The TV series “When the Phone Rings”, starring Yoon Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin, is attracting the attention of a large Asian audience even though it has only aired 2 episodes. The film goes against the current Korean trend, converging all the “criticizing” elements such as: old-fashioned movie motifs of the CEO and his young wife, a rich family marriage, marriage before love, the male lead is cold on the outside but warm on the inside. But despite the controversy, “When the Phone Rings” still “climbs” the most-watched chart on the Netflix platform.
A cheap script but continuously makes it to the top of discussions in many countries
The film explores the fascinating love story between a domineering CEO, cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and his beautiful little wife. It begins with a tense situation when the female lead is kidnapped but secretly uses the kidnapper's phone to threaten the male lead for a divorce. The special relationship between the male lead and his wife who has "selectively" lost the ability to speak creates curiosity and strong attraction.
"When The Phone Rings" cleverly combines romance and thriller elements to create a dramatic start.
The male lead Yoo Yeon Seok, with his charisma and charisma, perfectly portrays the image of a powerful CEO. The female lead Chae Soo Bin, with her innocent white lotus appearance, is extremely intelligent and strong, creating a new feeling for viewers. After only two episodes, the film has created an explosive effect, becoming the center of attention of audiences everywhere.
Besides, despite opinions that the film uses the "old" or "old wine in a new bottle" motif, "When the Phone Rings" still receives great love from the audience thanks to its creative story development.
Screenwriter Kim Ji Woon explained that although the main genre is romance, the drama switches flexibly from comedy, thriller, and even action, reflecting the characters' evolving emotions. Director Park Sang Woo added that while it may seem like a love-hate relationship in an arranged marriage at first, it is actually a story of true love that has lasted for over 20 years.
Not only making waves in its home country, "When the Phone Rings" also conquered international audiences.
"Old bottle, new wine"
According to statistics after episode 2 aired on November 24, “When the phone rings” entered the top 4 of Netflix’s list of hottest TV series worldwide. The film also entered the top 10 of 69 countries, ranked 1st in 31 countries including: Vietnam, Thailand, Brazil, Indonesia… Particularly in the Chinese market, the cradle of romantic films, “When the phone rings” attracted a large amount of discussion on Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Douyin. The film was loved by Cnet because the way it was filmed and the actors’ performances did not create an uncomfortable feeling.
The image of the “domineering CEO” once dominated the romance literature and cinema. Works with this motif often build a perfect world, where love can overcome all material and social barriers. However, excessive idealization has made this image unrealistic and difficult to create sympathy from the audience.
As a Korean drama based on the Chinese CEO motif, When The Phone Rings parallels the story of "marrying first, falling in love later", which has been exploited to the point of saturation on Korean screens in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
The repetition of a motif has made readers feel bored and want to look for new stories. The success of romance works with the image of "domineering CEO" in the past also raises the question of whether this is a socio-cultural phenomenon worth pondering.
Initially, with its not-so-outstanding appearance, "When the phones rings" did not receive much expectation from the audience. However, right from the first episode, the film created an unexpected hit when drawing viewers into a vortex of dramatic and suspenseful details.
The male lead's charisma and acting are what many audiences expect and look forward to.
By skillfully combining familiar elements of Chinese romance with the suspense and thrill typical of Korean psychological films, the film successfully escapes the shadow of films of the same genre. With sophisticated filming and natural acting, the film not only conquers domestic audiences but also creates a big echo in the international arena, without making viewers feel forced or awkward.
The juxtaposition of thriller and romance is one of the keys to keeping the film engaging and not bogged down in a stale script. The story unfolds, cleverly blending the characters’ personal struggles with grand political intrigue. The clues are carefully placed, and every detail, no matter how small, is tightly connected, creating a dramatic and deeply emotional experience.
When The Phone Rings successfully breaks out of the mold by perfectly blending familiar elements of Chinese romance novels with the thrilling, suspenseful elements of Korean psychological films.
Korean movies often try to stick to the original plot. Not only does this satisfy fans of the original, it also allows the characters to have a reasonable range of emotional development. On the contrary, modern Chinese romance movies often edit the script heavily, thus leading to situations where the male and female leads rush the dating stage and make the movie disjointed and illogical.
Overall, the movie "When the phones rings" is a great gift for fans who love the CEO type in romantic movies. The cold and delicate feeling of Baek Sa Eon along with the resilience but also the gentleness of Hong Hui Ju will definitely create romantic and interesting moments, making the audience unable to take their eyes off the screen.
