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What Does that Nature Say to You

Play trailer Poster for What Does that Nature Say to You 2025 1h 49m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 18 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Donghwa (Ha Seongguk) is a fledgling poet in his thirties. He rejects material aspirations and seeks to lead a life dedicated to truth and beauty. On a lazy afternoon, he drives his girlfriend, Junhee (Kang Soyi), back to her parents' home outside Seoul. In the driveway, they run into her father (Kwon Haehyo), who is strangely interested in Donghwa's dinged up old car. He takes it for a spin around the block, then invites Donghwa to stay and meet the family: him, his wife (Cho Yunhee), who also writes poetry, and Junhee's reclusive sister (Park Miso), who practices the gayageum, a traditional string instrument. They end up wiling away the day together, visiting a temple by the river, climbing the hill near the house, watching the sunset, and, sure enough, imbibing drinks. Egged on by Junhee's dad, Donghwa gets progressively more drunk as the day advances. Finally, he makes a fool of himself at dinner. Then everything begins to unravel for the poet: his relationship, his art, his revolutionary ideals.

Critics Reviews

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Jourdain Searles RogerEbert.com Oct 9
'What Does That Nature Say to You' has a palpable nostalgia to it, viewed through a more critical lens. Go to Full Review Kenji Fujishima Slant Magazine Sep 17
3.5/4
Hong Sang-soo’s aesthetic is key to the resonance of his latest examination of an artist’s life. Go to Full Review Peter Bradshaw Guardian Jul 22
3/5
This movie lodged in my mind a little more than Hong’s earlier films, perhaps because it is less contrived and it features a genuinely funny and complex opening scene. Go to Full Review Pablo Villaça Cinema em Cena Nov 22
4/5
It's always a pleasure to see how Hong Sang-soo's impressive productivity doesn't hinder the continued creation of lovely works like this one. [Full review in Portuguese] Go to Full Review Tom O'Brien Next Best Picture Oct 9
7/10
With “What Does That Nature Say to You,” Hong has at last achieved a comfortable balance between exploring his familiar themes of the artistic process and familial relationships while never losing sight of entertaining his audience. Go to Full Review Lee Jutton Film Inquiry Oct 8
You’ll laugh, you’ll cringe, you’ll want a glass of makgeolli; most importantly, watching What Does That Nature Say To You, you’ll know Hong Sang-soo has still got it. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Siwoo J Oct 1 자연이 늘 옳은 것인 줄 알 거는… See more Read all reviews
What Does that Nature Say to You

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Hong Sang-soo

Director

Ha Seung-guk

Actor

Kwon Hae-hyo

Actor

Cho Yunhee

Actor

Kang So-yi

Actor

Park Mi-so

Actor
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What Does that Nature Say to You

What Does That Nature Say to You (2025) What Does That Nature Say to You (2025) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Donghwa (Ha Seongguk) is a fledgling poet in his thirties. He rejects material aspirations and seeks to lead a life dedicated to truth and beauty. On a lazy afternoon, he drives his girlfriend, Junhee (Kang Soyi), back to her parents' home outside Seoul. In the driveway, they run into her father (Kwon Haehyo), who is strangely interested in Donghwa's dinged up old car. He takes it for a spin around the block, then invites Donghwa to stay and meet the family: him, his wife (Cho Yunhee), who also writes poetry, and Junhee's reclusive sister (Park Miso), who practices the gayageum, a traditional string instrument. They end up wiling away the day together, visiting a temple by the river, climbing the hill near the house, watching the sunset, and, sure enough, imbibing drinks. Egged on by Junhee's dad, Donghwa gets progressively more drunk as the day advances. Finally, he makes a fool of himself at dinner. Then everything begins to unravel for the poet: his relationship, his art, his revolutionary ideals.
Director
Hong Sang-soo
Producer
Hong Sang-soo
Screenwriter
Hong Sang-soo
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Korean
Runtime
1h 49m