
Heart
2020

Representation Score
Limited
2019
Director
Shin Yang-joong
Runtime
99 minutes
Average Rating
No ratings yetNew Showbiz Analysis
How to Live in This World is a domestic drama that critiques the sustainability of long-term marriage. It avoids idealized family clichés, offering a cynical view of human ability to act in marital breakdowns. The film's strength lies in its refusal to depict a perfect domestic unit, instead exploring the complexities of modern companionship and situational ethics. However, the narrative is limited by its narrow focus, lacking representation for LGBTQ+ identities and disability.
Category Breakdown
The film focuses solely on heterosexual marriages and does not include any LGBTQ+ identities or narratives.
Both male and female characters play significant roles in driving the story, challenging traditional gender stereotypes by showing women seeking autonomy and men facing moral ambiguity.
As a South Korean production, the film centers on a non-Western social structure and reflects a specific domestic cultural context without highlighting multi-ethnic casting.
The narrative questions traditional marital ideals by prioritizing individual emotional satisfaction over the sanctity of marriage, scrutinizing rather than upholding the institution.
The story does not address any characters dealing with physical, neurodivergent, or mental health challenges.
Present on Screen
Limited or Absent
Official Synopsis
Young-wook and Yeon-kyung have been married for 10 years and are slightly worried about their estranged relationship. With their love life decreasing, the two begin to seek attraction elsewhere. Yeon-kyung meets Min-sik, a gallery customer, and falls in love with his charm. Meanwhile, Young-wook meets a debtor's ex-wife in search of a dormant debtor and cannot resist the temptation to sleep with her. In the end, they both find themselves examining love and will the two recover their happiness as when they were first married?

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