The World Before begins with an emotional gut punch: a teenage girl finds a beloved elder alone, singing to herself. She sits and waits for the grandmother’s son to find her; afterwards, the grandmother insists that the girl stay and eat. Unfortunately, the grandmother passes, and the quiet community on this idyllic, remote island comes together to mourn. Jin is moved by the death of this fixture in her life, and her feelings are shared by her grandson, her childhood best friend Dujae, who has returned to the island for the funeral and an extended summer stay.
Yoon Dan-bi’s The World Before is not an explosive, emotion-driven narrative about two teenagers experiencing the oft-sweepingly romantic journey of the friend-to-lovers trope. While the emotions may be big and overwhelming for them, particularly for Jin, the film opts for a more sensitive, calm approach to the unfolding of this story.
The film is true to its genre as a slice-of-life drama; the score is mostly the sounds of life happening all around, such as chatter in the background, the sound of good food being slurped down, the gentle ocean waves in the background, wind whistling through the trees, the giggles of mischievous school girls teasing a boy one of them likes, running, panting and all the other sounds of life being lived all around our characters. The camera moves minimally, often staying as still as can be, the window through which we, the audience, peer to watch Jin and Dujae’s friendship evolve into something more.
As a second narrative feature, The World Before is an exquisite human story and showcases Yoon Dan-bi’s intuitive understanding of what it means to capture the world as it is. The visuals are incredibly intimate, personal, allowing the audience to feel fully immersed as two endearing, familiar teens explore themselves and each other. There is a kindness to how Yoon chooses to shoot this movie. No character feels like a stereotype or dramatized for the sake of entertainment. The awkward gestures, the natural dialogue, the attention to detail- the film is crafted with care and consideration.
First love stories are deceptively hard to portray, but I fear South Korean filmmakers and storytellers have cracked the code, Yoon Dan-bi being one of them. Sim Su-bin is sublime as our central protagonist, navigating the transition from a naive little girl to a young woman bursting with desire, jealousy, confusion, and love. Jin is much like many of us, quietly harbouring feelings for the guy bestie who doesn’t raise any alarms from the parents. Their platonic bond is palpable, and although Dujae and Jin are experiencing drastically different life issues that they keep to themselves, there is a subtle trust and understanding between them. Granted, there is the typical teenage hormone stop account for which complicates their dynamic.
Sim manages to convey so much of Jin’s internal conflict and monologue without resorting to dramatic facial expressions or gestures to speak to the audience. Yoon and Sim are in complete lockstep as they explore this young woman’s growing desire for this boy. Conversely, Kim Eo Jin is a capable young actor who showcases a different sort of coming-of-age experience, one that delves into familial drama. One of the benchmarks to adulthood is coming to terms with how one is raised and understanding the flaws our parents have, seeing them as human. However, typical teenage angst has Dujae avoiding the conversations and vocalizing his trauma.
These are the contrasting junctures that define their relationship, and the film is not eager to spin it into some sweeping romance with a comfy ending. Everyone has their own pace and time to grow and be shaped by their experiences, and what we have here is a film that offers us a snapshot of how fleeting these moments of great shifts can be. Before you know it, summer is over. The film concludes in a manner that suggests this is not the end. Selfishly, I would be more than happy to revisit Jin and Dujae in a follow-up film akin to the Thai coming-of-age duology. There is potential for Yoon to explore the dynamics of this young love, as the film ends with a lot left to be desired. Plus, Sim and Kim’s chemistry is palpable, the kind of on-screen pairing that leaves you wanting to see more.
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