Sometimes, we come across certain stories that are so beautiful and so humane that they become difficult to describe. They quietly sit with you, living not in a realm of logic but in a realm of raw emotion within your heart. You can say that they make you feel something remarkable, but it’s as if words can’t really convey what that feeling is like. That’s the kind of story offered by SBS’s Our Movie, an extraordinary tale about life and love that slowly creeps into your soul and resonates with rare intensity.
Released over June and July 2025, Our Movie is a 12-episode romantic drama written by Han Ga-eun and Kang Gyeong-min and directed by Lee Jung-heum. It follows Lee Je-ha (Namkoong Min), the son of a renowned filmmaker who became a movie director himself and whose debut film was widely praised. Named a โgeniusโ by the media and haunted by his father’s reputation, Je-ha feared a possible sophomore slump, and so, he spent five years without working on anything.
Determined to put an end to this hiatus, Je-ha starts preparing for his second film, a remake of his father’s last feature. He chooses to rewrite the script but stick to the original premise: a romance in which the heroine has a limited amount of time to live. Thatโs when he meets the cheerful Lee Da-eum (Jeon Yeo-been), an aspiring actress who suffers from an incurable disease. They decide to work together to finally bring Je-haโs second film to the big screen.
Our Movie is a story of profound emotional resonance that illustrates the beauty and transience of life, the mysterious force of love, and the essence of filmmaking. Marked by a gentle rhythm, subtle performances, and a bittersweet tone, Our Movie is a visual and narrative achievement that allows its characters’ tales to unfold in many empathetic layers and portrays the ethos of our existence in all its intricacy.
This review contains mild spoilers. Read it at your own risk! If you don’t have time for our complete analysis or if you don’t want any spoilers, why don’t you pin our spoiler-free summary? It’s at the bottom!
Drama or Melodrama: Focusing on Character Development
A melodrama in theory, Our Movie presents many of the classic melodramatic elements that you would expect from the genre: the concept of suffering, the emphasis on family, the emotional conflicts, and the female patient as the protagonist. However, there’s much about this story that pulls it away from the melodramatic domain, bringing it closer to a drama instead: realistically drawn characters whose development is of vital importance to the narrative, the lack of a battle between good versus evil, and the avoidance of sensationalised conflicts.
The goal of Our Movie is to evoke emotion, yes. But it never relies on exaggerated angst or histrionic shenanigans to deliver its message. The narrative presents an extreme scenario that unfolds naturally, that is, its events and decisions logically connect. One thing leads to the next and so on, weaving a thread that guides us to the finale and represents the core theme of the show: life is a series of active choices.
Each and every decision these characters make reflects who they are and the development arc they embark on. After all, there’s no such thing as a “villain” in Our Movie. We’re introduced to a wide cast of characters whose kaleidoscopic personalities are meticulously and progressively revealed throughout the series’ 12 episodes.
They all somehow start off from a place of self-interest. You could say that Je-ha wants to make a movie as the ultimate act of vengeance against his father, while Da-eum wants to work as an actress at least once before dying โ regardless of the consequences. Actress Chae Seo-yeong (the marvellous Lee Seol) wants to make her own career choices and find resolution in her relationship with Je-ha. Producer Bu Seung-won (Seo Hyeon-woo) wants to make a profitable hit. In hopes of prolonging her life, Dr Lee (Kwon Hae-hyo), Da-eum’s father, wants to determine how his daughter will live. As an exercise, you can easily watch the first couple of episodes of Our Movie and define the goals of all its characters โ and these goals all reflect some sort of selfish perspective.
These flawed characters establish complex relationships that start to question their beliefs, needs, and objectives. These bonds, whether professional, romantic, or familial, reflect their best and worst aspects and quietly ignite their growth. This growth happens in different shades and not necessarily in an arc that transforms a bad or misguided character into a good and admirable one. Characters in Our Movie, through the bonds they create and the experiences they face, become more selfless and less cynical. Their journey is one towards self-awareness, empathy, and altruism, one that continues way beyond the last episode.
Our Movie then proposes a series of questions to its characters โ and, consequently, to us, the audience. Is life the mere act of breathing? Is life the result of a series of coincidences or active choices? In the face of death, do our pettiness and resentment really matter? Could you love someone knowing how it ends?
These questions โ and their subsequent answers โ often start with Da-eum, our flawed heroine who is fated to die.
