Love Untangled Review — When Hair Insecurity Becomes a Plot Device Instead of a Journey

A hair-insecurity story rushed through so fast the movie had to invent a second plot just to fill the runtime.

Korean Movie Name: 고백의 역사 (History of Confession)

Where To Watch: Netflix ← *Click for direct link*

Average Rating: 8.4/10 (Mydramalist)

My Rating: 5.0/10

One Sentence Description: A film that teased emotional growth and self-love but delivered a whiplash-inducing pivot to trauma we never saw coming.

Trailer:

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Disclaimer: This review is 100% my opinion — I’m not here to hate, just to share my thoughts! Also, SPOILERS AHEAD, so proceed with caution if you haven’t watched yet. Watch it, come back and let’s see if you agree. Let’s keep the discussion respectful and fun! 💕

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Simple Description 

This movie follows Park Se Ri, a girl with curly hair who believes straightening it is the key to winning her crush. But when she finally gets her hair straight, she realises she no longer wants the boy she thought she did and instead falls for the one who liked her as she was all along.

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⚠️Length Note: This post includes a detailed (and long) story breakdown. Want to skip straight to the review? Jump to the Review

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The Review

The Good

A Truly Iconic Best-Friend Squad

When I say I want a ride-or-die friend group, this is exactly what I mean. This friend group was friendship goals from start to finish. They hyped her delusions like it was their full-time job — Kim Hyeon bonks her on the head with a ball and suddenly it’s fate? They’re already planning the wedding. They hand-fold hundreds of tiny crane eggs for her confession because “what if it helps?” And even when she turns around and gets a new crush, they don’t blink, they just pivot and support the switch-up. They matched her energy every step of the way, and I adored them for it.

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The Bad

A Curly-Hair Empowerment Plot… That Wasn’t Actually About Curly Hair

My biggest issue? I thought this movie was going to be about a girl learning to embrace her curly hair and love herself. And while Se Ri technically did embrace her curls by the end (she didn’t re-straighten them), it felt rushed and sidelined. It reminded me of True Beauty (review here!), where the main character’s insecurities were used as a romance plot device rather than something she genuinely overcame.

I also thought the central plot would be Se Ri trying to straighten her hair to confess to Kim Hyun but that storyline wrapped up halfway through. The second half, with Yun Seok’s abusive father and the sudden move to the U.S., felt rushed and random. We never even got closure on Yun Seok’s water trauma which seemed like PTSD but was left dangling. And the most shocking part? Se Ri actually went through with straightening her hair for a guy who never even asked her to. I thought she’d stop right before the perm, but nope she did it anyway.

The original hair insecurity plot with Kim Hyun could’ve easily carried the entire hour and forty-five minutes. Instead, they gave Kim Hyun about five minutes of screentime and ten lines, then shoved in an extra subplot that added nothing. Everything felt rushed, which made it hard to connect with the cast or the couples. Se Ri spent the first half crushing on Kim Hyun, then did a 180 at the last second. It fell flat because we weren’t given enough time to see her relationship with Yun Seok blossom into anything more than friendship.

The Twin Sister Existed Purely to… Exist

Introducing a fraternal twin who’s meant to be the “prettier,” more enviable sister? Hello? Built-in insecurity arc, growth, jealousy, resolution, anything? Nope! She had maybe one line. A completely wasted conflict that could’ve actually supported the movie’s supposed message about self-acceptance.

Chemistry? Miscast? Both?

I saw this comment a lot, and I can’t help but agree: Yun Seok felt miscast. Mainly because… well, he’s old. He’s almost ten years older than Se Ri’s actress, and while he played the teen role fine, it was hard to buy into their romance knowing the behind-the-scenes reality. That kind of age gap makes it tough for a young actor/actress to fake being in love.

Don’t get me wrong, his acting was solid, and his emotional scenes were convincing. But the romance? The crush? Harder to believe. Meanwhile, she had way more spark with Kim Hyun in their fifteen total seconds together which made the “main couple” even harder to root for.

