Set in a busy izakaya, The Pubs follows Eun-ah and Hee-jeong as they try to keep their work in order while private feelings complicate the room. The owner has a hidden interest in Eun-ah, and Hee-jeong is drawn to George, a regular foreign visitor. Their daily routine becomes a tangle of attraction, awkward proposals and the effort to keep business moving without losing face.
The film was made in 2021 and runs 69 minutes. Yoon-yul plays Eun-ah, whose charm draws the owner’s attention, while Ji-hee plays Hee-jeong, whose own desires pull her toward George. Their interactions shape the film’s emotional center, with each character tied to a different kind of longing. The story stays close to the bar and the people who pass through it, letting the cast carry the shifting mood.
The setting gives the film an intimate, confined feel, with the izakaya acting as both workplace and pressure point. Its tone leans toward sensual comedy-drama, balancing flirtation, secrecy and social tension. Rather than widening out into a larger world, it stays focused on small gestures, uneasy chemistry and the fragile order of everyday life.
The film was made in 2021 and runs 69 minutes. Yoon-yul plays Eun-ah, whose charm draws the owner’s attention, while Ji-hee plays Hee-jeong, whose own desires pull her toward George. Their interactions shape the film’s emotional center, with each character tied to a different kind of longing. The story stays close to the bar and the people who pass through it, letting the cast carry the shifting mood.
The setting gives the film an intimate, confined feel, with the izakaya acting as both workplace and pressure point. Its tone leans toward sensual comedy-drama, balancing flirtation, secrecy and social tension. Rather than widening out into a larger world, it stays focused on small gestures, uneasy chemistry and the fragile order of everyday life.
Reviews
4 / 10