My Name is Loh Kiwan (로기완) is a South Korean romantic drama film released on Netflix on March 1, 2024. It is based on the 2019 novel I Met Loh Kiwan by author Cho Hae-jin and is directed by Kim Hee-jin. Produced by Yong Film and HighZium Studio, the film has a runtime of about 2 hours and 13 minutes.
The cast of the film includes Song Joong-ki as Loh Kiwan, Choi Sung-eun as Marie, Waël Sersoub as Cyril, Cho Han-chul as Yoon-seong, Kim Sung-ryoung as Ok-hee, Lee Il-hwa as Jeong-ju, Lee Sang-hee as Seon-ju, Seo Hyun-woo as Eun-cheol and others.
The film follows Loh Kiwan, who after escaping North Korea, faces challenges securing asylum in Belgium. There, he meets a despondent woman who has abandoned hope. Resolute to survive, Kiwan struggles through various daunting experiences yet finds hope, as well as love in an unfamiliar land.
My Name is Loh Kiwan Review
The film’s opening scene shows Loh Kiwan wiping off spilt blood on the road. It isn’t clear why he is doing that but as the camera zooms into his expressions, we get a hint that the blood belongs to someone dear to him. Without any explanation, the scene cuts to a group of escapees from North Korea or China, sitting in a plane and being instructed by a presumable broker. Among them is Loh Kiwan, trying to come up with ways to get through immigration in Belgium. Luckily, Kiwan gets through easily but the real hurdle stands before him when he tries to secure asylum.
Hoping it would be a quick process, considering his situation but as all government procedures are done, he is given an appointment after a few months. Here we get to know that Kiwan had escaped from North Korea with his mother and had been living in China. However, when he intervened in a fight, he came under the police’s radar – urging him to hide to avoid getting deported. While running away from the police, his mother ends up losing her life in an accident. Revealing it to be her blood that he’s wiping off the road with guilt and regret.
Fleeing for refuge in Belgium, Kiwan finds himself trapped in a bureaucratic purgatory, unable to work or find shelter. On the other hand, Marie, a former shooting champion now wrestling with internal struggles, confronts a desperate and homeless Kiwan, leading to a tense encounter. Only when she discovers the stolen wallet holds his sole remaining connection to his mother do they begin to connect, finding solace in shared experiences and unspoken emotions.
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Loh Kiwan and Marie are two parallel characters. Where Kiwan has lost everything yet striving to survive in any condition, Marie has everything but throwing her life away on her own accord. The only common link between them is their longing for their mothers and what happened to these maternal figures, throwing their lives in an unknown trajectory. Thus, when their paths intersect, they unknowingly become the familiar support or the warm embrace they have been searching for.
Initially, reading the description and watching the trailer, one could presume that the film would be about seeking refuge, and a sense of belonging. While it’s a crucial part of the story, it isn’t the core plot that would define Loh Kiwan completely. More than a social commentary on how even proving a birth nationality in a foreign land becomes an impossible task; it’s better defined as a romantic story. Seeking asylum is not everything for Kiwan but having someone to share his life and experiences with is.
Undoubtedly, Song Joong-ki proves his mettle by portraying a downtrodden yet relentless character like Kiwan. His expressions can tell you everything the character feels, without a single word. However, the romantic part of the story feels dissatisfying. Rather than a romantic affair, if Kiwan and Marie had stayed just friends, trying to comfort each other with hidden feelings poking out of their care – it would have created a much more complex and layered story.
Personally, I prefer a slow buildup instead of an instant connection but the film somewhat suffices the relationship, if you consider Marie’s impulsive nature and Kiwan’s urge to make things better for others or payback for any help he gets. Another lacking bit of the story is Marie and her world.
While it’s understandable that she fell into bad company while trying to cause pain to her father. But what exactly is her deal with Cyril, the bar owner who forces her to compete in shooting competitions to pay debt? What is the nature of their relationship and why does he claim ownership over her? His presence adds to the dark tones but doesn’t answer everything and leads to an underwhelming climax.
While My Name is Loh Kiwan excellently showcases that Joong-ki can excel in delicately vulnerable characters, the lacking story doesn’t help him shine throughout. Especially the characters he comes across have many facets of their own but they don’t add much to the story or fall flat. Overall, it’s a decent one-time watch drama with some quality acting but stands subpar, as one would have expected from it.
Rating: 3/5
My Name is Loh Kiwan is available to watch on Netflix.
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