[FILM REVIEW] The First Ride (2025)

When Nam Dae-joong’s The First Ride opens, we witness the premature birth of Yeon-min (ASTRO’s Cha Eun-woo). At six, he befriends Tae-jung (Kang Ha-neul), Do-jin (Kim Young-kwang), and Geum-bok (Kang Young-seok). Yeon-min is shy, but with the trio by his side, he slowly comes out of his shell. By high school, he has grown into a strikingly handsome teenager—though completely unaware of the effect he has on everyone around him. Instead of recognising his own charm or pursuing his dream of becoming a DJ, he’s convinced he should be a comedian.  

As for the others: Tae-jung is a studying and fighting ace; Do-jin, once a promising basketball player, ends up chasing Yeon-min’s DJ dream instead; and Geum-bok is doing everything he can to avoid following in his mother’s footsteps as a Buddhist monk.

Yeon-min announces to the group that his family will be migrating to New Zealand, so as a last hurrah together, they decide to go on a trip to Thailand (of course, this came with a lot of convincing their parents). However, that trip does not happen because, in true comedic fashion, they end up missing the bus.

Years pass, and Yeon-min has long vanished from their lives after moving to New Zealand. Tae-jung is now a political aide; Do-jin has developed an unspecified mental illness and is institutionalised; and Geum-bok works as a tattooist at the temple where his mother serves as a nun. Because their childhood trip never came to fruition, Do-jin insists that the group reunite to finally make it happen and celebrate Songkran. In place of the absent Yeon-min, he brings along a life-sized effigy—much to the mortification of the ever-serious Tae-jung. 

Tagging along is Ok-shim (Han Seon-hwa), Tae-jung’s admirer, who unfortunately endures constant berating and humiliation from him, yet still returns, eager for any scrap of affection. This time, the group actually makes it to Thailand—and, as expected in a comedy, chaos follows. The friends quickly find themselves in a string of absurd misadventures: getting arrested, going accidentally viral on Instagram, and more.

The film does appear to have plot holes, and you may find yourself confused at certain points, but a final twist (which we would not spoil here!) ties everything together in a surprisingly emotional way—you might even tear up at the reveal.

The First Ride is a heartfelt movie about friendship, but at times it takes a lighter approach that may not resonate with everyone. Now showing in Golden Village.

Running time: 116 minutes
The Seoul Story’s rating: 3/5

Written by: Atiqah Rosle
Photos by: Purple Plan SG

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