'Punch' lauded as most underrated Korean flick

Yoo Ah-in, left, and Kim Yun-seok in Punch / Korea Times file

Film website Taste of Cinema has selected the 2011 film “Punch” as the number one Korean film not to miss.

The site put the film atop its list, “20 Overlooked South Korean Movies That Are Worth Watching” on Jan. 29.

The site described Punch as a coming-of-age film that is “interested in internal growth of Wan-deuk (the protagonist played by Yoo Ah-in) through his physical talents, hoping audiences will connect with the character as he lives moment through moment.”

“Punch does feel like a Korean version of quirky indie at times, but it’s tough to deny the heart and soul this film provides, even fulfilling the arcs of supporting characters as well,” the site said.

Directed by Lee Han, the drama depicts a poor teenager, Wan-deuk, who struggles to get along with his homeroom teacher Dong-joo (Kim Yun-seok) who turns out to be an ideal mentor.

The list also selected Lee Chang-dong’s 2002 romance “Oasis” and Hong Sang-soo’s 1996 independent noire film “The Day a Pig Fell into the Well” behind Punch.