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Parents' Guide to

20th Century Girl

By Jennifer Green, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Korean teen romance has drinking, emotional intensity.

Movie NR 2022 119 minutes
20th Century Girl Movie Poster

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • 20th Century Girl Movie: Scene #1
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  • 20th Century Girl Movie: Scene #3
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Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

Charani R.
Charani R. Adult
October 29, 2023
age 13+

LIFE

Such a soothing movie it is! Sometimes we have to let go of the things and move on, it is impossible to move on but we have to go through it SPOILER ALERT!! Man the movie…. Every time I watch, I would only look at the male lead and think, wish he wouldn’t have hurt that little too! All the actors portrayed their characters very beautifully. The first time I watched the movie, the thought this is just like some other rom-com, but I didn’t know it would make me cry that much, and watching for the 2nd time was so hard for me, but I watched it, I’ve gone through it. The movie is similar to our life,Cause who knows, what happens next? Life is full of surprises, so always be prepared for the unexpected. Too much of attachment also lead us to too much of disappointment.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

It's 1999 and high-schooler Na Bo-Ra's (Kim Yoo-jung) best friend, Yeon-Du (Noh Yoon-seo), must travel to the United States for heart surgery in 20TH CENTURY GIRL. Before Yeon-Du leaves, she asks her friend to keep tabs on a boy she has a crush on. Na Bo-Ra gets to know Baek Hyun-Jin (Park Jung-woo) and takes detailed notes on everything about him for her friend. She's assisted by his buddy, Poong Woon-Ho (Byeon Woo-seok). No Bo-Ra doesn't anticipate developing feelings for Woon-Ho, and things take an even more dramatic turn once Yeon-Du returns home.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (2 ):

This Korean teen romance is a sweet story with characters that are very hard not to like. Kim Yoo-jung lights up the screen in 20th Century Girl as an independent and strong-minded teenager with a generous heart. She and co-stars Byeon Woo-seok and Park Jung-woo are totally believable as high schoolers discovering life, love, and loss. They're also funny and prone to exaggeration, infusing the film with moments of both comedy and melodrama.

Set in 1999 -- captured in first email accounts, pagers, baggy clothes, girl bands, and Y2K worries -- the period carries a whiff of innocence. The South Korean location, filmed in shades of green and yellow, couches the characters in a safe and gentle setting, allowing them to focus solely on matters of the heart. Spoiler alert: the unexpected ending is a tearjerker.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the ending of 20th Century Girl. Did you expect the story to end this way? How did you feel about it?

  • How does this movie compare to other teen romances you've seen?

  • Bo-Ra says she's jealous of Woon-Ho for having passions and already knowing in high school what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Do you relate to this envy? Why or why not?

Movie Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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