When the month of September rolls in, it brings a change of season with it. Gone is the sweltering heat of summer and here come the orange leaves and pumpkin spice lattes. If you live in a tropical region where the only seasons are hot and less hot (like in Southeast Asia, where The Seoul Story is proudly based), you may not get the full autumn experience with all the falling leaves and warm, earthy colours everywhere. Nevertheless, everyone appreciates the longer nights and cooler temperatures that the last quarter of the year ushers in.

The looming end of the year and the many holidays that come with it also give us the chance to spend more time with family, friends, and most importantly, ourselves. What better way to make the most out of this time than to sit through a good cosy film?

So grab a hot drink, find your favourite blanket, and nestle in! In order of release date, here are five Korean films handpicked by The Seoul Story that will surely warm your heart this autumn.

1. My Sassy Girl (2001)

Cinema Service

It’s impossible to talk about comfort K-Films without mentioning this quintessential romantic comedy by director Kwak Jae Young. My Sassy Girl revolves around two college students, Gyeon Woo (Cha Tae Hyun) and an unnamed girl (Jun Ji Hyun), whose lives get irreversibly intertwined after a drunken encounter on the subway.

Told in three parts, the film’s charm lies in its final act which completely re-contextualises the narrative and changes everything we’ve come to know about the protagonists’ relationship. What’s more is that Jun Ji Hyun is an absolute joy to watch in this as she flexes her acting muscles to portray an unbelievably wide range of personalities from sweet and sentimental to downright crazy. If old-school, slapstick humour is your cup of tea, then buckle up because My Sassy Girl is nothing if not a wild ride.

2. The Beauty Inside (2015)

Next Entertainment World

The body-swap trope is pretty common in Korean productions, but director Baik’s stunning feature film debut completely elevates the concept. The Beauty Inside follows the life of Woo Jin, a man who wakes up in a different body every single day, and the woman he falls in love with, Yi Soo (Han Hyo Joo). Because of Woo Jin’s predicament, over 100 actors and actresses were tapped to portray the character, including Kim Dae Myung, Park Shin Hye, Park Seo Joon, Seo Kang Joon, Lee Dong Wook, and Yoo Yeon Seok.

While the film may stretch a little thin on some aspects because of its two-hour runtime, Baik’s masterful direction and Han Hyo Joo’s captivating chemistry with each of her leading men and women ultimately allows The Beauty Inside to shine through its faults. It manages to stay grounded despite the grand scale of the story it wants to tell by putting the characters’ humanity in the foreground. The Beauty Inside not only urges us to look beyond appearances but also reminds us that we are never the same person that we were yesterday.

3. My Annoying Brother (2016)

CJ Entertainment

Non-stop bickering is part and parcel of having siblings, and director Kwon Soo Kyung brings this dynamic to life in My Annoying Brother. In this film, estranged half-brothers Doo Shik (Jo Jung Suk) and Doo Young (Doh Kyung Soo) reunite after Doo Shik comes up with a scheme to use his brother’s visual impairment to secure parole. Chaos naturally ensues as they try to unpack the baggage of the past decade.

My Annoying Brother is one of the few films that has managed to strike the perfect balance between drama and comedy. It’s a film that knows when to have fun, when to rein it in, and above all, when to tug at our heartstrings. Jo Jung Suk and Doh Kyung Soo also complement each other magnificently in this film, and their on-screen sibling chemistry is guaranteed to make you see your own siblings in a different light.

4. Be With You (2018)

Lotte Entertainment

While Lee Jang Hoon’s directorial debut may seem like a typical romance film on the surface, it is, at its core, a story about death and second chances. It centres on Soo Ah (Son Ye Jin) who miraculously gets another shot at life after promising her husband, Woo Jin (So Ji Sub), and their son, Ji Ho (Kim Ji Hwan), that she’ll return from “Cloudland” once the rainy season begins. The newly reunited family enjoys their extended time together until they learn that Soo Ah must leave when the rain stops.

Son Ye Jin and So Ji Sub’s chemistry in this film is incredible, but their portrayal of selfless parents is truly the highlight of their performances. And despite having to act alongside veterans in the industry, child actor Kim Ji Hwan creates enough room for himself to shine, especially during his heartfelt monologue towards the end of the film. Combining magical realism, light-hearted comedy, and lessons on grief, Be With You is the perfect recipe for a good, cathartic cry.

5. On Your Wedding Day (2018)

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Anyone who has a “one that got away” can see themselves in On Your Wedding Day. In this film, director Lee Seok Geun takes us back to our youth riddled with impulsive decisions and many heartbreaks. It depicts the love story between Seung Hee (Park Bo Young) and Woo Yeon (Kim Young Kwang) that spans more than a decade, and, as the film’s title suggests, ultimately ends in a wedding that isn’t between them.

What makes On Your Wedding Day one of the best slice-of-life romantic comedies is that it isn’t afraid to tell the truth. It decides to show the nuances of a relationship without allowing its audiences to view it through rose-coloured glasses. Instead of dwelling too much on our what-ifs, the film encourages us to celebrate our growth throughout the years instead. Life and love are often tough pills to swallow, but if you want a generous dose of reality, On Your Wedding Day has you covered.

Check out The Seoul Story’s film review of On Your Wedding Day!

We all have our favourite films that we run to when we need a quick pick-me-up, and there’s no better season than autumn for staying in and snuggling up to movies that warm us up like a nice mug of hot chocolate.

Do you have other comfort K-Films in mind? If your picks didn’t make it to our list, feel free to share them in the comments below! Who knows, maybe it’ll be someone’s next go-to movie. 😉

Written by: Sai
Featured Image by: Sai