Start-Up (2019 South Korean Film)

Start-Up (Korean: 시동; RR: Sidong) is a 2019 South Korean comedy-drama film directed by Choi Jeong-Yeol. The film is based on the webcomic series Shidong by Jo Geum-San, which was serialized on the Daum Webtoon platform between 2014 and 2015.

Promotional poster for the film Start-Up

Plot

The story follows Taek-Il (Park Jeong-Min), an 18-year-old rebel living with his mother, a former volleyball player. Seeking independence, Taek-Il drops out of high school and leaves home for Gunsan, North Jeolla Province. There, he finds work as a delivery person at a Chinese restaurant and encounters a mysterious cook named Geo-Seok (Ma Dong-Seok). Meanwhile, Taek-Il's friend Sang-Pil (Jung Hae-In) begins working at a private loan office, leading the two friends down separate paths.

Production

The film was directed by Choi Jeong-Yeol, who also contributed to the screenplay. Principal photography for the project commenced on March 8, 2019, and concluded on June 27, 2019. The film was distributed by Next Entertainment World and released in South Korea on December 18, 2019.

Cast

Ma Dong-Seok as Geo-Seok
Park Jeong-Min as Taek-Il
Jung Hae-In as Sang-Pil
Yum Jung-Ah as Taek-Il's mother
Choi Sung-Eun as Kyung-Joo
Kim Jong-Soo as Owner Kong
Yoon Kyung-Ho as Kim Dong-Hwa
Kim Kyung-Duk as Bae Gu-Man
Ko Du-Shim as Sang-Pil's grandmother