House of Hummingbird

Name: House of Hummingbird
Genre: Drama
Released: June 26, 2020
Duration: 138 min
Rating: 82
Cast: In-gi Jeong, Ji-hu Park, Sae-byeok Kim, Seung-Yun Lee

2020

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 10 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 17 Ratings

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7.2

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7.2	Your Score
7.2	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 17 Ratings

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House Of Hummingbird (US Trailer 1)

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Movie Details & Credits

Well Go USA Entertainment | Release Date (Streaming): June 26, 2020 | Not Rated

Starring: In-gi Jeong, Ji-hu Park, Sae-byeok Kim, Seung-Yun Lee

Movie Facts:

Named best narrative feature in the international competition at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival.

Summary: Seoul, 1994: A lonely 14-year-old Eun-hee moves through life like a hummingbird searching for a taste of sweetness wherever she may find it. Deprived of attention from her family, she roams the neighborhood with her best friend, attempts romantic relationships with both girls and boys alike and is sent to the hospital with an unclearSeoul, 1994: A lonely 14-year-old Eun-hee moves through life like a hummingbird searching for a taste of sweetness wherever she may find it. Deprived of attention from her family, she roams the neighborhood with her best friend, attempts romantic relationships with both girls and boys alike and is sent to the hospital with an unclear diagnosis. When new teacher Young-ji arrives, she becomes the first adult Eun-hee feels really understands her.… Expand

Director: Bora Kim

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 138 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

RogerEbert.com Peter Sobczynski

Jun 26, 2020

House of Hummingbird deserves a place alongside the likes of “The Virgin Suicides,” “The Ocean of Helena Lee” and “Eighth Grade” as one of the most knowing and intelligent cinematic takes on the pains and occasional pleasures of female adolescence of recent years. Read full review

The Playlist Andrew Bundy

Aug 30, 2019

Kim’s film is a compassionate piece on interpersonal connection that’ll touch your heart when it’s at its most vulnerable Read full review

IndieWire David Ehrlich

Jun 25, 2020

Sensitive and lived-in and strong in ways that a more forceful version of this story could never have been, Bora’s debut sketches a portrait of a girl coming into her own strength, and learning to see the blank page of her life as an opportunity rather than a death sentence. Read full review

Richard Whittaker

Jul 1, 2020

First-time feature director Kim pulls every moment back its most quiet and intimate, instead letting the ambiguity of personal moments play out. Most importantly, she keeps newcomer Park's performance as Eun-hee in constant focus at a time when she barely knows herself, and definitely doesn't understand other people. Read full review

Jake Cole

Jun 22, 2020

The film is never more intense than when it’s finding parallels between its main character’s anomie and Korea’s dehumanizing expansion. Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Jun 19, 2020

The film meanders a bit, and dawdles a bit more. But its compelling and unblinking portrait of a girl’s life, her expectations, prospects, obstacles and second class status. Read full review

Tomris Laffly

May 3, 2019

A touch overlong, “House of Hummingbird” doesn’t leave the most powerful emotional mark. Still, it lands on a poignant aftertaste through Kim’s serene attentiveness to the rhythms and details of everyday life ... with a peaceful style reminiscent of Hirokazu Kore-eda. Read full review

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User Reviews

nexus4p

Jun 28, 2020

Film for generations who experienced S.Korea in the 90s. It's hard to fully understand except them.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JLuis_001

Apr 23, 2021

Coming of age stories are often risky stories. In some cases because they're too idealistic, and in others because they tend to be too dramatic.

It's hard to find one that is successful in balancing all the aspects of such a story, and managing to say something that feels new in theComing of age stories are often risky stories. In some cases because they're too idealistic, and in others because they tend to be too dramatic.

It's hard to find one that is successful in balancing all the aspects of such a story, and managing to say something that feels new in the process.

House of Hummingbird falls into that category despite the fact that if you look closely at its tale about a very lonely young girl who's beginning to discover who she really is, and of course who she will become, it may feel predictable in relation to other films that could easily replicate those same themes.

Fortunately its immersive and thoughtful vision feels quite natural, spontaneous, and above all, realistic.
It never abuses of the drama, and that's quite refreshing, because life is not easy and that phase is very complicated because we tend to believe that nobody understands us, and it seems that way for this character, because her life is quite hard, and the adults around her show a astonishing indifference, but it never becomes a misery show. In some professional reviews I read, it was mentioned a lot that the story can be very focused for Korean audiences, and it's true.
There's a real life event that happened in South Korea that's part of this film, and is essential to its outcome, but that's only part of the film, and the main focus remains in the emotional journey of its main character.

Part of me may say that perhaps the duration has a few minutes to spare, but fortunately its director doesn't lengthen it for simplicity, what it covers never ceases to be interesting.

I'd heard some great things about House of Hummingbird and luckily they were true.
Highly recommended.… Expand

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