Two actresses grow together, then apart in Suik Yun’s quiet drama.
“Seol, look at me. I’m surfing!”
Su-an (Han Hae-in), a loner and aspiring actress, meets Seol (Han So-hee), a popular actress who’s made waves in a couple of dramas at school. The two form an instant bond, and develop a very strong friendship. One that quickly develops into a romance after an evening at the beach. Things however, aren’t destined to last and end between them, as the movie jumps in time, showing us scenes of Su-an and Seol as they reconnect over the years, often over their love of surfing, or acting.
Heavy Snow differs from its contemporaries by wasting very little time with its story, giving us only about a minute of set-up before launching these two actors to work off each other and build their relationships. At the same time, it’s a very slow-moving film that likes to linger in moments, leaving us with a moment that has years of plot, but somehow is able to tell it in these very few, highly-detailed choice scenes.
First-time director Suik Yun takes inspiration from a lot of different established directors, and Heavy Snow has more than a few moments that are reminiscent of Wong Kar-wai or Im Sang-soo. The problem is that both of those directors are experts at making it seem like nothing is happening in their films, when there’s a lot going on both in actions and behind the actors’ eyes. Yun does do this to an extent but lacks the finesse that can only come with experience.
Because the thing is that Heavy Snow isn’t really about anything other than the intersecting, sometimes tragic paths its characters take. It’s carried entirely by the charisma of its two stars, but it is remarkably light on actual story, often not properly exploring the issues either character is facing. There are revelations and introspective moments aplenty, but without much good build-up. I particularly appreciated the way the girls gingerly approach their relationship at first, speaking only in terms of a romantic drama they’re meant to be shooting, only to drop this as they mature and become more (barely) emotionally intelligent.
As it continues it builds up some steam, the film shines is in its grimly coloured, open ending and almost dreamlike way it portrays those final scenes. Suik Yun never guides his audience too literally, leaving certain scenes to be interpreted liberally, though I think everyone coming out is going to have the same idea. It’s not called Heavy Snow for nothing.
Verdict: Often a touch slow, especially considering its incredibly short runtime, Heavy Snow is nonetheless a strong debut for director Suik Yun, featuring two excellent performances.
HEAVY SNOW is screening at BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival at BFI Southbank on Monday 18 and Saturday 23 of March.
38th BFI FLARE: LONDON LGBTQIA+ FILM FESTIVAL 2024 Takes Place 13 – 24 March at BFI Southbank and on BFI Player
Overall entertainment: a sleepy 6.5/10
Violence: 1/10
Sex: 1/10
Surfing: 5/10
Time skips: Three
Shakespeare: A lot more paint guns in Korean adaptations
Heavy Snow (2023)
Also known as: 폭설
Korean
Director: Yun Suik
Writer: Yun Suik
Han Hae-in – Su-an
Han So-hee – Seol
The Asian Cinema Critic 