Sunny (2011)

Imagine reuniting with your high school best friends when you are fortysomething, the memories that will evoke and the stark contrast between what you were back in the day to who you are now as an adult. What exactly happened to that teenager? When did you lose all your dreams and aspirations? All that teenage spirit?
Sunny is all about the feeling of nostalgia done right, it's not depressing in any way despite the circumstances some of the characters find themselves in. It’s full of heartwarming moments between a group of girls who are trying to survive as one, in a period of violence and repression (the 70s and 80s in Korea), but also the same group of girls who are trying to bring back that lost solidarity in the modern world where all of them are going through some sort of personal crisis.  The story jumps from the present to the past, but the transitions are done so smoothly and cleverly that it won't feel out of the place, in fact, I could say that this is one of the best transitions I've seen in Korean Cinema.

Moving on to the actresses and actors, They all did a brilliant job, and I would like to thank the casting director who did a wonderful job at choosing Kang So-Ra to play the younger self of Ha Chun-Hwa while Jin Hee-Kyung to play the adult version, that hair is on point! Beautiful!

Apart from my obsession with hair, I loved this movie for its use of comedy in places where one might say that comedy is not suitable, for example, the scene where our girls and a rival gang have a fight at the same place where the police are busy crushing a group of anti-government activists. This is definitely one of my favorites because there, for a moment, I did not see a difference between a group of teenage girls fighting to a group of adult men fighting, both parties are driven by almost the same reason, which is to the gain upper hand or in other words power.

These are just a few examples to why I love this movie so much, and although the plot itself might not be perfect (there were some unexplained potholes that kept me wondering for some time) but if you ignore those, this is a rich coming-to-age movie that celebrates girl friendship, and girl power. Honestly, it’s a reminder for all us girls, to value the friendship that thrives through hardships in life because often media portray girl friendships as weak and fragile which we sometimes tend to believe in, but that’s not entirely true. Sunny is a reminder that female friendship can indeed be something beautiful.

Bonus points for all the  70s and 80s  pop songs!
‘Sunny’ by Boney M and ‘Touch By Touch’ by Joy are some of my favorites!

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Sunny is an absolute delight to watch—it's the friendship film that we all need.

In the way, the film explores the power of friendship in the most non-dramatic way possible but still tries its best to be sentimental (in a good way) and to be connected.

The flashbacks are incorporated so well with the present that it moves the narrative along in such a smooth way. Even the way the past contrasts with the present fall into place so perfectly. There is so much anticipation to get to know each character, to explore them and to love them. Just when you think you know how they'd turn out—you're in for a surprise.

There is comedy, there is drama, there is dancing and singing and even a tadbit of romance. In a way, the Sunny gang brings you into their world and immerse you in it. Their differences, their style, their talking, their singing and their dancing—they want you to experience it too. So screw the world, these girls create their own sub-culture and not confirming to the reality by simply—being them. And of course, their friendship is a mirror of female bonding.

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I think what makes "Sunny" one of the best movies I have seen is how well balanced it is. It was executed in such a fantastic way I felt that I was watching a whole drama, and not a movie.

What I like about it is that it never reveals too much, yet it doesn't leave the viewer in the dark. Also, the characters' development is very well and realistically done. All of the characters are facing real problems both in the past and present. Music accompanies the movie in such a subtle way, yet emphasizes the emotion in different situations. All of the actors were great and I can't wait to see more of them, since this is the first time I am seeing the most.

The only thing i selfishly wish is that there was more. I wish I could see more of some characters' backgrounds. But that would probably do the movie more harm than good.

To conclude this review, I definitely recommend seeing this movie and I hope that you will enjoy in it as much as I did.

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Truly charming and enjoyable

A woman dying of cancer starts off the attempt to gather her old school friends, as well as the personal journey of NaMi, who was asked to find the old friends. The efforts and NaMi remembering the old days make it for a very enjoyable movie.
The movie could be used in university courses when teaching about leadership, transformational leadership etc. Chun Hwa, the leader of the group in school, and now losing her battle to cancer, shows time and time again why she is a leader. She fights to retrieve her friends caught in a confrontation involving the military, demonstrations and a rival gang of girls. She does what she can to help, and ensure the unity of the group, ... and in the end, from beyond her casket, she pulls yet another giving the grown up women a sense of hope, and trust in themselves (you have to see it).
The proof the movie is good? Not only will these actresses go on working in many productions as leads, secondary roles and performing cameos, but something must have clicked among them as well. For the next 7-8 years you will find the actresses, who were playing the highschool roles, working 2 at a time, 3 at a time, together in movies and kdramas.

