With the movie ‘Salmokji’ taking the box office by storm and reviving interest in the Korean horror market, the new film ‘Teaching Practice’ is generating buzz as a ‘horror comedy’ that breaks the mold of typical school-based movies. Following the K-horror craze sparked by Kim Hye-yoon’s ‘Salmokji’—which reportedly climbed to 2nd place among all-time Korean horror hits, surpassing ‘Gonjiam’—’Teaching Practice’ promises a unique blend of scares and laughs with its fresh casting and quirky premise.
Opening on the 13th, ‘Teaching Practice’ is a high school ‘horror-lovely’ comedy about a passionate MZ student teacher and girls from a black magic club who must face off against a CSAT ghost in a deadly mock exam. By adding school-life vibes and black comedy to the tension of the horror genre, it aims to offer a vibe completely different from existing Korean horror films.
The film is drawing significant attention as the latest work from Director Kim Min-ha, who previously showcased a unique sensibility in ‘Amoeba Girls and School Ghost Stories: Anniversary of the School’s Opening’. Director Kim has built a loyal following by blending realistic fear with bizarre humor within the familiar setting of a school, and ‘Teaching Practice’ is seen as a continuation of that style.
The unexpected cast combination is a major highlight. Han Sun-hwa, known for her standout roles in ‘Work Later, Drink Now’ and ‘Pilot’, takes center stage. She plays Kang Eun-kyung, a passionate student teacher who enters the school with a mission to restore teacher authority. However, she finds herself entangled in unexpected events after crossing paths with mysterious students from a black magic club who dominate the national mock exams.
Han Sun-hwa already proved her presence before the release by winning the ‘Korean Fantastic Actor Award’ at the 29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN). She was praised for anchoring the film with a performance that seamlessly shifts between horror and comedy. Expressing her love for the project, she shared in her acceptance speech, “After seeing the finished film for the first time, I thought, ‘This is why I want to keep acting.'”
Adding fresh energy to the cast are young actors including Lee Yeoreum (formerly of WJSN), Hong Ye-ji, Lee Hwa-won, and Yoo Sun-ho. Rather than a simple school horror flick, the comic ensemble created by these distinct characters is a key point to watch. Word has it that the chemistry between the actors and the unexpected humor codes drew plenty of laughs from audiences during the festival screenings.
‘Teaching Practice’ received an explosive response at film festivals. At BIFAN, it became a hot topic when all screenings sold out within just 4 minutes and 30 seconds of tickets opening, eventually winning both the Best Film and Best Actor awards. It also recorded sell-outs at the Seoul Independent Film Festival. During the festivals, Hong Ye-ji and Lee Yeoreum attended GV sessions to communicate directly with fans and build anticipation.
While recent Korean cinema has been dominated by intense thrillers and crime genres, ‘Teaching Practice’ stands out by actively mixing comedy and school-life sensibilities within the horror genre. It is being praised for taking a more mainstream approach by combining the realism of the MZ generation with black humor, rather than just focusing on being scary.
The concept of a ‘CSAT ghost’ is particularly intriguing. The film adds social satire by interpreting the intense competition and academic stress unique to Korean society through a bizarre horror lens. Analysts suggest that the film completes its unique genre appeal by layering fantasy horror over settings that reflect actual student culture and school atmospheres.
Director Kim Min-ha previously reinterpreted school ghost stories for a modern audience. In this work, he is expected to show a new direction for ‘K-horror comedy’ through even bolder comic elements and genre variations.
Amidst a cinema landscape dominated by large commercial films, there is curiosity about whether this film can prove the box office potential of independent and genre cinema. Having already gained word-of-mouth success at festivals, all eyes are on whether ‘Teaching Practice’ will capture the hearts of general audiences upon its release.
‘Teaching Practice’ opens exclusively at CGV on the 13th.
