Warning: This article may contain spoilers for the movie.
The plot might seem wild, but you can’t help but laugh. ‘Student Teaching’ (directed by Kim Min-ha), which describes itself as an ‘Awesome Horrible Comedy,’ completely wins over the audience with its relentless kitsch energy.
Recently revealed at a press screening, ‘Student Teaching’ is a comedy about three high school girls obsessed with black magic and a student teacher, Eun-gyeong (played by Han Sun-hwa), who sets out to uncover their suspicious secrets.
Returning to her alma mater as a student teacher, Eun-gyeong is shocked by how much the school atmosphere has changed in just a few years. Students openly ignore their teachers and even curse at those trying to discipline them. Parents are no different, often making teachers targets of retaliation. Because of this, the principal (played by Park Chul-min) warns the student teachers to “stay quiet and not stand out.”
However, Eun-gyeong, full of pride and longing for the teaching profession, can’t suppress her passion and keeps nagging the students. This catches the attention of the members of ‘Kuroisora,’ a black magic club consisting of Aoi (played by Hong Ye-ji), Riko (played by Park Saet-byeol), and Haruka (played by Lee Hwa-won), who consistently rank first in the country on mock exams. Eun-gyeong spies on these three students, who enjoy total freedom due to their grades, and eventually finds their secret club room.
In the gloomy club room, Eun-gyeong discovers the secret behind their top grades. They worship Idainashi (played by Yoo Sun-ho), a 400-year-old Japanese samurai yokai, and use his power to maintain their academic standing. Eun-gyeong gives the students a handwritten note asking to deliver a message to Idainashi. This note infuriates Idainashi, who then summons Eun-gyeong through the students.
‘Student Teaching’ depicts a fantasy world that feels more like a manga or a game than reality. Viewers going in blind might be baffled to see the protagonists enter a mirror and engage in word games or ‘dad joke’ battles with ghosts. However, this leap in logic, breaking horror clichés with an absurd and sometimes childish progression, is exactly where the charm of ‘Student Teaching’ lies. The unexpected B-movie sensibility triggers laughter and completes a unique cult comedy.
Among the eccentric characters, student teacher Eun-gyeong is the only one the audience can truly relate to. Han Sun-hwa supports the story with a solid performance, portraying Eun-gyeong’s refreshing character with her signature natural and capable acting. The film also touches on contemporary issues by linking the decline of teacher authority to the ‘Seodang hunting’ of the Japanese colonial period, making its message clear. It is surprisingly difficult for this type of film to make an absurd worldview understandable while still functioning as a comedy, but ‘Student Teaching’ pulls it off with great momentum. With a runtime of 95 minutes, it opens on the 13th.
