Loan sharks, expensive cars, magical cars, and a whole lot of grief make Stellar: A Magical Ride a comedic and heartfelt standout. From director Kwon Soo-kyung and writer Bae Se-yeong, the film stars Son Ho-jun, Lee Kyu-hyung, and Heo Sung-tae.
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Working in the car loan business, Young-bae (Son Ho-jun) is in trouble because his friend Dong-sik (Lee Kyoo-hyung) has disappeared with a Lamborghini worth $300,000 with hopes of clearing his crushing debt. His boss (Heo Sung-tae) puts a lot of pressure on him to find the luxury car, because unbeknownst to the employee, an illegal cargo has been hidden in it by a local gang. And while this film is a pretty straightforward premise, things get unique when grief enters the picture.
Young-bae recently lost his father and the only thing he left his son was his old, blue, former-taxi, Hyundai Stellar. Forced into driving the car, which is quite clearly a hunk of junk, Young-bae has to outrun gangsters, catch his friend, and effectively process all his grief at the same time.
The car in Stellar: A Magical Ride is pretty much powered by memories. It’s noisy, it can’t go above 50km/h, the doors don’t all work, the radio randomly comes on, and the lights only function when they want to. With all of its quirks and all of the windows into Young-bae it provides, the Stellar is as much a lead in this film as Young-bae is. Interactions with the car and the hijinks that come from its malfunctioning nature are charming and funny at the same time. The car makes Young-bae let his guard down in a vulnerable way that lends to the film’s emotional storytelling, which bolsters its humor.
Filled with joy and anxiety and hints of action, Stellar: A Magical Ride manages to be a heartfelt ride too. It’s warm and fuzzy while it also explores a father-son relationship and reconciliation even after the father has passed. The practical effects of the film are large highlights for it, with even the more supernatural moments feeling real and grounded. Additionally, as our lead, Young-bae has charisma and personality that makes you fall in love with him instantly, even with all his faults.
Stellar: A Magical Ride is a comedic grief pilgrimage that just so happens to have gangsters following a magical lucky car. And yet, in all of its comedy and absurd interventions of divine automotive luck, the film still manages to have a lead character who processes the death of his father, his regrets in their relationship, and also the good memories too.
It’s a wholesome watch that relies on Son Ho-jun as Young-bae to sell every interaction with the blue beat-up car that exists as the co-lead for the film. While small pacing issues in the film’s second act keep it from perfection, the comedic timing of well-played music, interactions with passengers, and moments of magic make this a film that is well worth your time.
Stellar: A Magical Ride
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Rating - 8/108/10
TL;DR
Stellar: A Magical Ride is a comedic grief pilgrimage that just so happens to have gangsters following a magical lucky car. And yet, in all of its comedy and absurd interventions of divine automotive luck, the film still manages to have a lead character who processes the death of his father, his regrets in their relationship, and also the good memories too.