Da-eum as the Emotional Powerhouse of Our Movie
Da-eum is a character of intense contrast: she’s the embodiment of sunshine, joy, and life even though she’s sick, suffering, and dying. She’s mature, resilient, and sincere. She’s quirky and child-like โ but she could also be childish and irresponsible. She faces death with bravery and, despite her limited time on Earth, she loves wholeheartedly โ be it her family and friends, her dream of becoming an actress, her colleagues on set, Je-ha, or cinema itself. She fears hurting others, knowing quite well that the love they share will surely lead to pain eventually. Either way, she’s determined to create a life of her own design and this enigmatical, infinite will to live that guides her inspires the people she meets.
Da-eum is the thematic heart of Our Movie: through her character and her relationships, the show effectively delivers its messages. Our Movie dictates that life isn’t just about breathing day in, day out until the day we die. By connecting the first to the last episode, the series emphasises that life is a cycle of encounters and farewells, whose in-between is filled with choices and experiences that define who we are and what we want. Time is an opportunity that is given to us all, but what we do with it comes from our own volition.
Episode 10 summarises this idea through Da-eum’s perfectly delivered line:
I don’t think it was a coincidence that I desperately clung to you so I could be in this movie, that I found the courage to do that, that you found out the truth about your mother at that exact moment and decided to make Love in White differently from your father’s. Those weren’t coincidences at all. At that moment, we both chose to live differently and, in doing so, we chose each other.
As a whole, episode 10 offers an effective metaphor for the entire series. As the characters fight to finish their movie, they realise that this isn’t about the finished product in and of itself, but about the process of making it. At the end of this same episode, Da-eum โ who rarely sheds a tear, facing even the worst with a bright smile on her face โ is shown sobbing her eyes out, desperately telling Je-ha that she wants to live. This is a powerful, unforgettable scene, proving that Da-eum (also through Jeon Yeo-been’s stunningly layered performance) is a character whose contrasts establish much of the show’s emotional weight.
Da-eum is dying, yes. But she chooses to live.
Through Da-eum, we’re reminded of the ephemerality of the present moment and of the courage we need to live a truly meaningful life. We’re reminded that we’re gregarious beings and that we can go much further when we work together. Life isn’t made of big achievements or transformative experiences โ it’s made of the small moments we choose to dedicate our energy to. Maybe it’s going for a walk, dancing in the rain, laughing with a friend. Maybe it’s daring to take the first step towards a far-flung dream or to confess your feelings to a person who makes you feel special.
Da-eum, Je-ha & the Idea of Living Passionately
And here, we can also see how our extraordinary protagonist also serves as an illustration of love in all its intricacy. At first, Da-eum’s fierce passion for acting and storytelling inspires the people around her: her colleagues start to look at their own work with different eyes, and Je-ha can find purpose in the story he’s telling and in his whole career.
Soon enough, Da-eum proves that, regardless of its ending, duration, or form, we’re all worthy of love. This is another choice that we can make: we can allow ourselves to offer love to others and accept love in return. Je-ha, a person who carries a lot of hurt and anger from his childhood, has closed himself off from the world and given up on creating his own life. His upbringing distorted his views on trust and love. So, it’s Da-eum’s arrival that demolishes the walls he’s built, destroying his apathy and redefining the ideas of love and trust that he’d lost.
As Je-ha helps Da-eum realise her dream and offers her the experience of romantic love, Da-eum helps Je-ha shed the ghosts of his past and gather the courage he needs to bring truth to light. Their relationship not only gives them both freedom as individuals but also connects them in a bond of profound (and almost utopian) care, respect, and support. Once again, love โ just like life itself โ isn’t about how it ends. It’s about the process, the journey these two people decide to embark on together.
As usual, Namkoong Min offers an impeccable performance, with a subtle delivery that conveys endless unspoken emotions through his gaze and intonation. It’s all about the details when it comes to Namkoong’s Je-ha. Jeon’s Da-eum manages to break him down and, together, they slowly rebuild his character โ one that rarely smiles or cries, but when he does, he conveys the world. Quick side note: their chemistry is an incredibly natural, magnetic thing.
Bringing It All Together: The Resolution
With the show allowing most of its secrets to come to light in episode 9, Our Movie has time to give the narrative a proper and solid resolution, one which emphasises the characters’ development and lets them take a stance of loyalty, resolve, and selflessness. They are offered the option, in the last third of the show, to either continue with their self-serving attitudes or opt for togetherness, sincerity, and understanding. From that episode onwards, the characters and the narrative answer their final questions by portraying how love can be stronger than death, resentment, and anger.
In the face of death, these characters let go of their pettiness to reassess their behaviour, coming to realise that there’s always time to apologise, to share honest feelings, and to make up for our mistakes. The story doesn’t really advocate for forgiveness, but in return for sincere regret, it encourages its characters to see each other as fellow flawed humans. There are no extremes: life is full of different shades, different reasons, different misunderstandings. We need to remember that we all live with our own fears, sorrows, desires, and hopes โ and in the process of overcoming these fears or chasing these desires, we might hurt others. And that’s also part of life.
