The Korean adaptation of a Japanese manga of the same name, “Little Forest” is a Korean movie about a young woman, Hye-Won, who fails to live in the city and moves back to her rural hometown. There, she heals her emotional wounds through food, friends, and nature.
The movie stars Kim Tae-Ri as Hye-Won and Hye-Won’s two friends. Hye-Won’s friends, Jae-Ha and Eun-Sook, are played by Ryoo Joon-Yeol and Jin Ki-Joo, respectively.
Like the Japanese adaptation of the manga, “Little Forest” is divided through the changing of the seasons. Each season shows the protagonist developing in some way, shape, or form.
The friends in this film are admirable. Despite the number of times they bicker, they truly appear to care for each other. The on-screen chemistry does not deny this.
“My thoughts on the movie is that it is a nice relaxing movie to watch since there is no real villain,” said Helen Chen, 11. “It is just a girl’s conflict with her mother, which gets resolved over time with the help of her friends. The problems the characters have are kind of minor, so you know it is going to work out at the end.”
Personally, the most important aspect of the film is the appearance of Korean cuisine. Whenever Hye-Won was cooking, I thought that I was on a cooking show very briefly with high-quality filming and mouth-watering food. Through food, Hye-Won connects to her mother although they do not share a single scene together, except through flashbacks.
However, people will definitely notice the lack of conflict. This movie will be best for those who like slice-of-life, slow pacing with definite development, and calming atmosphere.