Childhood is often described as a time of discovery, when young people are encouraged to develop their interests and gradually understand what they might want from life, although the reality can be considerably less forgiving for children who grow up believing that their achievements determine how others see them. In his feature directorial debut, The Accordion Door (아코디언 도어), Son Kyeong-su explores the consequences of such expectations through the experiences of a young boy whose extraordinary writing ability has become central to his understanding of himself. Combining the familiar difficulties of adolescence with fantasy and psychological drama, Son examines childhood trauma and the fear of losing the one ability that makes someone feel important.
Produced by the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA), The Accordion Door premiered in the Vision section of the 30th Busan International Film Festival in September 2025, where it received recognition for both the film and its leading actor. The 115-minute production was also included in this year’s London Korean Film Festival, screening at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) on 7 November 2026. Although Son had previously directed short films, this is his first opportunity to develop a story on such a scale, and his decision to combine realistic family relationships with more imaginative elements gives the film a character of its own.
The film depicts the story of Ji-soo (Moon Woo-jin), a middle-school student who experienced a mysterious incident at the age of nine and subsequently lost his memory of what happened. Following that experience, he developed an extraordinary ability to write, something that brought him recognition and helped him escape the criticism he had previously faced. Convinced that a strange presence entered his body during the incident and somehow gave him this talent, Ji-soo has built much of his identity around an explanation that others might find difficult to believe, but which has become essential to the way he understands his own abilities.
His circumstances begin to change when Hyeon-joo (Lee Jae-in), a new student with a passion for football, enters his life. Confident and outspoken, she has little difficulty expressing her opinions, and her interactions with Ji-soo bring moments of humour and occasional disagreement. As their friendship develops, questions about the incident that left Ji-soo without his childhood memories begin to resurface, complicating a relationship that is already affected by their contrasting personalities.
Despite his talent for writing and the recognition it has brought him, Ji-soo struggles to enjoy his achievements, constantly worrying about whether he will be able to live up to the expectations placed upon him. Moon Woo-jin portrays his growing insecurity convincingly, especially as the teenager begins to question the mysterious circumstances surrounding his abilities. Through his friendship with Hyeon-joo, Ji-soo metts someone who approaches life very differently. Their interactions reveal the difficulties both characters face in expressing their feelings, while Son gradually introduces more unusual elements into what, at first, appears to be a fairly ordinary story about adolescence.
Ji-soo’s relationship with his demanding mother helps explain why he values his writing so much. Years of criticism have left him desperate for approval, and although his talent has earned him praise, he remains afraid of disappointing those around him. Son shows how such pressure can affect a child’s confidence, especially when the need to succeed begins to overshadow everything else.
Moon Woo-jin gives an impressive performance as Ji-soo, portraying a boy whose intelligence and unusual talent have done little to make him comfortable with himself. The actor handles the character’s frustration and insecurity beautifully; Ji-soo can sometimes appear self-absorbed or difficult to understand, but Moon makes his behaviour believable, revealing a frightened and insecure boy who desperately wants to prove that he is exceptional. Lee Jae-in is convincing as Hyeon-joo, whose outspoken personality and occasional humour make her a pleasure to watch.
The differences between the two young actors are among the film’s strengths; Moon portrays someone who has become almost frightened of being ordinary, while Lee plays a girl who appears far more comfortable enjoying the things she loves without demanding perfection from herself. Their performances complement one another, and the contrast between their characters lets Son examine different attitudes towards talent, ambition, as well as personal happiness.
The film’s technical qualities deserve considerable praise, including its cinematography and the careful use of colour, which help distinguish Ji-soo’s everyday surroundings from the more unusual experiences connected to his memories and imagination. Working with cinematographer Kim Jinhyeong, Son creates a visual style that accommodates the familiar environments of a coming-of-age drama and the stranger elements of the story.
Water is another repeated element in The Accordion Door, bringing almost a poetic quality to the film’s visual storytelling. Son uses it especially in scenes connected to Ji-soo’s past; its meaning is never fully explained, but the imagery adds to its treatment of childhood memories.
Son’s editing, together with the sound design and music, works well with the film’s mixture of reality and fantasy. Some scenes are more experimental than others, and while they don’t always work, there is plenty to admire in his approach, especially for a first-time feature director. The relationship between Ji-soo and Hyeon-joo also provides some of the film’s better moments.
At 115 minutes, The Accordion Door occasionally feels longer than necessary, mostly when its more imaginative scenes interrupt the family drama. However, Son’s decision to experiment with fantasy is an interesting one, and he manages to address serious subjects without making the entire film feel too heavy.
Overall, The Accordion Door is an impressive feature debut from Son Kyeong-su, who clearly has a strong eye for visual storytelling and isn’t afraid to experiment with his ideas. Although the pacing could have been better in places, and some of the more unusual scenes don’t work quite as well as others, the excellent performances from the young cast and the beautiful cinematography make the film well worth watching. There is still room for Son to develop his approach to storytelling, but his first feature certainly gives audiences good reason to look forward to his future projects.
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Written by Maggie Gogler
Featured image courtesy of London Korean Film Festival
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