Love Untangled: Netflix's Upcoming K-Movie Sparks Beauty Standard Controversy

Love Untangled, nostalgic 90s romance about a girl "fixing" her curly hair for love sparks modern beauty standard debates.
Stars Gong Myoung and Shin Eun Soo deliver heartfelt performances in this problematic-yet-charming coming-of-age story.
Premiering August 29 amid controversy, balancing period authenticity with contemporary inclusivity concerns.

Netflix's upcoming Korean original film Love Untangled has become one of the most talked-about releases of the season, generating equal parts excitement for its nostalgic 90s romance and heated debate about its portrayal of beauty standards.

Set to premiere on August 29, this coming-of-age story promises to deliver heartwarming moments alongside thought-provoking discussions about self-image and societal expectations.

Love Untangled Synopsis

Set in 1998 Busan, Love Untangled follows the journey of 19-year-old Park Se Ri (Shin Eun Soo), a spirited high schooler who views her naturally curly hair as her greatest flaw and the root cause of all her romantic failures. Convinced that straightening her hair will finally make her crush notice her, Se Ri embarks on an ambitious mission to transform her appearance before making what she hopes will be her perfect confession. Her plans take an unexpected turn when she crosses paths with Han Yoon Seok (Gong Myoung), a transfer student from Seoul who becomes reluctantly entangled in her grand romantic scheme.

As the story unfolds, viewers are taken on a nostalgic trip to late 90s Korea, complete with all the awkwardness, humor and heartfelt moments of teenage life. The film explores themes of self-acceptance, first love, and the pressures of conforming to societal beauty standards during a time when internet culture and modern beauty discourse were still in their infancy.

The Cast Brings Characters to Life

The film's emotional core rests on the shoulders of its talented cast, who have fully immersed themselves in their roles. Gong Myoung, known for his versatile performances across genres, brings depth and nuance to the role of Yoon Seok, portraying a character who undergoes significant personal growth throughout the story.

"Yoon Seok is the most youthful character I've ever played. I really thought hard about how to portray his gradual transformation as he adjusts to his new school and starts blending in with his peers. There's a beautiful vulnerability to him that I wanted to capture authentically,” Gong Myoung shared about his role.

Shin Eun Soo, who plays the determined yet insecure Se Ri, found a special connection with her character.

"Out of all the roles I've played, Se Ri has the strongest and brightest energy—she's the most similar to how I am when I'm with my own friends," the actress revealed.

"Taking on a high-energy role like this is exciting because I get to show a different side of myself. Se Ri's journey is so relatable because we've all had those moments of doubting ourselves, especially in our teenage years."

Director Namkoong Sun had nothing but praise for her lead actors, highlighting how their unique qualities elevated the film.

"Gong Myoung has an almost unbelievably pure and wholesome energy. On set, he's always dependable, but when he's acting as Yoon Seok, he transforms into a sensitive and soft-hearted boy. No matter how tough things got, he always bounced back like a spring—his energy was truly remarkable,” the director noted.

Regarding Shin Eun Soo's performance, Namkoong added,

"She has a real gift for expressing emotion with her entire body. I was especially impressed by how thoroughly she prepared for each scene. Se Ri became explosively lovable the moment she met Shin Eun Soo. There's a raw authenticity she brings to the role that makes Se Ri's journey so compelling to watch."

The Beauty Standard Debate Unfolds

While the film's nostalgic charm and talented cast have generated significant buzz, its central premise has sparked intense controversy. The narrative framing of curly hair as an undesirable trait needing to be "fixed" has drawn criticism for perpetuating narrow beauty ideals that many argue should be challenged rather than reinforced.

“the narrative of wavy/curly hair being messy, dirty, difficult to handle and an unlovable feature in the year of 2025… i thought we had moved past this,” one netizen commented.

"South Korea the most technologically advanced society but pretends to be uneducated about literally everything," one netizen commented.

The comments capturing the frustration of many viewers who feel the film misses an opportunity to promote more inclusive beauty standards. This sentiment has been echoed across social media platforms, with many questioning why a film releasing in 2025 would center its conflict around such outdated notions of attractiveness.

However, defenders of the film argue that its 1998 setting provides important context. They maintain that the film accurately reflects the beauty standards and social pressures of that specific time period, before the widespread influence of internet culture and global beauty movements that have since expanded definitions of attractiveness.

“? this is not the right read. she has no mom & has to learn how to take care of her hair without the luxury of google, in a country where that hair type less common, AND lives in a humid coastal town. this is a coming of age story abt an insecurity that actual girls experience…”

As the debate continues to unfold, Love Untangled finds itself at the intersection of nostalgic storytelling and contemporary social consciousness. The film's heartwarming performances and coming-of-age themes may still resonate with audiences looking for a nostalgic trip to simpler times, but its handling of beauty standards will likely remain a point of contention long after its release.

The ultimate reception of the film may hinge on how it concludes Se Ri's journey. If the narrative ultimately leads to a message of self-acceptance and challenges the very beauty standards it initially presents, it could potentially overcome the current controversy. However, as the trailers currently suggest, the film risks being remembered more for the discussions it sparked than for its romantic storyline.

With its talented cast and director's clear vision, Love Untangled stands as both an anticipated nostalgic romance and a lightning rod for important conversations about representation, self-image, and how far we've really come in accepting diverse forms of beauty. Whether it will be celebrated for its heartfelt storytelling or critiqued for its problematic elements remains to be seen when it hits screens this August.

Love Untangled premieres August 29, exclusively on Netflix

Source: Netflix, Soompi, Koreaboo