Next Sohee is a socially conscious screed that barely puts in the effort to pose as an actual story. While its core concern strikes an interesting turn as an expose, its messaging—though wholly sympathetic—is the be-all/end-all of the film, sacrificing all pretense of narrative for “pretense” and “narrative.”

Dull, preachy, and too lazy to do anything but the most perfunctory gesture at storytelling. Its one saving grace is the character work for its protagonists—though that may owe more to the solid performances from the lead actresses than anything in the script. It could and should have been able to rage against the machine while still weaving a compelling tale (either about an exploited worker or the investigation into exploitation), but it fails to deliver on it’s fundamental responsibility as a film: tell a good story.

There’s certainly something there, and the most fervently “activist” among the audience will undoubtedly forgive its failings regardless. But for anyone else, it will be an occasionally interesting swing and miss—sympathetic though it may ultimately be.