Released on November 26, 2009, director Yoon Jong-chan’s third feature film I Am Happy was first introduced as the closing film of the 2008 Busan International Film Festival. However, the movie was only officially released more than a year later.
Despite attracting attention for the dramatic image transformations of top stars Hyun Bin and Lee Bo-young, the film suffered a disastrous box office performance, drawing only around 7,000 viewers across 29 screens before quietly disappearing from theaters.
“These are the happiest days of my life… but her sad eyes continue to trouble me.”
Unable to endure the harsh reality surrounding him, Man Soo (played by Hyun Bin) develops delusions. Burdened by his mother’s dementia and the gambling debts left behind by his deceased brother, his days inside a psychiatric hospital become dreamlike moments where he can finally escape reality.
Man Soo believes that his signature alone carries monetary value accepted by banks worldwide. Surrounded by friends who believe him, as well as his doctor and private nurse Soo Kyung (played by Lee Bo Young), life inside the hospital feels sweet and comforting. Soo Kyung always remains by his side like a guardian angel, making Man Soo even happier, though sadness constantly lingers on her face.
“These are the hardest days of my life… but the moments spent with him make me happy.”
Head nurse Soo Kyung lives through painful days after being abandoned by her lover while caring for her father, who suffers from terminal colorectal cancer. Her miserable reality worsens as her salary is seized and her relationship falls apart. Yet she finds comfort in Man Soo, who casually gives her large sums of money to help cover hospital expenses.
To Soo Kyung, Man Soo’s delusions become the very thing that helps her endure life.
As Man Soo undergoes increasingly intense treatments and Soo Kyung is gradually pushed toward emotional collapse, the happiness they shared slowly begins to disappear.
Even from its synopsis alone, I Am Happy was clearly a dark and deeply realistic film. Instead of showing the romantic charm audiences expected from two top stars, the movie portrayed lost and struggling individuals, making it difficult for mainstream viewers to embrace.
The film focused heavily on the pain modern people experience in everyday life while using mental illness as its central theme. While cinephiles found the movie intriguing and emotionally powerful, general audiences were left divided and disappointed.
Viewers later shared reactions such as: “A movie that gives comfort to people who believe they are suffering the most in this world,” “Hyun Bin’s acting was genuinely impressive,” “I only watched it recently and Man Soo’s tragic reality left me heartbroken,” and “He’s not just a handsome actor but truly a great actor. The release timing was wrong, which caused the film to be underrated.”
Other viewers commented, “A brutally painful story about life. Are you truly happy? This movie was seriously underrated.”
Ultimately, despite attracting attention thanks to Hyun Bin and Lee Bo Young’s performances and receiving praise from critics, the movie created extremely divided reactions among audiences before quietly disappearing after its 2009 release.
Even so, the film remains a rare project that showcased completely different sides of both actors. For many movie fans, I Am Happy continues to be remembered as an “unfortunate masterpiece” and a “cursed classic” of Korean cinema.
Sources: Daum
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