My Pistachio – Movie Review & Summary

Muyeong is a new member of his university drama club, mainly tasked with running errands for his seniors. He's secretly smitten with Hanbit, a director and screenwriter working on a school play. Muyeong loves the script that Hanbit wrote, memorizing every line. He makes several suggestions to enhance the quality and includes a reference of his love. However, the arrogant Hanbit dismisses his lowerclassman's constructive feedback. He disregards Muyeong's opinions rudely.

Muyeong gathers the courage to ask for the leading role in the play. He hopes to spend more time working with his crush. However, the main actor is already chosen, a conventionally handsome guy who overacts and gives hammy performances. Muyeong is visibly disappointed by the rejection, making Hanbit feel bad. Later, Hanbit gives a small compliment to his junior about making revisions to the script. However, Muyeong is still sad and doesn't feel cheered up.

The drama club members gather for a group meal before a rehearsal. Muyeong has bought Hanbit's favourite food, a bag of pistachio nuts. Hanbit explains to his friends about why he enjoys pistachios. He likes that the nuts have a rough appearance on the outside, but you crack them and discover a beautiful purity on the inside.

The play's rehearsal proceeds after the meal. Suddenly, a drunken Muyeong catches everyone's attention and makes an unexpected scene. He recites the play's dialogue, proclaiming the romantic lines directly to a startled Hanbit. As the two men exchange gazes, Hanbit

My Pistachio seemed like it could have potential. The quirky title, cute movie poster, and experienced BL production studio created a positive impression, setting up decent expectations. Unfortunately, I was a little underwhelmed by this short twenty-minute film. My first thought as the ending credits rolled was, "Is that it?" Then, I watched the movie again to see if I missed anything. But nope, the second viewing confirmed my lack of enthusiasm.

I understand the gist of the simple romance between an arrogant director and an aspiring actor. My Pistachio is a low-key film, easy to follow, and carries an ordinary charm. However, this mundane movie is missing oomph and excitement. The flat story doesn't enthuse me. The dry relationship dynamic doesn't inspire me. Nothing really connects with me. My Pistachio is like the equivalent of lukewarm water, leaving behind an aftertaste of bland indifference.

With only eighteen minutes to tell a story, My Pistachio needs a laser focus on maximizing every scene in the narrative. Unfortunately, the movie's script isn't tight enough, wasting time on silly superfluous exchanges. Most of the filler could be trimmed, freeing up time to flesh out Hanbit & Muyeong's underdeveloped characterizations. They don't feel like memorable leads, only defined by one or two traits. I'm not emotionally invested in these protagonists or their thin personalities, making My Pistachio less engaging to watch.

My Pistachio also needs more scenes to build up the rapport between Muyeong and Hanbit. While the actors do a decent job, their characters haven't interacted enough to persuade me of their weak romantic connection. Let's start with why Muyeong has a crush on Hanbit. Tell me his reasons for liking a rude, condescending jerk who dismisses his opinions and openly disrespects him. I also think Hanbit's feelings for Muyeong are vaguely defined. Give me stronger signs and signals that Hanbit has developed an attraction for his love interest.

The dramatic finale is the only time when My Pistachio kicks the story up a gear and stirs my emotions. However, the adrenaline is short-lived because the movie ends immediately afterwards, just as it came to life. Overall, this uneventful short film is disappointing to me. With that said, I realize it's a small, harmless BL love story and doesn't warrant a strong negative reaction. I also appreciate its sincerity, conveying a gay relationship earnestly and sensitively. My Pistachio falls below expectations, but it's still an acceptable product and deserves an average score.