404 Still Remain – Movie Review

The year is 2001. Gyeong Hwan is a high school freshman who has just moved to a new town with his mother. His dad ditched the family, so the two of them are basically starting over. For now, they're staying with Gyeong Hwan's uncle. His mom plans to open a clothing store in an underground mall. According to her older brother, that's supposed to be a fantastic retail spot.

Gyeong Hwan also has to survive being the new kid at school. Thankfully, he gets seated beside Jae Min, a friendly classmate who quickly grows close to him. The two teens realize they have a lot in common, especially their interest in Japanese culture. Gyeong Hwan is constantly listening to DEPARTURES by Globe, while Jae Min keeps recommending FACES PLACES as the superior song. Whenever they listen to music together, Gyeong Hwan sits beside Jae Min and shares his headphones.

Their friendship is built on liking the same nerdy stuff. Gyeong Hwan is Team Kindaichi, Dragon Ball, and Inuyasha. Jae Min prefers Conan, Slam Dunk, and One Piece. They tease each other because their tastes are complete opposites, which just gives them more things to talk about. Gyeong Hwan is also a huge internet nerd. Since he loves downloading music and anime, he spends plenty of time online. He even runs his own warez site where people can download the files he uploads.

Gyeong Hwan is hopeless at sports, especially during basketball drills. His lack of athletic ability already makes him stand out. Add in his geeky interests, and the bullies quickly decide he's an easy target. At first, they make fun of his obsession with anime and Japanese music. Then the harassment gets uglier. The insults become homophobic. The bullying turns physical. His classmates throw things at him and rough him up. Somehow, the teachers manage to never intervene.

School is miserable, but at least Gyeong Hwan has Jae Min for comfort. Their friendship keeps growing stronger, and Jae Min eventually shares a secret about himself. He used to be the new kid too. At his old school, Jae Min was bullied before transferring and reinventing himself with a lot more confidence. Now, Jae Min doesn't get bullied anymore. But still, that history helps him understand what Gyeong Hwan is going through.

As they spend time together, Gyeong Hwan realizes his friend's home life isn't exactly relaxing. Jae Min's mother is a middle school teacher with the terrifying nickname The Viper. She keeps a very close eye on his grades and pretty much everything else he does. At first, she approves of Gyeong Hwan because he's a good student. Finally, the friendship passes the Asian Mom Background Check. But Gyeong Hwan soon notices how much pressure Jae Min is under. From the outside, Jae Min seems confident. Deep down, his life is a lot more stressful than it looks.

404 Still Remain won me over quickly. This charming coming-of-age movie is set in 2001, and I love how the story is filled with pop culture references from that era. I rock with the old-school vibes! I also rock with Gyeong Hwan, the adorkable lead. Somewhere between his Conan vs. Kindaichi debate and crying at My Sassy Girl, I've grown fond of him. I wanna adopt this awkward gay nerd into the House of BL Watcher and protect him from all the bullies. Anyone who hurts Gyeong Hwan will have to deal with me personally!

My favourite part of the movie is Gyeong Hwan's crush on Jae Min. 404 Still Remain does a terrific job of turning this bromance into a maybe-romance. Early on, their interactions are so sweet. The movie's first 45 minutes are like a wholesome Korean high school BL drama, showing how these two teens develop feelings for each other. I love their cute little scenes together, especially when they're listening to music. Sometimes, Gyeong Hwan throws Jae Min a quick glance or fights off a shy smile. Yup, those moments get to me the most! I'm rooting for them to confess, become boyfriends, and then live happily ever after.

The lead actor (Sim Hyun Seo) plays Gyeong Hwan well. He's convincing as a soft-spoken teenager with a bashful smile and a slightly wounded expression. I particularly like him during the emotional scenes. He portrays his hurt feelings so convincingly. like the sadness comes from somewhere deep inside him. His co-star (Hyun Woo Seok) also brings a solid performance. Early on, he's charismatic as hell. Later, Jae Min's behaviour gets frustrating, but the actor stays likable enough to keep his character sympathetic. Plus, his teary-eyed look is devastating!

I enjoyed the first half of the movie, which seemed on track to be a fine coming-of-age story. But then, the second half gets much uglier. The school bullying spirals out of control. Scene after scene, everyone piles on Gyeong Hwan and makes his life miserable. His classmates are assholes to him. Even the teachers join in on the torment. Ugh… The bullying feels so excessive. Do we need to watch him get called slurs over and over? Everyone's cruelty seems incredibly exaggerated. They act like cartoon villains, which makes the story feel less believable.

The budding romance also goes to hell in the second half. In a heartbreaking turn of events, Jae Min gets insecure and turns against Gyeong Hwan. He's just a boy, standing in front of another boy, spewing homophobic insults at him. Ouch. Between Jae Min's self-loathing and Gyeong Hwan's spiralling, their relationship doesn't feel sweet anymore. Without the romance, what's left of this movie? Homophobia and school bullying. Unfortunately, 404 Still Remain loses some of its earlier charm. The heavier storylines have knocked down my enthusiasm a notch.

I love the movie's gorgeous soundtrack. In particular, the ending song matches the poignant emotions in the finale so beautifully. And that last scene? It makes me yell at the screen, "Nooo! Why didn't he check inside the CD!?" Even though it's a sad ending, I like that the story doesn't force a happy resolution. It leaves us with a sense of regret, which is a more memorable way to finish the movie. Overall, I've enjoyed 404 Still Remain. The story makes me a little emotional. With that said, I prefer the positive vibes in the beginning more than the angst and heartache near the end.