Our Movie: A Story About Women
Our Movie relies on a superb female protagonist, but it’s also a story that stands out for all its female characters โ and their relationships. Da-eum and her best friend, the adorable Gyo-yeong (stunningly played by Oh Kwung-hwa), have one of the greatest, most sincere friendships you’ll ever find (so much so that the intensity and beauty of their connection easily justifies Jae-in’s (Park Eun-woo) jealousy later on).
Our second female lead, the incredible Seo-yeong, is imbued with profound humanity. She admits to her mistakes and to the pettiest sides of her personality candidly; she wants to help others, but she wants to satisfy her own urges, too. She stands up for what she believes is right. She’s determined, outspoken, and unapologetically herself โ her similarities and differences with Da-eum make for an intriguing, organic, and vigorous dynamic between the two.
Seo-yeong is followed by another grey, complex character, CEO Go Hye-yeong (the always fantastic Seo Jung-yeon). CEO Go is intense, goal-oriented, and persistent โ even a bit too much at times. She defends the actors she manages and clearly fights against cheap journalism that is set on destroying actors’ lives (Our Movie quickly touches on the toxic celebrity culture in Korea as well). She is, too, offered an arc towards a more balanced self: as her beliefs and attitudes become distorted by the business, CEO Go is brought back to her roots by Seo-yeong and, of course, Da-eum.
Even Je-ha’s backstory is marked by amazing women: his mother, Yu Eun-ae (Lee Sang-hee), was extremely talented and kind. Despite being used by Je-ha’s father, she chose to spend her life doing what she loved most: writing. Her story is carried on by her friend and actress Kim Jin-yeo (Ye Soo-jung), a righteous and loyal companion who ends up living a life misjudged by society in order to protect her late friend’s wishes.
All of these storylines subtly deliver several messages about how women are seen and treated by society โ whether in the public eye or in their private lives. But they fight back, support each other, and create their own journeys. It’s beautiful to see how women are often helping fellow women in the show or offering vital words of consolation and advice to the people around them.
The Importance of a Framed Narrative to Our Movie
Our Movie tells its story through a framed narrative, that is, a story within a story (you can read more about it here). The main narrative of the series (Je-ha and Da-eum’s life) provides a framework for a secondary, embedded narrative (the story of Love in White). Love in White, the film that Je-ha writes and directs, not only reflects his reality but also reinforces the social and emotional role that filmmaking can play in our lives.
The script of Love in White was the means through which his mother could express herself, despite her suffocating relationship with Je-ha’s father. It becomes her legacy and the way Je-ha reconnects with her. Meanwhile, for Da-eum, the film Love in White allows her to express and immortalise her own existence. Through the film, she can connect with others (and even reconnect with past romances and friends). Even as she films her own making-of footage, Our Movie reminds us that filmmaking can also be a record of someone who was once here โ someone who lived, loved, and won’t be forgotten. The collective quality of filmmaking, its blend of passion and business, and its ability to not only portray emotion but also represent memory are all ideas established thanks to this framed narrative technique.
Visual Identity & Narrative Structure: The Technical Bits
The narrative unfolds in calculated beats, building its universe slowly and establishing characterisation with care. The story allows its moments and characters to breathe, never rushing through its scenes but also never dragging out its conflicts for longer than necessary. Episodes blend backstories, present events, and imagined scenarios from Love in White to build round characters that not only achieve a goal by the end of the series but also rediscover the complexity of their own identities, lives, and relationships.
The story’s consistent rhythm plays out in an environment whose visuals were also attentively crafted through different aspect ratios, careful colour grading, and meaningful compositions. The camera moves with a clear purpose, the lighting represents the characters’ mood and standing in a scene, and the texture of the image reflects the role of film in the story. Our Movie might be heartbreaking, but it’s absolutely beautiful to look at (despite its casual continuity mistakes). Besides visuals, performance, and the script, the soundtrack also helps build this wistful, soothing tone that Our Movie exudes.
Should You Watch Our Movie?
Offering an intricate portrayal of life, identity, and human bonds, Our Movie is a superb romantic drama that makes use of melodramatic elements without ever going overboard. Through a well-executed script, extraordinary performances, and an alluring visual identity, it portrays its characters as well-rounded, humane individuals that we can relate to and feel inspired by.
Our Movie is a dazzling, tender, and sensitive reminder of how life, with its ups and downs, is a precious journey that requires courage, hope, and love from all of us. Maybe we should all be a bit more like Da-eum: bravely facing today without counting on a tomorrow, daring to create a meaningful life, and loving โ ourselves, others, and our dreams โ without fear or restraint.
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