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Seoul Searching

Released Jun 17, 2016 1h 45m Comedy Drama TRAILER for List
76% Tomatometer 17 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
In 1986, teens attending a government camp for foreign born teenagers have wild experiences.

Critics Reviews

View All (17) Critics Reviews
Stephanie Merry Washington Post The adolescents at the camp in "Seoul Searching," which takes place during the summer of 1983, fall a little too easily into stereotypes. Rated: 2/4 Jul 7, 2016 Full Review Katie Walsh Los Angeles Times Despite the overwrought stylization, the heart of "Seoul Searching" does ultimately emerge. Rated: 2/4 Jun 24, 2016 Full Review Nick Allen RogerEbert.com "Seoul Searching" is unforgettable in how it boldly presents adolescence, specifically here from a minority's perspective, not just as a life passage, but a type of performance. Rated: 3/4 Jun 17, 2016 Full Review Jae-Ha Kim Jae-Ha Kim “Seoul Searching” is a teenage dramedy filled with angst, a killer 1980s soundtrack and some solid acting by a cast of Asian Americans (and Korean veteran actors). But it’s also filled with cliches, some of which work better than others. Rated: 2.5/4 Jul 28, 2023 Full Review Mae Abdulbaki Punch Drunk Critics The idea to explore these multi-cultural teens is something not many people can easily take on, but the execution and script need a bit of polishing. Rated: 2.5/5 Aug 14, 2018 Full Review Lauren Bullock Black Nerd Problems I also can't deny the void that this movie fills in a country that continues to insist that people of color can only be sidekicks or tokens even when its our stories being told. Jun 13, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (23) audience reviews
Roy V Such a brilliant low budget production and benign script! It should be a mandated watch in every Public School in the United States. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/09/23 Full Review Audience Member This is not a movie about gorgeous K-pop stars, it's a movie of real feelings and decision-making based on those same emotions. It's a movie where a culture was bombarded with other cultures in a time where everything was changing and reinventing itself. Even though I couldn't personally relate, I could relate. I don't think justice was made to this movie, it truely captured one generation with many different backgrounds. I adored the movie, I revisit often, and advise others to give it a chance dispite the bad critics somehow recieved. Thank you Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review ashley s Good storyline that was acted effortlessly convincing. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member As an Asian American who has been deemed a great disgrace for being "not stringed to their own culture", it really hit home. This movie not only taught me numerous lessons in life as an Asian American such as appreciating my culture, but also to appreciate my parents for always attempting to keep me intact with my roots. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member Amazing! I've seen in at least 7 times. Highly recommend. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review glen a "Soeul Searching" is a movie about the children of Korean expatriates who attend a summer camp in Korea to learn about their heritage, but really, it is just mimicking '80s John Hughes coming of age movies, and it is actually pretty good. I enjoyed the second half a lot more than the first half, though. The movie begins by demonstrating how badly a bunch of adolescents can act without adult supervision, but the second half is all about how those characters figure out how to navigate life. I'd guess that 75% of the movie is in English, so you don't have to worry about reading subtitles the entire time. It is rated TV-MA, and it does tackle some pretty adult material, but the rating is mostly for the foul language, so it would be ok for a mature teenager to see. I give it a C, if you've already seen the best, but you insist on watching a movie, try this one out. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Seoul Searching

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis In 1986, teens attending a government camp for foreign born teenagers have wild experiences.
Director
Benson Lee
Producer
Andrea Chung, Benson Lee, Brigette Noh
Screenwriter
Benson Lee
Distributor
Wonder Vision
Production Co
Bowery Hills Entertainment
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 17, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 16, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$9.0K
Runtime
1h 45m