In Our Prime (Korean: 이상한 나라의 수학자; Hanja: 異常한 나라의 數學者; RR: Isanghan Naraeui Suhakja; lit. Mathematician in Wonderland) is a 2022 South Korean drama film directed by Park Dong-hoon, starring Choi Min-sik, Kim Dong-hwi, Park Byung-eun, Park Hae-joon and Jo Yun-seo. It revolves around two people: a genius mathematician with a hidden past and a student who is failing math.[2][3] The film was released theatrically on March 9, 2022.[4]
Plot
A genius mathematician, Lee Hak-sung, defects from North Korea in pursuit of academic freedom. To conceal his identity and past, he takes on the role of a security guard at an elite private high school, where only the top 1% of gifted students are admitted.
With his cold and stern demeanor, Hak-sung becomes the most avoided figure on campus. However, his life takes an unexpected turn when he meets Han Ji-woo, a struggling high school student who has given up on math. After discovering Hak-sung's true identity, Ji-woo persistently begs him to become his tutor.
As Hak-sung teaches Ji-woo not just how to find the right answers, but how to navigate the process of problem-solving, both of them experience an unexpected transformation in their lives.
Cast
- Choi Min-sik as Lee Hak-sung, a school security guard and defector from North Korea who is said to have proven the Riemann hypothesis.
- Kim Dong-hwi as Han Ji-woo, a student who asks Lee Hak-sung to teach him math.
- Park Byung-eun as Kim Geun-ho, math teacher.
- Park Hae-joon as An Gi-cheol, agent of the National Intelligence Service who monitors Lee Hak-sung and the owner of a junk shop that is a front office.
- Jo Yun-seo as Park Bo-ram, Ji-woo's classmate.
- Tang Jun-sang as Lee Tae-yeon, Lee Hak-sung's son.[5]
- Kang Mal-geum as Han Ji-woo's mother[5]
- Kim Hee-jung as Park Bo-ram's mother
- Joo Jin-mo as Oh Jeong-nam, a mathematician who participated in an international math competition with Lee Hak-sung when they were young.
- Kim Won-hae as Park Pil-ju, a North Korean defector and Economics professor.
Reception
Box office
As of 31 January 2023, the film has a gross of US$4,081,864, and 534,287 admissions.[1]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Awards | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Director | Park Dong-hoon | Nominated | [6] |
| Best Actor | Choi Min-sik | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Lee Yong-jae | Nominated | |||
| Best New Actor | Kim Dong-hwi | Nominated | |||
| Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best New Actor | Won | [7] | ||
| Buil Film Awards | Nominated | ||||
| Busan Film Critics Awards | Won | ||||
| Grand Bell Awards | Nominated | ||||
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best New Actor | Won |
References
- ^ a b "KOFIC, KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) The Box office: Korean films of 2022". KOFIC. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ Song, Seung-hyun (9 February 2022). "'Oldboy' Choi Min-sik to return to big screen as genius mathematician". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ Kwak, Yeon-soo (15 February 2022). "Choi Min-sik says his new film 'In Our Prime' parallels 'Good Will Hunting'". The Korea Times. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ Kim Ji-won (February 15, 2022). "[종합] "수포자 감독이 만든 수학 영화" 대배우 최민식X신예 김동휘의 차진 호흡 '이상한 나라의 수학자'" [[Comprehensive] "Mathematics movie made by a desperate director" Great actor Choi Min-sik X rookie Kim Dong-hwi's breathing 'Mathematician in Wonderland']. Ten Asia (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ a b Kim Ye-eun (March 11, 2022). "강말금·탕준상, '이상한 나라의 수학자' 속 반가운 얼굴들" [Kang Mal-geum and Tang Jun-sang, familiar faces in 'Mathematicians in Wonderland']. Export News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ Ahn Byung-gil (April 11, 2022). "58회 백상예술대상 후보 공개…영광의 주인공은?" [58th Baeksang Arts Awards nominations revealed... Who is the hero of glory?]. Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- ^ "후보자(후보작) 리스트" [Candidate (Nominations) List]. Chunsa Film Festival (in Korean). August 26, 2022. Archived from the original on September 28, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
External links
- In Our Prime at the Korean Movie Database (in Korean)
- In Our Prime at IMDb
- In Our Prime at HanCinema