Every year, as the Chuseok holiday approaches, a comedy film is released in theaters as if by an unwritten rule. This has become a signal that marks the beginning of the holiday season and has established itself as a long-standing formula for box office success. In reality, this strategy is highly effective. When families, gathered together after a long time, look for content they can all enjoy, one of the first options that comes to mind is going to the movies. In particular, the release of a Chuseok comedy has become a satisfying annual event for both audiences and production companies, as the comedy genre, which allows for lighthearted laughter and enjoyment, fits the holiday atmosphere far better than heavy or serious topics.
The holiday season is typically not just a day or two, but a relatively long period. After a short while of sharing delicious food and catching up, the atmosphere can become somewhat static. It is precisely at this moment that the thought, "Shall we go see a movie?" naturally arises. At this point, the criteria for selection become clear: it must be a film that all generations, from grandparents to grandchildren, can relate to and enjoy together. Films with excessive violence, suggestive scenes, or profound philosophical messages can be burdensome. Consequently, light and cheerful comedy films naturally receive overwhelming support from family audiences.
For some time now, Korean comedy films released for holidays, especially Chuseok, have shared distinct characteristics. They tend to move beyond simple slapstick comedy and incorporate action elements to captivate the audience's eyes. To this mix, they often add gangsters, a particularly beloved subject in the Korean film industry, to construct a unique brand of comedy. What is interesting is that while the main target audience is families, the central narrative is often not about a family. This can be seen as a unique grammar of Korean-style comedy, which paradoxically creates a "family-like" bond and laughter through the happenings within a special community like a gang, rather than a family bound by blood.
The film that proudly carries on this legacy of Korean holiday comedy for the 2025 Chuseok season is <The Boss>. Of course, films of this genre are not always guaranteed overwhelming box office success. Sometimes they are met with a cold shoulder from the audience due to clichéd settings and forced humor. However, in most cases, the prevailing perception is that they at least "do decently well," providing a minimum level of fun and laughter, even if not a massive hit. The key to their success lies in the balance between silliness, comedy, and narrative. Even a setting that may feel somewhat childish can make audiences open their hearts and laugh out loud when it harmonizes with the actors' slick comedic performances and well-crafted humor on top of a solid narrative.
Whereas past Korean comedy films relied on exaggerated gestures and situations, the way content is now constructed and presented to the audience has become much more sophisticated. What is especially crucial in the comedy genre is the "rhythm" or "pacing" with the audience. The process of precisely designing the moments where laughter should erupt and naturally leading the audience's emotions to that point requires surprisingly elaborate direction. You cannot force laughter by being too ahead, nor can you miss the timing by being too late. Only by successfully navigating this delicate tightrope can the audience burst into pleasant laughter at the director's intended points.
When this comedic rhythm is successfully delivered to the audience, we leave the theater saying, "That movie was really fun." If it fails, the film is remembered merely as a childish and boring work, leaving only awkward moments where one doesn't know why they are supposed to be laughing. Above all, the greatest charm of watching a comedy film in a theater lies in the "synesthetic experience." A scene that might have just elicited a chuckle if I were alone has a magical power to become contagious and make me burst into even bigger laughter when the people next to me and in front of me are roaring with laughter together.
In that respect, the film <The Boss> can be evaluated as having successfully completed its primary mission of making the audience laugh. A comedy film cannot make the audience double over with laughter for its entire runtime. What is important is that the audience laughs together at the designated humor points as if by an unspoken agreement. <The Boss> succeeds right at that juncture. In the theater where I watched it, I could confirm that not only I, but many others in the audience, responded to the humor codes placed throughout the film with cheerful laughter. This was a moment that proved the film's comedic rhythm worked effectively on a majority of the audience.
The film opens with actor Lee Sung-min, who, despite being a special appearance, commands an immense presence. He plays the role of a former boss who dreams of a new life after leaving the organization, providing the catalyst for the film's narrative before making his exit. Lee Sung-min is a master actor who perfectly embodies any role with his own color, but looking at his filmography, one sometimes thinks, "He appears in comedic films like this too?" His comedic acting always provides unexpected pleasure to the audience, to the point where one might wonder if the actor himself has a special affection for the comedy genre.
The main story unfolds around the commotion caused by three men vying for the position of the new boss of the organization. The main characters, Jo Woo-jin, Jung Kyung-ho, and Park Ji-hwan, anchor the film with their distinct charms and comedic acting. However, there was one character whose presence was so minimal until the middle of the film that I almost forgot he was in it: Lee Kyu-hyung. At first, he seems like just another member of the gang, but after a certain incident, he awakens and begins to dominate the film's share of laughter. If asked to pick the most memorable scene after watching the movie, nine out of ten people would likely recall a scene featuring Lee Kyu-hyung, so overwhelming is his performance.
To exaggerate slightly, it can be asserted that if Lee Kyu-hyung were not in <The Boss>, the film's entertainment value would have dropped by more than half. His slick and unpredictable comedic performance breathes powerful vitality into a film that could have otherwise become cliché, completely captivating the audience. Additionally, actress Hwang Woo-seul-hye, a familiar face in Chuseok comedy films, also appears in this work, adding a sense of welcome. The plot itself has a simple structure about electing a new boss, but frankly, the narrative is not very important in this film. While some critics may give it harsh reviews, the proper way to watch a holiday comedy like <The Boss> is to enjoy it lightly with an open mind rather than to analyze its artistic merit. This Chuseok, if you want to have a good, thoughtless laugh with your family, <The Boss> will be a thoroughly satisfying choice.
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