Actor Jo Jung Suk’s New K-Movie Is “Pressing All The Incel Buttons”

Actor Jo Jung Suk‘s new K-Movie, Pilot, premiered amid high anticipation from moviegoers who wondered how the Korean spin on the 2012 Swedish original Cockpit would turn out.

Jung Woo goes from being a successful, popular pilot to being unemployed one morning. However, he succeeds in getting a new job after accidentally taking on a newly laundered identity.

— IMDb

The movie, featuring Jo in a two-in-one role as Han Jung Woo and Han Jung Mi, soon became dubbed a “good comedy for the whole family to enjoy”…

• “A great movie to watch with the whole family. We had a good time, thanks!”
• “It was such a good movie. Great comedy to watch without overthinking things!”
• “Highly recommend watching it in the theaters!”
• “It was a good movie, I liked it.”
• “I laughed so much, I almost cried. Haha. Some of the scenes were so creative, it had me wondering, ‘How do people even come up with something like this?!’ It made me look up the scriptwriter. Jo Jung Suk and the rest of the cast showcased their incredible acting skills. Han Sun Hwa truly channeled the younger sister energy and made everything even more believable.”
• “I laughed through the whole movie.”

…except, following its premiere and a critic review, the plot ended up “pressing all the buttons” for “incels” in Korea.

One critic for the renowned CINE21 magazine tweeted that Pilot is “a movie sharing the most ideal message” about the direction Korea should take amid the nation’s gender conflict.

Shedding light on the plot that has Jo’s character be fired and blacklisted for talking about his female flight attendants’ appearances during a dinner event with his superiors, the critic points out that Pilot does a good job at “spoon feeding” the idea of gender equality.

나만 생각하지 말자 쪽팔리게 살지 말자는 대주제를 가져오느라 좀더 직접적으로 발화됐어야 할 이슈가 덜 소화되고 간 감이 있고 여기서 아쉬움을 느끼는 사람들이 있겠지만 기본적으로 정말 이상적인… 얘기를 하는 영화다

— 임수연 IM Sooyeon (@vagabond_sy) July 28, 2024

About Pilot… Korea has a long way to go, but I think Pilot makes a good start. It spoon feeds the viewers, showing how complimenting women and calling them a bouquet of flowers would be considered sexist. And it kindly lays out the fact that getting fired for making sexist remarks as such is not something to whine about, but something to shut up and apologize for.

Because the movie also aims to highlight deeper messages like the need to not be self-centered and shameless, some of the issues that should have blown up bigger did end up rather underwhelming. Some viewers might find disappointment in that. But, in general, this movie is… sharing the most ideal message at the most basic level.

— Im Soo Yeon

Then, comments came pouring from extremist male-driven online communities, questioning how “complimenting a woman is wrong” and showcasing the utter lack of understanding of  how sexual harassment works.

• “Just victimizing themselves. Telling a man he’s handsome or ripped is praise, but when it’s reversed, it’s sexual harassment. Haha.”
• “Sure, depending on how it’s said, it could be taken as discrimination. But overall, I think [women] are too sensitive. Including the critic who wrote the review.”
• “I’ve never had a woman who didn’t like it when I complimented them about their looks. Like, most of them were genuine in their reactions. I’m surprised there are women who think it’s sexism.”
• “The critic is so mad.”
• “Telling a woman she looks beautiful is NOT discriminating against their gender, it’s obvious.”
• “Thanks for the opinion.”

Some even voiced that women are “too sensitive” and “victimizing” themselves.

• “Have you ever been discriminated against for the way you look, though? Women are constantly having to think about their appearances—becoming more obsessed with cosmetic procedures and makeup. They even start questioning themselves over who they really are. It makes them vulnerable.”
• “Yeah, okay. But there’s a difference in being told they’re ugly vs. pretty.”
• “I’ve never been discriminated against for the way I look or anything… But I think it’s only human nature that we feel more inclined toward people who are good-looking. Like, that’s instinct. So… It’s hard for me to agree with the idea that [complimenting someone on their looks] is wrong.”
• “Some people might be into beautifying themselves for the compliments, but it’s not the case for everyone. Some people don’t want to be complimented on their looks, period. There was a Japanese woman who got so harassed by men complimenting her that she shaved her hair off and started wearing glasses to make herself look less appealing.”
• “Wait, so complimenting women on their looks is sexism? Men can be subject to compliments about appearances, too. No?”

Even one-starred, negative reviews were listed for Pilot being “a movie that makes men feel uncomfortable.”

• “A movie trying to push a misandry agenda. It was the worst. It wasn’t even good, and it was trying to split men and women up.”
• “The plot of this movie makes men feel uncomfortable. Like, it casts a shadow on all men as potential sexual harassers. What airline will fire a pilot for complimenting a female flight attendant’s appearance at a company dinner? I get what the female director was trying to do, though. I bet she’s not going to get married, have children, or date a man.”

That said, the movie’s reviews continue to show the fierce division in the viewer sentiment…

…though, moviegoers are now coming together to show support for the movie.

• “I watched it and it was good. I think it’s a huge step for a Korean commercial movie to even talk about something like this, serious or not. Please go watch it.”
• “I was worried about it before the premiere, but now I see it’s pressing all the incel buttons. Haha. I might go watch it, too.”
• “Oh, I’ll have to go watch it. Haha.”
• “Who knew how incels react would sell a movie like this? LOL.”
• “There was not a single scene that felt like it could be upsetting. I doubt they even watched the movie. Anyway, it was a well-made movie. There was a lot of funny moments that had everyone laughing. Great to watch for fun. I loved Jo Jung Suk’s acting, but I was also surprised by Han Sun Hwa. The character of Jo Jung Suk’s mother was hilarious.”
• “I hesitated watching because of the whole ‘man disguising as a woman’ idea, but seeing the incel response, I might just go see it. Haha.”
• “Sold. Will watch.”
• “When there was a bit of backlash about the premise of the movie, someone who had seen it at the private screening said that it would 100% die down once it premiered.”
•  “Yeah, there was talk about treating the issue too lightly. But seeing how it got all the incels pressed… Treating it seriously wouldn’t have made sense at this time. We need more movies like this. Something light but still shining light on the issues at hand. That way, people can learn slow and steady.”
• “I watched it, it was hilarious. Haha.”

• “Immediately reserved a ticket.”
• “It’s like ‘Barbie’ but South Korean.”
• “It was good. I just got home from watching it.”
• “I saw it and it made me laugh a lot. That’s what comedy movies are supposed to do, right?”
• “It had me cracking up.”
• “I liked it, too.”
• “The reviews are strange, haha. There were parts that I didn’t love. But it was a decent family movie. It’s not the greatest piece of work in cinema history, so keep your expectations low. But you’ll have a good time.”
• “I watched it and I thought it was f*cking hilarious.”
• “It’s a good watch if you don’t expect too much, haha. Jo Jung Suk is really good at acting.”
• “It was such a good movie, haha. Everyone was laughing and having a good time.”

Dubbing it the “Barbie of Korea,” Koreans are praising the “first steps” the movie has taken toward any reform at all.

“Barbie” May Be Underperforming In Korea Due To Negative Sentiments Towards Feminism — According To Film Critics And Women’s Rights Activist

Watch the teaser here: