Honest Candidate ~ Korea’s Sharp Satire About a Politician Who Can’t Lie

“Honest Candidate” is a 2020 Korean film, categorized as Political Satire and Comedy, streaming free with ads on Tubi TV. The film is a remake of the 2014 Brazilian film “O Candidato Honesto”.

 

• Memorable Quote:  “Forget about my ticket to heaven. Use all my good deeds on Sang-Sook. Make her grow up and be kind. Please make her stop lying.”

SUMMARY: A veteran politician known for her effortless lying wakes up one day unable to speak anything but the truth. Her campaign spirals into chaos because she reveals secrets that incriminate and embarrass others in the political arena.

♦ “Please make her stop lying.”

In “Honest Candidate”, Joo Sang-Sook is a three-term National Assembly member notorious for her polished speeches, shameless manipulation, and habitual lying. As she campaigns for her fourth term, Joo Sang-Sook appears unstoppable ~ until an unexpected supernatural twist upends her entire political machine.

Joo Sang-Sook’s life changes after a visit to her grandmother, who prays earnestly for her granddaughter to become a better, more truthful person. While Joo Sang-Sook is praying to win the next election, her grandmother is simultaneously earnestly praying: “Please make her stop lying.”

The next morning, Joo Sang-Sook discovers she has lost her ability to lie, completely. Every attempt to spin, dodge, or fabricate collapses into involuntary honesty. This “curse of truth” forces a career politician to confront the world without her most powerful weapon. Her ability to deceive.

Joo Sang-Sook’s loyal campaign manager, Park Hee-Cheol, and the rest of her team panic and do their best to try to contain the damage and manage the fallout. But Joo Sang-Sook’s unfiltered outbursts are very hard to manage. Every press conference becomes a disaster; every handshake event spirals into brutal honesty. She blurts out her real opinions, exposes her own corruption, even insults donors and party officials, and even insults a representative from North Korea.

Joo Sang-Sook’s campaign implodes, and her rivals seize the opportunity to attack her. The media scrutinizes and sensationalizes her every slip. Yet, paradoxically, some voters begin to appreciate her newfound sincerity. Perhaps honesty, however messy, is better than polished deception and political theater.

Joo Sang-Sook’s political career may be going down the drain, but honesty has allowed her to reconnect with her family, rediscover her values, and understand the real impact of her actions. Should she embrace her truthfulness or attempt to reverse the curse?

Main Characters:

• Joo Sang-Sook (played by Ra Mi-Ran, “Hi-Five”, “Citizen of a Kind”, “The Good Bad Mother”, “The Dude in Me”, “The Highway Family”, “To the Moon”,“High Society”, “Avengers Social Club”, “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance”, “Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born”)
• Park Hee-Cheol (played by Kim Moo-Yul, “My Beautiful Bride”, “Grid”, “The Old Woman With The Knife”, “The Roundup: Punishment”, “Space Sweepers”, “The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil”, “No Way Out: The Roulette”, “Queen Woo”, “Juvenile Justice”, “Trolley”, “Bad Guys: Vile City”, “Sweet Home 1, 2 and 3”)
• Bong Man-Sik (played by Yoon Kyung-Ho, “Team Bulldog: Off-duty Investigation”, “The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call”, “The Legend of Kitchen Soldier”, “Humint”, “My Daughter is a Zombie”, “Juror 8”)

Where to Watch: Tubi TV and Apple TV

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 6.2 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 7.7 out of 10 stars
• Letterboxd: 3.1 out of 5 stars
• Annyeong Kimchi Land: 4 out of 5 stars

My personal rating is the same as Annyeong Kimchi Land.

“Honest Candidate” is a quick laugh, and in today’s political environment, the storyline seemed very relevant. The only thing is that you can’t really laugh at real politics. At least not in America. Because when you make jokes, you lose your job, like Stephen Colbert.

• Ra Mi-Ran won Best Actress (“Honest Candidate”) – 2020 (41st) Blue Dragon Film Awards – February 9, 2021.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

KMOVIE REVIEW | Honest Candidate | Annyeong Kimchi Land (“One of the best comedy films of all time! Honest Candidate is undeniably a rib-tickling and laugh a minute ride! It is oozing with striking plot, valuable lessons, and top-notch acting from the main lead!”)

Honest Candidate Review: A Fun But Empty Korean Comedy | Society Reviews (“The problem is, films like Honest Candidate aren’t looking for a parallel to real-life, just a whacky good time.”)

HONEST CANDIDATE (2020). | Korean Film Biz Zone

Movie Review: Honest Candidate (2020). | The Cat That Watches TV

Review | Honest Candidate film review: limp South Korean political satire sees Ra Mi-ran play a habitual liar cursed to tell the truth | South China Morning Post | South China Morning Post

TRAILER/TEASER:

Trailer Time. “Honest Candidate 2020 정직한 후보 Movie Trailer  Family Comedy Movie HD.” YouTube, 30 Oct. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4qIOJM0Fss.

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