Synopsis

Considered by many to be Yim Soon-rye’s most representative work, Waikiki Brothers earned critical acclaim and a cult following for its bittersweet and naturalistic portrait of a traveling band on its last legs. The Waikiki Brothers land a gig in frontman Sung-woo’s hometown where he first started his musical journey. There, he reunites with old friends and a past crush, and learns that they’re all not doing well. Circumstances take a turn for the worse when his troubled bandmates succumb to vices. Yim’s acute depiction of the hardships and disillusions of growing up — not to mention the early performances of future stars Hwang Jung-min, Ryu Seung-bum and Park Hae-il — seals the film's status as an essential classic of Korean cinema.