REVIEW: ‘Love Untangled’ Is Just Adorable

Lured in by the premise of a struggling curly-haired protagonist, Love Untangled gets down to the roots of self-love and acceptance. Directed by Namkoong Sun and written by Ji Choon-hee and Wang Du-ri, this wholesome YA romance is honestly quite adorable, with Shin Eun-soo’s Park Se-ri being an incredibly likable, earnest heroine. While the story drags on too long, its pacing can’t overpower the utter sweetness and simplicity of teenage love. 

Set in Busan during the late ’90s, Love Untangled centers on the incredibly charming yet super awkward Park Se-ri (Shin Eun-soo). To say she has a complex surrounding her hair is an understatement. Blessed with curly, textured hair from her father, Se-ri has grown up constantly compared to her twin sister, who has straight hair. Despite everything, Se-ri cannot get her hair straight at all, and so, she languishes in her insecurities, afraid to confess her love to her latest crush, high school hottie Kim Hyun (Cha Woo-min). What’s a girl to do?

Change arrives when Se-ri saves a newly arrived student, Han Yun-seuk (Gong Myung), from drowning. This heroic act helps Se-ri break the ice, and slowly the two become friends. Se-ri introduces Yun-seuk to her secret hideaway, and Yun-seuk tries to find ways to help Se-ri get closer to her crush. However, it’s not long before Yun-seuk himself starts to have feelings toward Se-ri, showing how tangled young love can be and when done right, how fulfilling it can be to watch it sort itself out.

Love Untangled is young love done right, where the sweetness of it just makes one nostalgic.

Love Untangled is undeniably sweet, with its young adult cast gamely capturing a certain essence of youth and whimsical innocence that is free of cynicism. Instead, there’s an aura of hope that is infectious, and at the center of it all is Se-ri and her mission to tame her curly tresses. Se-ri’s insecurities are relatable here. Ask anyone who has had to deal with frizzy, textured hair, and they’ll likely confide similar struggles. Shin Eun-soo plays Se-ri with such natural charm that it is super difficult not to care for her.

While her hair is the most obvious source of her insecurities, Se-ri has to untangle what she wants from herself and those around her. It’s a hard task for any person, let alone a high schooler, but that is a huge part of the journey Love Untangled takes us on. This is a pivotal point in Se-ri’s life and understanding of herself before she steps fully into adulthood.

The catalyst for this change is the arrival of Han Yun-seuk. Solumn and newly injured after falling into the ocean, Yun-seuk is quickly adopted into Se-ri’s friend group. As an outsider from Seoul and a year older than the rest of his class, there’s an immediate stiffness Gong Myung puts on as his Yun-seuk navigates a new environment. However, over the course of Love Untangled, Yun-seuk relaxes. Se-ri’s presence is healing him, and in return, he will do anything to make sure she gets what she wants. Even if it means his feelings aren’t reciprocated.

What starts as a quest for straight hair turns into something more.

Tapping in at a little over two hours, Love Untangled takes its time, sometimes a little too much time, in letting this love story play out. The natural chemistry between Shin Eun-soo and Gong Myung makes this slowburn worth the buildup. With Namkoong Sun’s direction and the simplicity of the character interactions between the two leads, the love that builds is believable. Being a teenager is already dramatic enough, and, for most of the film, the lack of melodrama helps keep things grounded. 

Unfortunately, the climax, while adding an extra layer of depth to Gong Myung and his mother, could have used more time to fully develop. Even still, the decisions that are made in the end still feel natural for the characters we come to know. The gravity of these decisions carries through to the end, concluding on a hopeful note despite the climactic reveal never being fully addressed. 

While not all the tangles are sorted out, Love Untangled still presents an adorable romantic tale that hits right in the nostalgic feels. Shin Eun-soo’s Se-ri is the perfect romantic heroine, with her awkward charm and relatable insecurities. If anything, watch the film to see her learn about life, love, and see whether or not she achieves the ultimate straight ‘do.

Love Untangled is streaming now exclusively on Netflix.