Ivy 2020 Movie Review

『A Quietly Rooted Queer Family Story That Connects Life and Love Like Ivy』

🎥 Movie Overview

🎬 Title: Ivy (2020) (담쟁이)
🌍 Country: 🇰🇷 South Korea
🎞️ Genre: Queer Family Drama / Independent Film / Human Drama
🗓️ Production & Release: Independent Production, 2020
📢 Director: Han Jay
🖋️ Screenplay: Han Jay
📺 Platforms: Domestic independent film screenings and select online platforms (Seoul International Pride Film Festival, etc.)

👩‍💼 Cast: Woo Mihwa – Eunsoo
Lee Yeon – Yewon

🧩 Story Deep Dive (Spoilers)

🌿 Quiet Companionship in Daily Life, Birth of an Alternative Family

Ivy delicately portrays Eunsoo, in her 40s, and Yewon, in her 20s, living together with a child, Sumin, as an ‘alternative family.’ The relationship they build while sharing everyday life in a single household is natural and sincere. This depiction showcases a new way of love and solidarity that exists outside social institutions.

⚠️ Accidents and Crises, the Harsh Reality of Institutional Barriers

When Eunsoo is severely injured in a traffic accident, Yewon faces a situation where, as a non-official guardian, she has no authority in the hospital. This incident vividly reveals the harsh reality that their relationship is not institutionally recognized. Eunsoo, fearing that showing her vulnerable side would burden Yewon, closes herself off, while Yewon tries to understand this distance and reconnect.

🍃 Slow but Steady Love, the Ivy Metaphor

The film’s title, ‘Ivy,’ symbolically represents the relationship between the two women. Like ivy slowly climbing a wall, their love is not passionate but steady and persistent. This love quietly fills the space around them and represents a sustainable way of life that endures even in difficult circumstances.

🦋 Emotional Resonance and Significance

🎬 Subtle Direction and Natural Mise-en-Scène

Director Han Jay, beginning with a graduate school thesis concept, captures realistic daily life through unexaggerated camera work and lighting. Calm color palettes and simple props convey emotional depth without dramatic scenes, allowing the audience to focus on the characters’ inner worlds and relationships.

🛡 Quiet Resistance Against Social Indifference and Institutional Exclusion

Ivy does not directly expose legal or social injustices faced by same-sex couples. Instead, it subtly depicts how ‘being together’ itself can be a form of resistance and survival. The film expands the concept of ‘family’ beyond legal definitions into a practice of life.

🌈 Queer Narrative Embracing Multiple Generations and Solidarity

Centering on the relationship between a woman in her 40s and another in her 20s, the film portrays a family outside institutional recognition, capturing intergenerational understanding, respect, and the multifaceted nature of love. This aligns with the evolving perception of queer families in South Korean society.

🎯 Personal Rating

💕 Love Scene Intensity: ♥
⭐ Rating: ★★★★