Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    EA Sports Madden NFL 26 Head Coach But Why Tho 5

    Dear EA Sports, Why Can’t I Make A Hot Coach?

    08/14/2025
    Blade in Marvel Rivals Season 3.5

    Blade Can Shut Down The Other Team In Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 If You Know How

    08/08/2025
    John Cena and Cody Rhodes during Summerslam 2025

    The SummerSlam 2025 Main Event Was A Fever Dream We All Needed

    08/08/2025
    Street Fighter 6 Sagat

    Sagat Brings Depth And Approachability To ‘Street Fighter 6’

    08/07/2025
    Battlefield 6 Classes - Support trailer image

    Battlefield 6 Really Wants You To Play Support (But Knows You Won’t)

    07/31/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » REVIEW: ’20th Century Girl’ is Sweet Until Its Lonely

REVIEW: ’20th Century Girl’ is Sweet Until Its Lonely

Kate SánchezBy Kate Sánchez10/07/20224 Mins ReadUpdated:10/10/2022
20th Century Girl - But Why Tho
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

20th Century Girl - But Why Tho

Looking back at first love can be a nostalgic experiment for filmmakers. It allows them to capture a time period before the over-connectedness of our very online lives today, and that distance between people wanting to communicate offers up compelling storytelling devices. In 20th Century Girl, directed and written by Bang Woo-Ri, we get the chance to head back to 1999, when we all thought the world might end and youth offered an unclouded look at the future. Crafting a story of friendship and romance, filmmaker Woo-ri manages to present a nostalgic story that leaps into the emptiness of the present.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Bo-ra (Kim Yoo-jeong) is at the center of this story. Meeting her in 2019, we get to see her as an adult when a mysterious tape brings back her memories from high school and her first love. In 1999, Bo-ra is a 17-year-old high school student. She is good at taekwondo, not afraid to talk to anyone, and is dedicated to her best friend Yeon-doo (Roh Yoon-seo). When Yeon-doo heads to the United States for surgery, Bo-ra promises to keep eyes on her best friend’s crush, Hyun-Jin (Park Jung-woo).

Reporting back to Yeon-doo after each new piece of information Hyun-jin shares, Bo-ra hopes to play matchmaker, even joining the school’s broadcasting club to get closer. But as she becomes friends with Hyun-jin, she also begins to get closer to Woon-Ho (Byeon Woo-Seok). When she realizes that Hyun-jin and Woon-ho are best friends, she uses the latter to get closer and learn more about the former but ultimately ends up befriending them both. But one day, friendship turns to first love as she begins to fall for Woon-ho, a moment showcased in Netflix’s TUDUM event earlier this month.

20th Century Girl is sweetly made with deep care in representing a high school romance as something complex. The film manages to explore the way friendship intersects with potential romance and ultimately how teens prioritize them both. There are typical rom-com moments and dream-like romantic moments surrounded by plum trees or sitting in the rain, all combine for dynamic romantic storytelling. Ultimately, everything is presented as a memory and in that, it’s presented as cherished moments in Na Bo-ra’s past. With a filter that makes all of Bo-ra’s moments with Woon-ho feel magical, Bang Woo-ri manages to create the weightless feeling of young love before pulling us back down to earth in the final act.

As actors, Kim You-jung and Byeon Woo-seok have amazing chemistry that moves from close friends to a romantic pairing effortlessly. The care in their eyes and the way the two emote through their dialogue showcases a delicate yearning that ultimately moves into a thoughtful love. The reason their chemistry is so palpable is that both actors understand the importance of detailing a connection in their friendship first. While we see them as an ultimate pair, the romance is the payoff for seeing them grow closer as two people, seemingly uninterested in romance. And to be honest, that helps it all feel real.

20th Century Girl isn’t all that sweet in its final act, which leaves our lead alone in the end. While the twist allows for an emotional ending that left me sobbing, the bitterness in the bleakness is rough. Feeling like two movies pulled into one, the film isn’t a bad one. It’s wholesome and loving, but at the same time, the final act leaves me with questions and a small ache in my stomach that makes it hard to think back on.

Ultimately, when taken as a time capsule, 20th Century Girl is a look at young love, friendship, and learning how to act on your emotions. That said, it also manages to land a sad ending that despite wanting to offer hope, leaves the bitter taste of missed opportunity. While I think that this story would have worked better as a drama series, ever a limited one at that, the two-hour runtime is well worth the watch.

20th Century Girl is streaming October 21, 2022 exclusively on Netflix.

20th Century Girl
  • 7.5/10
    Rating - 7.5/10
7.5/10

TL;DR

Ultimately, when taken as a time capsule, 20th Century Girl is a look at young love, friendship, and learning how to act on your emotions. That said, it also manages to land a sad ending that despite wanting to offer hope, leaves the bitter taste of missed opportunity.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleCATAN – Console Edition Coming 2023
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Episode 7 — “The Eye”
Kate Sánchez
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Kate Sánchez is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of But Why Tho? A Geek Community. There, she coordinates film, television, anime, and manga coverage. Kate is also a freelance journalist writing features on video games, anime, and film. Her focus as a critic is championing animation and international films and television series for inclusion in awards cycles. Find her on Bluesky @ohmymithrandir.bsky.social

Related Posts

Madelyn Cline and KJ Apa in The Map That Leads to You
8.0

REVIEW: ‘The Map That Leads To You’ Is YA Romance Done Right

08/19/2025
Lurker promotional still from MUBI
10.0

REVIEW: ‘Lurker’ Probes The Intoxication Of Fame

08/19/2025
The Knife (2025) promotional still
7.0

REVIEW: ‘The Knife’ Is Simple And Too Much At The Same Time

08/17/2025
Still from Shin Godzilla
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Shin Godzilla’ Is More Relevant Than Ever

08/16/2025
Fixed promotional key art from Netflix Animation
6.0

REVIEW: ‘Fixed’ Is Top-Notch Animation But Bottom Of The Barrel Comedy

08/15/2025
Denzel Washington Highest 2 Lowest
7.0

REVIEW: ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ Has A Ton Of Fun Missing It’s Own Points

08/15/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Still from Shin Godzilla
8.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘Shin Godzilla’ Is More Relevant Than Ever

By Sarah Musnicky08/16/2025Updated:08/17/2025

It is understandable how Shin Godzilla succeeded at the box office nearly a decade ago. The strength of its story still stands today.

Botanical Bliss Update Palia But Why Tho 5 News

Palia’s New Botanical Bliss Update Brings New Flora, Decorations, And Quest Mechanic

By Matt Donahue08/18/2025Updated:08/18/2025

The Botanical Bliss update adds new event, more plushes, and a host of quality-of-life improvements and more to celebrate 2 years of Palia.

BOOTS Netflix First Look promotional images News

First Look at Coming-of-Age Story BOOTS, Coming to Netflix This October

By But Why Tho?08/17/2025

Netflix is reporting for duty this fall with the new eight-episode series BOOTS, a comedic drama starring Miles Heizer and Vera Farmiga

Nuestra Magia Secret Lair Art Interviews

EXCLUSIVE: How The ‘Nuestra Magia’ Secret Lair Found Its Identity And Raised Over $1M

By Kate Sánchez08/15/2025Updated:08/15/2025

We spoke with Ovidio Cartagena about Magic: The Gathering’s Nuestra Magia Secret Lair drop, its impact, and the real treasure within.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here