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Hee-Soo

Name: Hee-Soo
Director: Choi Sang-yeol
Released: 2021
Duration: 75 min

Representation Score

4.9/10

Fair

2021

Director

Choi Sang-yeol

Runtime

75 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Hee-Soo is a psychological sci-fi drama that emphasizes thematic exploration over demographic diversity. It avoids radical social restructuring, focusing instead on the intersection of human grief and speculative technology. The film's strength lies in its ability to disrupt conventional expectations of mourning by introducing an AI surrogate for a deceased child, creating a space to examine subjective morality and the psychological complexities of the digital age. However, the film lacks explicit representation of diverse identities, operating primarily within a standard familial archetype and offering little engagement with LGBTQ+ or disability-focused narratives.

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Category Breakdown

Does Hee-Soo have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The story focuses on a traditional family structure. There are no explicit representations of LGBTQ+ identities or critiques of the assumption that everyone is straight.

How does Hee-Soo portray gender?

Fair

Both parents are shown through their emotional responses to loss. Jueun's intense interest in AI suggests a departure from passive maternal roles, though their roles remain within a domestic setting.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Hee-Soo?

Fair

As a South Korean production, the film offers a culturally specific perspective. The cast is homogeneous in ethnicity, although the sci-fi elements provide a broader technological context.

How does Hee-Soo represent religion and culture?

Good

The film examines the breakdown of traditional mourning practices through technological obsession. It questions the sanctity of natural life cycles by exploring the pursuit of happiness through digital means.

Does Hee-Soo include disability representation?

Minimal

The narrative does not include any characters with visible or invisible disabilities, neurodivergence, or chronic illnesses.

Present on Screen

Explores complex psychological themes related to grief and technological obsession.
Challenges traditional mourning processes through a speculative science fiction lens.
Provides a culturally specific South Korean perspective on modern loss.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight relationships.
Does not include any characters with visible or invisible disabilities.
Relies on conventional familial archetypes rather than diverse social identities.

Official Synopsis

Jueun and Taehoon, who lost their 6-year-old daughter Heesoo in a car accident, I live day by day without being able to escape the sense of loss. Taehoon, who couldn't see Jooeun getting ruined, At the recommendation of my friend, Junbeom, who is a program developer, I restored my daughter Heesoo to VR. The family that seemed to be looking for happiness again. Due to Jueun's strong obsession with AI Heesoo, It's getting worse.

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