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This movie is AMAZING!! I just loved every single minute of it. This movie really makes me want to call all my friends and tell them how much I love them and no matter what they will always be the most important people in my life. Watching this movie made me really jealous because even though they haven't seen each other in so long, they were able to find each other and become friends again. I wonder if in the future, will I still be able to be with my friends? Will they still be my friends? This movie has taught me that we shouldn't take advantage of our life because we don't know what happens tomorrow. We should spend every minute of everyday like it is our last. We should spend it with the people we love the most. This movie is very touching.

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“This was the sunniest moment of our lives.”

As a high school student myself, who’s going through some rough times through adulthood, I am beyond amazed by this film. Not only does this film resembles a great friendship and solidarity, but it made you feel like you’re going through the story yourself.

It’s been a long time since I last wrote a review here, since I’ve been caught up in school assignments, and was currently in a Western-movie/series marathon, but I know this film is just perfect for a movie day with my cousins and I need to watch this movie as soon as possible. And yes, this movie is perfect to watch anytime, anywhere and with anyone! You’ll definitely laugh out loud watching this one, your eyes would definitely drop a tear or two, and you’ll smile and feel nostalgic.

The friendship portrayed in this movie may be the best I’ve ever seen, and the casts were just undescribably perfect in every scene. I’m a sucker for friendship movies, and as a fan, I think this movie deserves to be seen by everyone. Thank you to everyone that made this movie happen—all the casts, the directors, the producers and writers, the staffs. Overall, a solid 100/10! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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A Gem of a Movie

OMG!! What a great movie about friendship and finding it again. I really enjoyed everything about the movie. The cast was great and they worked really well together. Kang So Ra as Ha Chun Hwa and Shim Eun Kyeong as Im Na Mi were really great. I mean the whole cast played their parts well but these two were the standouts for me. I loved the actresses that played the older versions of them too; so shout out to Jin Hee Kyung and Yoo Ho Jung.

The movie brought back so much nostalgia for me. I had a core group of friends in highschool and we did so many things together. I had a blast my four years of highschool and this really made me remember how much fun we all had. The movie also reminded me of the movie Now and Then. I'm pretty much a sucker for good movies about female freindships.

This is really just a genuinely good movie with a great cast!!

Thanks for the recommendation @suckerforhappyendings! You made my afternoon.

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"You are the protagonist of your life."

When I first saw this years ago available for stream on Netflix when they still used the star system, I kept avoiding it. The title and the cover did not appeal to me at all. But after exhausting the other high-starred foreign films and enjoying them, I finally caved on this one. Ultimately, the concept of don't judge a book by its cover came into play once again.

This slice-of-life was really well put together and had that magical ability to make you laugh, smile, and cry. For me, one who is far from her teen years, it also instigated self-reflection and a look-back on how much has changed since then.

The plot is seemingly simplistic- a reunion of a group of women who knew one another in high school. It sounds a little bland and a little predictable but it really is much more than that. If you're like me who isn't usually interested in these types of plots, you may also be pleasantly surprised at how much you'll enjoy it.

This is one of the main ones I have recommended to many as an intro into Korean films, all of whom have varying preferences in genres, and I've only ever received positive feedback from them.

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I was looking for a feel-good korean movie when I came across this, and it hit the spot!

This movie proved to me once again why korean film-making holds a special place in my heart and never disappoints. “Sunny” is a well produced tale about friendship, dreams, self-discovery and, inevitably, life itself. It’s definitely a must-watch for any Reply 1988 fans!

The girls’ gang is every girl's dream and will conquer you in a heartbeat. The acting is so spot on (both present and past) that you’ll have no choice but to feel like one of them. Their friendship is mesmerizing and their quirky personalities will fill you with pure joy.

It’s not a sugar coated coming of age story, it has some really raw moments. I also loved how they showed the social and political context at the time, always in a funny but meaningful way.The nostalgic 80’s soundtrack was the cherry on top!

It does a great job in portraying the feeling of being young and full of dreams, like you’re unstoppable and nothing could ever hold you down. When we grow up we’re told to abandon that feeling and when life happens and plans get put aside, one thing remains: friendship. This movie reminds you of being the protagonist in your own life and appreciate the people around you who make your life sunny.

Overall, I think it’s a great movie. It’s hilarious, but heartwarming. It will make you smile, but also shed some tears (it’s a korean movie after all). It’s a really touching story and became one of my fav korean movies, I highly recommend it!

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