Kim Hyun Liked Her Hair / Nobody Really Cared

Another huge issue is that Kim Hyun never actually cared whether Se Ri’s hair was straight or curly. In fact, when her hair was curly, she was the only girl he paid attention to. So the entire “I shouldn’t have to change myself for a guy” moment fell flat. Not because the message was bad but because the movie didn’t write Kim Hyun as someone who pressured her to change. If he had even hinted that straight hair was “better,” or gave off a toxic vibe where she felt she had to change to be accepted, then her confession would’ve landed emotionally.

And then there’s the question the movie never answers: why did she think she needed to straighten her hair for a guy in the first place? None of her past crushes rejected her because of it — one was her cousin, one moved away, and the third liked her sister. Her hair was never the issue. So why would she internalise the idea that it was? Yes, insecurities can make us believe anything, but the writing never connects that insecurity to anything real. The story would’ve been stronger if past guys specifically commented on her hair, making her believe it was the barrier— only to later realise that she was the one who hated her hair all along, not the boys.

The Ending and the Abuse Subplot Felt Random

Like I mentioned earlier, the second half turns into an entirely different movie. Suddenly, we’re focusing on Yun Seok’s home life and his abusive father, but it’s introduced so late that it barely registers. If the film sprinkled hints throughout with threatening calls to his mom or Yun Seok reacting anxiously to unknown numbers, the emotional shift could’ve worked. Instead, it felt like a last-minute attempt to add “seriousness” to the story.

And then the time jump. Why do writers love time jumps so much? They rarely add anything. Him leaving and her breaking up with him felt like a forced cliché tossed in “just because.” It didn’t deepen the romance, it didn’t heighten the stakes. It just dragged.

Everyone Was an Extra Except Se Ri

I said this before, but I need to emphasise it: Se Ri was the only character who felt like an actual main character. Yun Seok at least had a plot twist (even if it was random), but everyone else existed purely around Se Ri. The biggest disappointment was Kim Hyun. He got more slow-motion shots than actual lines and for someone who was promoted as a major lead, he was barely present. As a celebrity crush of mine, that was especially painful.

Even Yun Seok’s mother seemed to have more lines than Kim Hyun. The promotional material made it seem like he’d be central to the story, but he ended up little more than an extra. It leaves you wondering what this movie was supposed to be about, and what message it was trying to send.

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What I Would Do

Make the Main Plot the Only Plot

This is a given, but I’d keep the hair journey and the crush-confession chaos as the one and only plot. The abusive father subplot in the second half came out of nowhere and pulled us away from the movie’s core message. I’d strip that out completely and stretch the hair storyline so it lasts the full runtime.

The heart of the movie is self-love and not changing yourself for anyone. I’d let that message breathe by letting us really sit with her insecurities. I actually prefer the idea that none of the boys (except Kim Hyun) comment on her hair because it makes her self-hatred the real villain. Her hatred for her curls would make her assume she’s being judged even when no one is saying anything. She’d internalise insults, brush off compliments, and read too much into every look or whisper. Her hair wouldn’t be the problem, her self-perception would.

Kim Hyun, in particular, would not like her curly hair. He’d tell her she’d look prettier with straight hair and push for change. She’d initially chase his approval… until Yun Seok enters the picture. He’d openly like her natural hair and gently warn her about the damage straightening could cause. One day, they’d have a huge argument: she’d scream that he doesn’t understand, that she’d only ever be pretty once it’s straight, and that she’s tired of everything being difficult. And he’d hit her right where it hurts by telling her the only person who actually hates her hair is her. That most people love it. That real self-love doesn’t come from makeovers but from acceptance. He’d call out how her obsession with Kim Hyun’s opinion has blinded her to the fact that most people don’t even care what her hair looks like. His words would cut her. Her words would cut him. And they’d drift.

But this would be the moment everything shifts.

