A thought-provoking sci-fi work

Some say that the best science fiction puts a spotlight on some part of the human condition, and this short film does just that.

Main character Tae Eun's girlfriend Joo An no longer has a human body: after carrying out a medical operation which transferred her consciousness to a computer system, she now has a web-camera for her eyes, a speaker for her mouth, and control over their home's devices for her hands. And although the change was by Joo An's choice and Tae Eun was supportive, the two both struggle to adjust to this new reality, and are confronted with the need to communicate and to consider each other's perspectives.

Love Does Human has a bit of a slow start, and there were points where I didn't understand why the characters were reacting in a certain way, but it all comes together beautifully in the end. Through its sci-fi premise, viewers are encouraged to think about real-life problems using a different angle, and the movie never gets too heavy. Also, shoutout to some excellent voice work from the two actors - Joo An is performed nearly entirely through voice but she feels deeply human and present, and Tae Eun's actor also has a standout scene featuring some great voice acting. All in all, it's a short film that's well worth checking out!

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A hidden gem

Having watched the trailer, I was expecting this short film to just be a fun physical comedy about the main character trying to avoid her ex-girlfriend while still doing her job as second camera assistant. And it is successful in that regard - the comedic scenes really are very funny - but it's also doing a lot more than that.

The main character is someone who has failed in multiple respects: she wants to make movies, but now she can only help other people make theirs; she seems to still like her ex, but now only avoids her. On paper, it sounds depressing, but the main character's situation is treated with delicacy and humour, and the ending is gently uplifting.

What I was most surprised by was how much ground is covered. Despite the the story taking place over a single day and there being no music and only sparse dialogue, there's a great deal of thought and emotion packed into this short film's 11-minute runtime. The director has an excellent sense for how to let the scenes breathe while also keeping them as concise as possible, and the two leads hit it out of the park with some genuinely affecting performances.

I really hope more people will watch this short film, and I myself will definitely be checking out the directors' other work should the opportunity arise.

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For fans of Parasite and Ha Yoon Kyung

What grabbed me about this short film is, without a doubt, its production. It feels strongly Parasite-inspired in its lush setting, muted palette, and tone which blends thriller and satire, and although it lacks the depth of the movie it's aping, I do think that viewers craving something with a similar vibe will come away reasonably satisfied.

The same goes for fans of lead actor Ha Yoon Kyung, who is now gaining recognition for her role in Extraordinary Attorney Woo. She does well with the material she is given - there's a nice moment in the trailer where you can see her seething as she watches the other maid frolicking in the garden with their (male) employer - and her character is queer, which is always a plus.

That being said, it does feel like due to the focus on emulating Parasite's atmosphere, not enough attention was given to other elements of the movie. The story and characters are not especially fleshed out, and the younger maid Ji Yoon's characterisation as a mix of ingénue and femme fatale may be divisive. On a technical level, the editing is sometimes confusing, making it difficult for viewers to tell where characters are in relation to one another (this is a particular problem in the second half, which takes place in the nearby woods).

Despite the flaws, though, I do think it's worth watching as one of the more ambitious short films I've seen, and it does certainly make me wish that there were more works involving queer female characters in this line.

Pros:
- great atmosphere, high production values
- Ha Yoon Kyung plays the lead character, who is queer

Cons:
- story and characters lack depth
- editing can be confusing

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