Netflix’s Upcoming Korean Movie Gains Criticism For “Backwards” Portrayal Of Beauty Standards
Netflix’s upcoming Korean movie Love Untangled is already drawing criticism — and it hasn’t even premiered yet. Set to release later this year, the romantic drama centers around a young woman struggling with self-worth and love — and much of that is tied to her appearance, particularly her natural, textured curly hair.
But viewers aren’t impressed with how the film frames her. Trailers and early promotional material depict the main character as unpopular, overlooked, and undesirable, with much of the blame seemingly placed on her unruly curls. The character’s transformation arc reportedly involves her “taming” her hair to finally be noticed by others — a trope that hasn’t gone over well with audiences.
the narrative of wavy/curly hair being messy, dirty, difficult to handle and an unlovable feature in the year of 2025… i thought we had moved past this https://t.co/FimUUAdkbE
— 또리🍬 (@candyjaeriluv) August 2, 2025
Netizens pointed out how such tropes are still common in K-Content, but reflect how uneducated the society can be.
South korea the most technologically advanced society but pretend to be uneducated about literally everything 😭 https://t.co/HGKbsNS0Yn
— estrojun ⁷ (@galaxyeyes97) August 2, 2025
Others argued that the movie was set in 1998, without the age of internet and technology. Given that she lived in a coastal town as well, this seemed to be a common experience for girls with textured hair back then.
? this is not the right read. she has no mom & has to learn how to take care of her hair without the luxury of google, in a country where that hair type less common, AND lives in a humid coastal town. this is a coming of age story abt an insecurity that actual girls experience… https://t.co/Pe6uNrxfJK
— magical girl ✨ 잠자리 (@pykovafy) August 2, 2025
The backlash has sparked wider conversations on K-beauty norms, with many pointing out that Korean media often reinforces narrow ideals that prioritize straight, silky hair as the standard of attractiveness.
actually what i find the most surprising is that 1) people think every country is like the US, and 2) people keep forgetting SK is 500 years behind any other country when it comes to beauty standards, especially when it comes to women
let them have this lol… groundbreaking fr https://t.co/olRwvH8g5P
— 𝓛 (@bekonekotis) August 2, 2025
While Netflix has not issued a response, fans are urging the platform and the filmmakers to rethink how they portray beauty, especially in stories meant to uplift. With Love Untangled yet to hit screens, it remains to be seen how the final film will address the criticism. Watch the trailer below.