She’d start noticing the little bits of support she’s had all along from her friends, from her family, from people who genuinely like her hair. The day of her straightening appointment would creep up, and her doubts would grow. And on the day itself, with Yun Seok’s words echoing in her head, she wouldn’t go through with it.

She’d show up to the retreat with less frizzy, still curly hair and styled by Yun Seok’s mother, of course. People on the bus would react just like they do in the original, but this time it’s tied to her growth. She realises the issue was never the curls, just the styling… and her own self-image. So when she goes to Kim Hyun’s confession scene and turns it into a self-love speech and rejection, it actually makes sense.

I could honestly keep going but you get the idea.

Actually Use the Sister

The “prettier sister” angle was a huge missed opportunity, so I’d make it matter. Se Ri has always felt overshadowed — the hair, the grades, the everything — and I’d let that explode.

After her argument with Yun Seok, everything would be going wrong, and she’d finally snap at her sister. Picture this: her sister comes home complaining about her hair getting ruined by the rain (because it’s not a Korean movie without dramatic rain), and Se Ri just breaks. They’d have a blow-up, the big one — all the resentment, jealousy, insecurity, everything finally out in the open.

And then, hours before Se Ri’s straightening appointment, they’d talk it out. Really talk. Her sister would admit she’s always loved Se Ri’s hair and even wanted a perm to get curls like hers. She’d remind Se Ri that sometimes we get so trapped in our own heads we forget that the things we hate about ourselves are things others love. This conversation would be a major push in Se Ri choosing not to change her hair.

Add in a Final Confession Scene

I think the fact that this movie is literally called “History of Confessions” in Korean (고백의 역사) and they added no successful confessions felt a little odd. Since all her confessions in the past and even her one to Yun Seok failed, I feel like they should’ve wrapped the movie up with her getting confessed too. Imagine how perfect it would’ve been if the first successful confession she’s a part of is one for her from her first love who moved away and returned for the first time in years. Her friends could’ve been a part of it also reflecting how they are still there for her, even years later. This was a small point but would’ve been such a nice full circle moment. Especially with the Korean name and all. 

Deliver the Real Message

And honestly? This version sends a way stronger message to anyone dealing with body image issues. It shows that self-love starts inside, that people who truly care love you as a whole, and that sometimes we’re our own worst critics. You’re beautiful — even when you can’t see it yet — and learning to accept yourself is a journey, not a switch you flip.

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Final Thoughts

In the end, this movie wasted such a good opportunity to send a meaningful message about self-love. This was another case of turning insecurities into plot for love, and it’s just as disappointing as True Beauty (review here!). It had the setup and the hope of being a good movie, but that potential was completely wasted. The second the main plot wrapped halfway through, I knew we were headed straight into chaos. I still don’t know where the abusive plotline came from or why it suddenly crawled out of a drawer like a forgotten prop. It felt like the writers didn’t know how to stretch the main plot to a full hour and a half, which means someone needed to think a little harder before deciding this should be a movie.

With the only redeeming factor being the friends (who didn’t even exist outside of her), the whole thing fell flat on its face. With Kim Hyun getting the same amount of screentime as the mom (if not less) and Yun Seok’s actor being 10+ years older than everyone else, this movie was a waste of potential. It had too many issues to ignore and left us feeling nothing but disappointed. Next time, hopefully they spend more time untangling her insecurities and less time untangling Yun Seok’s mysterious personal issues that didn’t need to be there.

Because if I wanted to watch a movie about wasted potential and bad hair decisions, I’d just look at my middle school yearbook.

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And that’s a wrap! I recently watched this movie and I couldn’t help but review it asap. I love how many of the comments I read agreed with me but if you didn’t, let me know what you thought. Maybe you saw something I didn’t.

I think next week I’m going to review a drama that I recently finished and liked but also didn’t in most ways. A small hint, the villain is free for way too long and it dragged out the whole show. Not much of a hint, I know, but hey, you might know it!

See you next week! 💕

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