The film We Are Every Day is an unfortunate work that had to endure a truly long and arduous time before reaching its theatrical release. Originally, this project successfully wrapped up all filming in 2021 and was scheduled to meet audiences in 2022 after post-production. However, around the time the ADR (Additional Dialogue Replacement) process was nearing completion to enhance the film's quality, a fatal and disgraceful incident occurred involving the lead actress, Kim Sae-ron. Consequently, the film's release faced the painful situation of being postponed indefinitely, and it was only in 2026, after many twists and turns, that it finally saw a belated premiere. Considering the hard work of the numerous production staff and fellow actors who poured their sweat into the project, the regret caused by such a delayed release is beyond words.
Lead actress Kim Sae-ron was a genius former child star who made a strong impression on the public and instantly gained fame through the film The Man from Nowhere at a very young age. Without resting on her laurels, she crossed over various genres of dramas and films, proving her excellent acting skills as she grew into an adult actor, and carrying the expectations of both the public and critics. Unfortunately, after the occurrence of an irreversible and major incident—a DUI—she lost the public's trust and walked down a path of an uncontrollable downfall. The fact that a brilliant actor, whose growth we had watched on screen since childhood and who led narratives with great acting, can no longer be fully seen in the pop culture industry is a truly bitter and regrettable loss for the Korean film industry as well.
Due to this external background, the film We Are Every Day practically holds the meaning of being Kim Sae-ron's 'final posthumous-like work,' containing her last performance in the pop culture industry. Watching this film by chance with a complimentary ticket, without knowing any prior information or the casting lineup, brought a huge surprise right from the first scene due to the incredibly youthful appearances of the actors on screen. What caught the eye above all was the appearance of the male lead, actor Lee Chae-min. As he recently rose to mainstream stardom and gained immense public popularity through the hit drama Chef of the Tyrant, facing his unpolished, fresh past on screen serves as another charming point of watching the movie.
Because this work was filmed in 2021, it perfectly captures the much younger and purer early-20s face of actor Lee Chae-min, who is currently 25 years old. As the background of the play deals with the fresh stories of seventeen-year-old youths who have just graduated from middle school and become high schoolers, the unique clear and refreshing energy that Lee Chae-min radiates harmonizes perfectly with the character 'Oh Ho-soo.' His boyish appearance, not yet showing the signs of a full adult, and his unpolished, raw emotional expressions exert a powerful force that offsets the potentially childish flaws of a teen romance and naturally leads the audience into the memories of their pure school days.
Another important core figure who enriches the narrative of the play is actress Choi Yu-ju. Having first made her name known as a member of the girl group Cherry Bullet, she imprinted her potential as a full-fledged actress on the public through this film. The opening of the movie begins with a simple yet affectionate scene where the female protagonist 'Han Yeo-wool,' played by Kim Sae-ron, and the male protagonist 'Oh Ho-soo,' played by Lee Chae-min, are walking side by side. They are set as seventeen-year-olds who are wrapping up their middle school lives and are just about to enter high school, passing through the most radiant yet unstable period of life, thereby heightening expectations for the fresh narrative that will unfold.
Han Yeo-wool and Oh Ho-soo are close childhood friends who have grown up together without any barriers since they were very young. The relationship between the two, which had been firmly bound by the name of friendship beyond gender, faces a massive turning point through a sudden confession unexpectedly delivered by Oh Ho-soo while they were walking down the street. Ho-soo gives Yeo-wool a surprise kiss and honestly confesses the romantic feelings he had hidden for a long time. Yeo-wool cannot hide her bewilderment at the sudden action of Ho-soo, whom she had treated as a friend her whole life, and shows signs of distress and fear of losing a precious friend. Then, Ho-soo reassures her so she won't feel burdened, offering a considerate comfort by saying that he will be going to a completely different high school, so she shouldn't worry about their friendship breaking.
However, the threads of fate tangle in a completely different direction than Ho-soo expected. Yeo-wool, who he firmly believed was going to another school, ends up being assigned to and appearing at the exact same high school Ho-soo entered, following a senior on the basketball team she had a crush on. A strange atmosphere flows between the two who encounter each other again in an unexpected place, and Yeo-wool draws a line, demanding that they remain comfortable friends as before, stating she absolutely hates things getting awkward between childhood friends. Ho-soo also respects Yeo-wool's wishes and promises to remain a good friend on the surface, but he leaves an affectionate request asking her not to try hard to ignore or deny his feelings of liking her, as she never knows when her own feelings might change. Adding to this, Kim Joo-yeon (played by Choi Yu-ju), a cheerful middle school classmate of the two, is assigned to the same class, setting the story in full motion.
As relationships intertwine in the new space of high school, the film expands its narrative beyond simple unrequited love into complex love triangles and love squares. In this process, the big and small misunderstandings typical of youth dramas bloom, and emotional clashes occur. However, the greatest virtue of this film is that the characters never cowardly hide or deceive their emotions. Rather than concealing their hearts under the pretext of being considerate to others, they confess their fresh feelings toward the other person in a surprisingly honest and straightforward manner. Befitting teenage protagonists going through the stormy period of puberty, the way they transparently express their hearts despite bumping into each other is depicted very freshly and adorably throughout the film.
What is interesting is the fact that from the planning stage, this project was scheduled to be produced and presented not only as a theatrical film but also in a drama format. Now that the film version has finally seen the light of day, it is cautiously predicted that the drama version, containing a more expanded narrative, will also be released to the public through an OTT platform in the near future. Actually, looking at the dense plot development or the narrative structure that builds the relationships between characters, a deep sense of regret remains that the drama format, which can delicately build emotional lines with a longer breath, would suit this work much better than a movie that has to compress everything into a short running time.
Whether it is due to the linked planning with the drama or the limitations of a strictly low-budget romance, the excessively monotonous spatial background of the play is a major factor that degrades cinematic completeness. Instead of the elegant mise-en-scène or beautiful, dramatic outdoor scenery typical of romance films, the directing that repeatedly shows only limited spaces like stuffy school classrooms and homes throughout the running time leaves a visual disappointment. Of course, the flashy depictions might have been excluded due to the calm narrative structure where the two protagonists only carefully confirm each other's feelings toward the end of the film. The bitter reality that only the two actors, Lee Chae-min and Choi Yu-ju, had to lonely attend meaningful events like the press screening and press conference to promote the film due to the lead actress's absence makes one's heart ache. Nevertheless, for audiences who are tired of provocative narratives and prefer the pure, calm, and fresh romance of adolescent youth, it is a film with a modest charm worth watching at least once.
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