growth, choices, and friendship: It isn’t just about romance; it shows friendships, rivalries, family pressures, and decisions that shape who Se-ri becomes. 

Reception / Critical Notes

• The film has been described as a “sweet, nostalgic teen romance” with plenty of innocence and bittersweet moments. 
• Some viewers appreciate how it treats youthful insecurities — in appearance and identity — with sensitivity.It’s also been noted for capturing ’90s atmospheres (before cell phones, the internet boom etc.), which gives some charm.

Review

"Love Untangled"

 This film doesn't have any particularly impressive artistic quality or compelling storytelling, but it's a great watch for relaxing on the weekend. As a Korean who grew up in Korea in the 1990s and 2000s, this film felt like a trip down memory lane. The film did a surprisingly good job of detailing my school days. The film depicts the school landscape, the class atmosphere, and the dynamics of those days in incredible detail, making it feel like a time travel. As someone who cherishes those memories, I had every reason to watch this film, but I'm curious to see how viewers in other countries might perceive it. There weren't any particularly dramatic twists or twists, but the film was surprisingly immersive. 

 Although it was a predictable plot and a bunch of clichés, Shin Eun-soo, who played the female lead, gave a performance that I was looking forward to seeing in the future, even though I saw her for the first time in this film. However, the main characters' melodramatic choice at the end, "I'm leaving because I love you," was difficult to understand. However, if even this was intended to reflect the unique melodrama of the 90s, then it's understandable. Even now, I still listen to ballads from the 90s, and the lyrics always feature breakups due to love, breakups due to circumstances, and numerous hardships. Perhaps it was because Korea was experiencing rapid political, economic, and social upheaval at the time, a time of great turmoil. In any case, the film lacked persuasiveness due to the forced, melodramatic nature of the main characters' ordeals, and the overly absurd ending, which pretends nothing happened after all. However, since this type of film isn't intended for a tightly structured story or a twist, it's a decent film for casual viewing. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys vague first loves, youth dramas, and teen romances.