세계의 주인 (The World of Love). 2025. South Korea. Written and directed by Yoon Ga-eun. With Seo Su-bin, Chang Hyae-jin, Kim Jeong-sik. In Korean; English subtitles. 119 min.
Yoon Ga-eun's long-awaited third feature turns her gift for observing childhood and adolescence toward the thornier territory of trauma and resilience. Seo Su-bin delivers an astonishing debut as Lee Jooin, a vivacious 18-year-old whose carefree facade conceals a devastating past. When a child sex offender's release prompts a school petition, Jooin's refusal to sign triggers revelations that force her community to confront its own complicity in stigmatizing survivors. Yoon's direction achieves remarkable tonal balance, allowing moments of genuine humor and lightness to coexist with scenes of wrenching emotional honesty—most notably a cathartic confrontation staged within a car wash, where the thundering machinery provides both literal and metaphoric cleansing. Winner of jury and audience prizes at Pingyao, the film has earned extraordinary praise from Bong Joon-ho, who called it a masterpiece, and secured rare Chinese distribution—only the second Korean film to do so in a decade.