What can Netflix’s “Moral Sense” do when only the theme is fresh?
The Netflix movie “Moral Sense” has been released. This movie is a work that has aroused viewers’ curiosity even before its release by depicting the romance of those with a slightly different sexual taste from others, but unlike the fresh materials, the movie left only regret with a feast of clumsy directing and cheesy lines.
Jeong Ji-woo (Seohyun), a public relations team employee who lives with what she has to say and Jung Ji-hoo (Lee Joon-young), a ladykiller who is receiving the attention of all female employees after changing his department. Even if their names are similar, these two different people begin to fall into a strange relationship after a wrong delivery. Ji-woo learned of Ji-hoo’s sexual taste that he never want to be caught by anyone, which led to them getting to know each other.
The movie “Moral Sense” (Director Park Hyun-jin) depicts a dizzying taste-respecting romance between Ji-hoo, who is perfect but has an unusual sexual taste, and Ji-woo, a competent public relations team employee who learned of his secret. Based on the popular Webtoon of the same name, director Park Hyun-jin, who directed “6 Years In Love” and “Like for Likes” which were well received for its plot of reflecting reality in romance, has directed the movie.
As for both the original webtoon and the live-action movie, the genre is romance, but in reality, it is about discrimination and prejudice. Even if they look a little different, this work reminds us that they are also people who laugh and cry in their daily lives like us. Therefore, at first glance, the stories of those with unusual tastes always attract attention.
In particular, “Moral Sense” raises interest from the start as it focuses on sexual tastes that were taboo in domestic movies. Until now, there have been works that elicit respect for diversity through queer films, but few have directly talked about the theme of sex. Thanks to this, “Moral Sense”, which was able to utilize such fresh materials, satisfied viewers’ curiosity by drawing various images that have been difficult to see in pop culture.
However, the advantage of this movie was just the subject. The composition of the story is old, the direction is cliché, and the flow explained through the characters’ lines is frustrating. Cringe-worthy conversations destroy the romantic mood, and the talk about sexual preferences is also rather weak and underwhelming. The audience has expected a story that had not been told before, but it felt like they adjusted the story level to experiment with the viewers’ reaction. Contrary to expectations, the movie’s tension is hard to find at all, and it’s just boring.
